St. Francisville Has Small-Town Charm with Big-City Sophistication

All photos by Melanie Warner Spencer

The natural beauty of St. Francisville’s rolling hills, bluffs and ridges, pristine historic homes, quaint boutiques and top-notch eateries is like a “Gilmore Girls” Stars Hollow fever-dream. For our three-day escape to the charming town, my husband Mark and I had hiking in nearby Tunica Hills and biking downtown on our agenda, but rainy weather changed our plans. You might say we didn’t get the trip we wanted, but we got the one we needed.

After getting settled in the spacious Sun Porch room at the Shadetree Inn, we enjoyed the room’s complimentary champagne. The Shadetree is owned by Kenwood Kennon, son of former governor Robert F. Kennon — for whom a set of rooms is named — and managed by the Louisiana Hospitality Group. (A management group owned by celebrity designer and Washington Parish native Brandon Branch and husband Jim Johnston along with the St. Francisville Inn. Some might know Branch from his stint on Bravo’s “Southern Charm Savannah.”) The Shadetree is less than a mile from the St. Francisville Inn but, situated on approximately four acres, it feels like a cabin in the woods. The fire pit, a hammock, the extensive back deck and an invitation to hike the property add to the remote cabin vibes, while check-in and a daily complimentary continental breakfast at the St. Francisville Inn elevate the experience. Our room included a plush king-sized bed, L’Occitane toiletries and in-room Community Coffee in the enclosed sun porch-cum-kitchenette stocked with a mini-fridge, glassware, flatware, tableware, a writing desk and a cozy banquette flanked on all sides by windows with a tree-lined view.

With our hiking adventure rained out, we popped over to The Myrtles for coffee at Elta. Touted as one of the most haunted homes in the country, the circa-1796 antebellum Myrtles plantation (which offers tours throughout the day) operates as a luxe boutique hotel with cottages, private homes and traditionally appointed hotel rooms available for guests, as well as Restaurant 1796 and the specialty coffee shop, both open to the public. Elta serves coffee from one of my favorite Acadiana roasters, Rêve Coffee Lab, so I was eager to try it. We grabbed a couple of hot lattes and took an amble around the property’s teal-hued pond encircled by rustic cottages. The pond is also home to a charming little floating cottage for a family of mallards and an island outfitted with Adirondack chairs and a firepit, accessible by an enchanting white footbridge. Our coffee walk coincided with dusk, adding another layer of mystery and dreaminess to the property as the pathways became illuminated and diners filed into the restaurant to savor Chef Daniel Dreher’s creations for the evening. While tempted, we had our hearts and palates set on a more casual experience for dinner — pizza.

Having heard great things about Big River Pizza Co., we drove 1.6 miles back downtown. One fresh Caesar salad and an expertly wood-fired, bubbling Neapolitan-style pepperoni pizza later, I was surprised to discover I had room left for dessert at the adjoining (and diminutive) Away Down South ice cream parlor and candy store. The owner sources the frozen goods from New Orleans Ice Cream Company. After tasting the bananas Foster and gator tracks (with caramel, chocolate, peanuts and peanut butter in vanilla ice cream), I opted for the creamy, chunky rocky road, but there are lots of flavors to choose from and you can’t go wrong.

We’d also heard tell of a speakeasy in St. Francisville, but as avowed skeptics of bars with that description, we were wary and hadn’t yet decided whether or not to bother. Lo and behold the speakeasy, Proud Mary’s, is located inside Big River Pizza Co. As you make your way down the hallway to the left of the pizza counter you’ll see Proud Mary’s written in glowing neon above a door, but don’t be fooled, the entrance is through the armoire on the right. When you come out the other side of the furniture, you’ll think you’ve been plonked into an alternate universe in a cosmopolitan city. Indeed, the walls are the pinky-red color of a classic cosmo cocktail, which you can order from the craft cocktail menu, along with a host of martinis, other classics (like an old fashioned), one of the bar’s signature cocktails, Prohibition and Italian classics, as well as beer and wine. You can also enjoy items from the Big River Pizza Co. menu in this saucy setting. Proud Mary’s cured me of my speakeasy bias. On that note, we called it a night.

While hiking the next day was still out of the question due to squishy, rain-soaked soil, we were able to squeeze in a tromp around Hemingbough Cultural Center and event venue. The Greek Revival-style architecture at Hemingbough belies its late ‘80s construction. With the grandeur of the buildings, reflection pond, sculptures, roaming peacocks (we counted 13), sunken garden maze, amphitheater, follies and Japanese garden, you’ll think you’ve been dropped into the set of a Jane Austen adaptation. The owner, developer Arlin Dease, keeps the grounds and gates open so visitors can enjoy the surrounding nature and his monumental vision. We worked up an appetite, so lunch at the Magnolia Cafe (the French Dip Poboy with au jus for me and a Famous Mag Burger for Mark) was a must.

The continental breakfast at the St. Francisville Inn is included in the complimentary services at the nearby pre-Civil War cottage, the Shadetree Inn, which is managed by the former. The Hemingbough Cultural Center and event venue’s grounds are open to visitors year round. Don’t be fooled by its Greek Revival-style architecture; the center was built in the 1980s. Even if you aren’t staying at the circa-1796 antebellum Myrtles plantation, its beautiful grounds are open to the public. Have dinner at Restaurant 1796 and coffee at Elta.

Fortified, we ducked into The Conundrum bookstore, District Mercantile and Corbel garden center for a little shopping. There are plenty more shops, so if you go, plan an afternoon and be sure to hit Birdman Coffeehouse and Eatery for specialty coffee and a to-die-for pastry (or a full breakfast). Later that afternoon, we enjoyed happy hour cocktails at the fabulous The Saint bar at the St. Francisville Inn. Do yourself a favor and get the Cajun French Martini, a balanced mix of vodka, Chambord and pineapple juice decadently topped with champagne and chilled Luxardo cherry juice. The restaurant at the inn has breakfast, lunch and dinner service that’ll leave you feeling well-fed and cared for, while the spa offers a full menu of luxurious services for those who want to be pampered. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to try The Francis Southern Table & Bar nearby on Highway 61, but it’s on the shortlist for our next visit to St. Francisville.

On our way out of town, we visited a few of the bijou historic churches (the Methodist church on Royal and Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Catholic Church on Ferdinand), as well as the far more grand, circa-1800s Grace Church of West Feliciana and its adjacent graveyard and historic burial ground. In hindsight, three days wasn’t nearly enough time and we’re already planning our next visit.

LOCATION | St. Francisville

115: The town of St. Francisville isn’t the highest point in Louisiana, but at 115 feet, the elevation might have you thinking you are at the foothills of a mountain town.

218: St. Francisville was founded 218 years ago in 1807 and is the oldest town in the Florida Parishes.

20,000: The Saint bar at the St. Francisville Inn sells tens of thousands of its popular Cajun French Martini cocktail a year and this fizzy concoction is as beautiful as it is deadly, so watch out.