Unexpected Turns: Biking into the Culotta Heritage in Baton Rouge

I just love a good coincidence, don’t you? I especially love when they culminate in a fantastic story. Such was the case for our ride on Monday, February 5. 

The Plan

At the January meeting for the Downtown Development District, they mentioned a new business opened in Beauregard Town. It’s called The Garden House, located at 705 St. Joseph’s Street in a building that’s had many former lives. 

The pictures looked interesting and I thought it would make a fun destination for one of our rides. I reached out on social media and the owner, Nancy Noonan, promptly responded with an emphatic, “yes, that would be wonderful.” 

I asked Nancy if she knew anything about the history of the building.

“I do know that it was built in 1949, a marble plaque in building CULOTTAS - it was a neighborhood grocery. Later became known as ‘Triangle’ Grocery because of the French Design in Beauregard Town where all streets meet at a middle point.” 

I thought it was a funny coincidence that the building had the name Culotta on it, because recently I reconnected with an old friend, Chris Culotta. Certainly, the two couldn’t be related, right? 

Reconnecting with Old Friends

I first met Chris around 2006 when he was the regular host of 80s Night at The Spanish Moon. You might know him better as DJ Bird. At the time, I was an entertainment reporter and he was nothing short of the life of the party. Still is. 

About a decade ago, Chris moved away. We kept up in the way all modern friendships do - via social media. He made his way back to Baton Rouge a few years ago with his beautiful wife, Kelly, by his side. 

Sometime before Christmas, Chris posted on Facebook, “Who would like to collaborate and do some stuff in 2024?” I raised my virtual hand and we set up a time to meet. 

He was already familiar with the Downtown East Social Ride and had been planning on joining us for a ride, he told me. A few weeks later, he sent me a message saying, “Kelly and I are riding tonight.” 

Later that same day I posted the details about the ride, saying that we would be going to The Garden House. 

The Connection

Six hours before the ride, which he was already planning on attending, Chris discovered that we were going to go to the place his grandfather built. Yes, it’s the same Culotta family. But Chris had never actually been inside the building that was part of his family history. 

“It was my grandfather's grocery store and my dad and uncle had an ice cream store on the side near the creek,” he texted. “I’ve been waiting to go inside.” 

All these years and Chris was finally going to step foot inside this building and it was completely unplanned. 

Left: This is what the Garden House looks like now.

Right: Russel and Chris stand outside the building and pose for a picture under the permanent sign that bears their family name.

The New Owner

Nancy originally had her eye on a different building. It’s located on Government Street. She slipped a note under the door expressing her interest in purchasing. The owners contacted her and let her know that the building she was interested in was going to be torn down, but they had a different building she might want to consider. 

The owners sent Nancy pictures of the Culotta Grocery store because she was in Florida at the time. She said she knew instantly she wanted it. She rented the space for a year before purchasing it in June 2023. 

Since purchasing the building, Nancy has spent a lot of time renovating the space. The former back wall now has three beautiful french doors that open to a courtyard that can be used as an extension of the event space. 

The Ride

We didn’t tell Nancy or the riders about Chris’ connection to the building until we arrived at the location. Once inside, Chris showed a picture of his grandfather, Joseph, and told a few stories that had been passed down to him. 

He showed us an area behind what would have been a counter. He says former Governor Earl Long would come to the store and he would drink beers and play checkers with Joseph. 

Nancy graciously provided some snacks and drinks for us, a gesture we don’t often encounter but always appreciate. We sipped our beverages and tried to imagine what the old grocery store would have been like back in the day. 

Chris finally got to take a step back in history and feel a bit of his family legacy. It was emotional, he later admitted. I have to admit it was a bit emotional for me as well. The joy of being able to bring a piece of history back to life is why I enjoy coming up with these rides. It’s what’s propelled me to continue doing this for nearly 5 years. 

Left: Joseph Culotta standing behind the counter.

Right: Chris Culotta, Kelly Culotta, and Nancy Noonan

A Little History Lesson

Beauregard Town is the second-oldest neighborhood in the city. Way back when the Spanish ruled Baton Rouge (we're talking late 1700s to early 1800s), this neighborhood was designed to be something significant. 

The idea was to make Beauregard Town the new heart of Baton Rouge, where all the important things happen and where the fancy folks live. The concept was dreamt up by Capt. Elias Beauregard. 

In 1806, Beauregard brought in French engineer, Arsène Lacarrière Latour, to make his vision a reality. They went all out with this European-inspired design. The main attraction was a big square with a cathedral, and streets shooting out from it in all directions leading to public buildings, hospitals, and schools. They even had this grand boulevard, called the Calle del Gobierno, which is now Government Street, cutting right through the town.

At the time of the Culotta Grocery, the neighborhood was primarily residential and was still a thriving part of the city. That changed with the construction of the interstate. People started moving further away from the city and eventually, downtown became unattractive. 

The neighborhood fell into disrepair for decades. It wasn’t until property values were super low that lawyers began moving their offices into the old homes. The renovations brought new life back to the area. For example, there’s the Gesell House, built around 1866, which now has lawyers working in it. 

Today, there’s a nice mix of commercial and residential property in Beauregard Town. It’s got a mix of the old and the new, showing how the city has changed over the years while still holding onto its roots.

About the Future

The Garden House is officially open for business and that business is as an event venue. The flier says, “The perfect space for weddings, showers, reunions, holiday gatherings, meetings, small concerts, private/catered dinner parties, art classes, photo shoots, film opportunities, art and photography exhibitions and more.” 

I can see all of those things happening there. If you’re interested to know more, give Nancy a call at (561) 308-2220.