LEONARD GRAY

Step into G&G’s Restaurant and Lounge and you can get not only a taste of good home cooking, but also a window into Luling’s past. Located in the three-building complex which once included the Busalacchi Restaurant, Papa John’s Pool Hall and the Busalacchi home, Grace Armant and her daughter, Gwen Morris, have combined their talents and abilities to bring a revival to downtown Luling. Located at 307 Paul Maillard Road, the owners of G&G’s completely overhauled, remodeled and updated the buildings, making them much more comfortable, home-like and family-friendly. “It’s been very much supported by the community,” said Armant, who is a big supporter of the economic and historical revival of downtown Luling. “People come in and tell us thank you for brightening up the community.” The buildings date back at least to pre-Civil War days, but it was when John and Jenny Busalacchi took over in the early 1900s and raised their children there. “Miss Jenny” and her hamburgers and snowballs became popular favorites for years, while the pool hall, ruled by “Papa” John, became a center for poltical and sports discussion. The couple finally received their due as King and Queen of the first Krewe of Lul parade in 1978. She died in 1979 and he a few months later. The buildings slowly deteriorated for nearly 15 years and many old-timers feared they would be lost forever. However, Grace Armant, a native of Killona, stepped into the picture. Armant, a 28-year veteran of the St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s Office, bought the site in 1993 from John and Jenny’s children, Catherine Eusea, Frances Tassin, Guy and Frank Busalacchi. They painted the exterior and “left it for a long time” while she prepared her plans for the site. Her own father was a chef at a New Iberia sugar cane plantation, and Grace learned from the best. She manages the restaurant, while her daughter operates the lounge. Everything was overhauled and as much as could be preserved, was kept, from the 1800’s-era bar in the pool hall to the lunch counter in the restaurant. Many original tables and stools have also been kept, and the old oyster bar now holds the restaurant cash register. Ceiling fans were added, but an original brass light fixture from the house still remains. Now, after more than 20 years of silence, the lounge area is jumping again, with a live DJ on the weekends, a juke box and a dance floor. Add to all that “the best Creole and soul food around,” and G&G’s has a formula for success, keeping it honest and open to the community. “We wanted to make it more family-oriented than anything,” Armant said.