Rollin' on the River

Chef Michael Gottlieb masters dockside takeout and fine dining on the Tchefuncte

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Boating culture is a way of life in Madisonville, particularly on the Tchefuncte River. Passion for food is a way of life, well, anywhere in Louisiana. Chef Michael Gottlieb melds both local loves into an experience boaters and gourmands alike can wholly appreciate at recently-opened casual dockside restaurant and bar The Anchor, as well as its fine dining counterpart, Tchefuncte’s. 

Originally from Savannah, Georgia, Chef Gottlieb hails from a long line of bakers: his family bakery Gottlieb’s first opened in Savannah in 1884. “I come from many, many generations of foodies,” Gottlieb said. “So, I really had no choice in where my path was going to lead.” Attending Johnson & Wales Culinary School certainly assisted in clearing that path, as well. 

[Read this story from our October 2019 issue: "The Craft and Cuisine of Wirt Bellue" ]

Though he hails from Savannah, Gottlieb familiarized himself with Louisiana and its cuisine during a six-year stint living and working in New Orleans fine dining. There, he worked under Ralph Brennan: first at Ralph’s on the Park in Mid City, then at Redfish Grill on Bourbon Street. After leaving the Brennan Group, he served as Executive Chef of the Rib Room inside the Omni Royal Hotel in the heart of the French Quarter for multiple years, before putting in his notice and returning to his hometown of Savannah to lend his expertise towards reopening the historic family bakery. 

While working with family at Gottlieb’s in Savannah, he was also developing other restaurant projects around the country—eventually landing on The Anchor and Tchefuncte’s. “Then I got involved in this project here, designing it, developing it, and just kind of fell in love with it,” Gottlieb said. Already enamored and comfortable with New Orleans from his previous time there, he leaped at the opportunity to manage two destination restaurants just on the other side of Lake Pontchartrain. “When it came time to hire management, I decided that I wanted to step in and run this one,” Gottlieb said. “Because it’s a two-pronged project: We have the casual Anchor, we have the high-end fine dining at Tchefuncte’s, and it sits on a really awesome river really close to one of my favorite cities in the world, so it was kind of hard to not do it.” 

Between the variety of the two restaurants and the proximity to the river, it is undeniable that The Anchor and Tchefuncte’s offer a unique opportunity for the chef and diners alike. Both endeavors are housed in a massive three-story building that sits on the site of a historic cottage destroyed in a 2012 hurricane. The cottage, and briefly the larger current structure, once housed former Madisonville fixture Friends Coastal Restaurant. Because of the first floor’s position below flood level, Gottlieb and his staff have equipped the restaurants to each be potentially evacuated with little more than a moment’s notice. 

The Anchor, which opened June 26 and offers more casual fare such as po-boys, appetizers, and a bar including frozen daiquiris, is situated in the shaded, open-air portion of the first floor on the water. Though current CDC restrictions regarding COVID-19 have mandated that diners must be seated to place cocktail and food orders, the goal is to eventually offer dock-side takeout service, where boaters and their crews can call in to-go orders and drinks to be brought directly to their vessels. In the meantime, dine-in service at The Anchor has been incredibly popular, even given that it can only operate at fifty percent capacity for now. “We’ve had a line out the door since the day we opened. We’ve never not been on a wait,” Gottlieb said. Even at half capacity, The Anchor can seat one hundred fifty diners, which al-lows for social distancing precautions as well as steady business. “Our staff is still able to work full steam ahead and make plenty of money for themselves, so it works out well,” Gottlieb said. 

Opening a restaurant, let alone two, during a pandemic is far from ideal, but Gottlieb and his team have in certain ways been able to use the government mandates to their advantage. Gottlieb prefers to open a new venture at half capacity to ensure service and the kitchen are prepared, so that particular guideline worked surprisingly well. “We’ve been really lucky that it hasn’t been that difficult for us, because they’re laying out the guidelines as they go, so we’ve been able to change and do what we need to do,” Gottlieb said. The Anchor has even implemented precautions beyond what St. Tammany Parish mandates, such as having temperatures checked upon entering and regular COVID-19 testing for the staff. “It’s something that we’re doing because we want to protect ourselves and our guests,” Gottlieb said. “So we get a little bit of push back for that, but other than that we’ve been good.” 

The menu of The Anchor reflects Chef Gottlieb’s various culinary influences, and what the Madisonville community enjoys. A fried shrimp or oyster po-boy, still fully dressed, is elevated by replacing the classic, flaky Leidenheimer French bread with a buttered-and-toasted steamed bun; more akin to what enrobes lobster rolls in New England. A local supplier of soft-shell crabs provides hefty, meaty crabs, which Gottlieb’s team expertly fries before dousing in a subtly-sweet, impossibly-tasty bacon dressing and nestling onto a house-made brioche bun. Fried seafood on bread is a centuries-old staple in South Louisiana, but Gottlieb transforms the concept into something familiar and simultaneously of a different place entirely. 

The variety of frozen daiquiris spinning colorfully behind the nautical bar have a similar air of a Louisiana favorite elevated to something novel. Unlike the saccharin sweet, boozy frozen drinks offered in drive-thrus throughout the state, the craft daiquiris created by bar manager Nicholas Karel are as carefully cultivated as the food offerings. Natural fruit juices, quality liquors, and unexpected additions such as hibiscus syrup make for libations as complexly delicious as they are refreshing (and yes, still boozy). 

The Anchor’s more elegant sister restaurant Tchefuncte’s finally opened its doors on August 14. Tchefuncte’s, located on the second floor, also overlooks the gentle currents of the River, but offers more of a fine dining atmosphere and menu than the poboys and frozen drinks available at the bar downstairs. Fortunately, the layout is predisposed to allow for ample social distancing, with private rooms available for parties and events, as well. Gottlieb describes Tchefuncte’s menu, which changes frequently, as “American regional, with some worldly influence and a nod to Louisiana”. Though the dishes are original and unique, often incorporating flavors from far beyond the Northshore, Gottlieb hopes that diners will find it approachable enough to want to return and try multiple dishes. “The past couple days my favorite dish has been the crab-boudin-stuffed lobster,” Gottlieb said. “That’s been rockin’ our worlds, everyone who’s eaten it is lovin’ it, and they can’t seem to get enough of it.” 

Since the Tchefuncte River is such a prominent feature of the restaurants’ atmospheres, local boat captain Mike Jones, who owns Louisiana Tours and Adventures charter company, is excited at the prospect of partnering with Chef Gottlieb. A Madisonville native and history buff who grew up on the Tchefuncte himself, Jones currently offers three- or five-hour chartered boat experiences catered to the party’s interests. For example, a group interested in the history of the river and area can learn while taking in the breeze and scenery, while a bachelorette party can enjoy the leisure ride to various bars along the water with their aquatic designated driver (when precautions allow, of course). “Just sit back, relax, and have a good time,” is a motto of Jones’s.

Soon, Chef Gottlieb and Captain Jones hope to be able to send a couple or small group out on a sunset boat tour with a bottle of Champagne and perhaps an hors d’oeuvre, before they return to Tchefuncte’s for a meal. In the meantime, Jones is more than happy to dock at The Anchor to allow his guests to grab lunch before shoving back off. In the era of social distancing, the safety of a boat on the water is a breezy option to have—particularly when paired with quality food, drink, and company.  

theanchorla.com

tchefunctes.com

louisianatoursandadventures.com