Lafourche man love family, valued hard work
July 15, 2015
Q&A Meghan Philp
July 15, 2015
Dansereau House Head Innkeeper Debra Rainey traveled 946 miles to explore the next chapter of her life. Though far from the comforts of a big city life in Chicago, a slower pace in a small town has been far-off dream for the Illinois native who is now able to add to her extensive knowledge of global cultures, a knowledge that continually inspires her to provide a rich experience to those who visit the historic Thibodaux home.
Growing up in central Illinois in the 1970s, Rainey recognized the struggles associated with becoming a successful, career-driven woman.
“It was really hard to be treated like the boys, so I had a desire that I would establish myself and really kind of have it all,” she remembered.
Rainey earned a degree in International Finance and went to work for Archer Daniels Midland and Tate & Lyle, global food companies where she served as International Treasury Manager and Corporate Treasurer, respectively. At the height of her corporate career, she managed 250 staff in seven countries. The constant traveling, however, took a toll on her and after 20 years in the business, she began thinking of a new career path.
“At about the age of 40, I started thinking there was probably more to life than making so much money but being so jetlagged and so tired all the time,” she said.
After putting in her notice, she took a summer off in Paris to consider the world of culinary arts, a subject matter she began thinking about after high school when some of her friends went off to France to pursue professional training. After returning to the states in September 2003, Rainey enrolled in Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Chicago and soon found success in a world far different than the one she grew accustomed to, but equally satisfying.
Upon beginning classes, Rainey went to work at Marshall Field’s Culinary Studio, housed on one floor of the upscale department store acquired by Macy’s in 2005. The studio brought in cooking classes and demonstrations from some of the best in the business to the city’s residents and by December of that year, she appeared on television with James Beard and Emmy award-winning chef Ming Tsai and worked side-by-side with the studio’s Culinary Council on events and activities.
In August 2005, she joined the staff of Chefs for Humanity, a Food Network and Bon Appetite Magazine-sponsored charity, where she served as Executive Director, setting up partnerships with global hunger, aid and similar assistance programs. It was during this two-year stint that the South came calling.
“After I ran a feeding kitchen for Hurricane Katrina in 2005 with Food Network in Gulfport, Miss., that’s when I really fell in love with the South,” she said.
With a middle school-aged son at home at the time, however, Rainey knew the move would have to wait, so she went back to work exploring the media and communications field and beginning work on a book detailing her life experiences.
“I wanted to write my book and I wanted to do something in the hospitality industry,” she said. “I had this vision that maybe someday, I would be somewhere really nice, at this small, little B&B writing it. I had never worked in a B&B and I had a dream about it actually, so the next day, I got up and said, ‘Let’s just see what’s out there.’ I applied for eight jobs; I had five job offers by the end of the day, one of which was this one. When my boss, Damon Baldone, contacted me, I accepted almost immediately after seeing the pictures.”
Since arriving in Thibodaux in June 2014, Rainey has worked tirelessly to restore the home to its former glory. Significant restoration projects, including interior painting, a new veranda, kitchen reconfiguration and fresh landscaping, have given the home a more inviting appeal, while food service has been changed to better suit both those staying in one of the home’s six bed and breakfast suites and those who visit for events.
Breakfast, once served in the dining room, is now served in the parlor to the left of the main entrance and the newly opened Café Boule’ now occupies the former breakfast location. The café, which hosted its first service July 8, offers a casual, yet classy lunch spot for those working in downtown Thibodaux and those just looking to enjoy a nice meal. The menu for the café will change every week or so to reflect the seasonality of ingredients and Rainey works to find locally grown products to add to the dishes, which include many family recipes.
Rainey and her staff have also enhanced The Drinkery, the home’s tucked-away bar that provides a low-key escape complete with small plates and one-of-a-kind drinks every Thursday evening. A misting system has been installed for warmer evenings, platforms were built to provide a more surround sound for the musicians who entertain the crowds and plans are in the works to make the indoor bar larger.
Much of the behind-the-scenes work that goes into making each meal and event run smoothly is thanks to the staff, Rainey said, most of whom are Nicholls State University Chef John Folse Culinary Institute students.
Over the last year, Rainey has also tried to immerse herself in as much of the local culture as possible in order to make Dansereau House experience as approachable and enjoyable as possible. She’s witnessed Mardi Gras, a “commitment to this pageantry that is something you can not explain,” and delved deeper into the family history of the Dansereau’s and Caldwell’s, both of whom resided in the home for many years, using it first as a hospital then as a show piece. Rainey also finds time to wander the streets of the Big Easy in search of culinary and musical inspiration and hopes to one day soon get up-close-and-personal look at the coastlines of south Louisiana in an effort to understand more about the area’s history and challenges. Each new experience adds to the adventures that will one day fill the pages of her still-in-progress book, a project that will no doubt include the details of Dansereau House and the people who cherish it.
“It’s fun to run Dansereau House,” she said. “I really love it. From the time I walk in in the morning to the time I leave very late at night, it’s so enjoyable. This house is a pleasure.”
Dansereau House staff Bernadette Duga, Kyong Han, Debra Rainey and Leah Aucoin gathers together during service at Café’ Boule’ on July 9, a weekday lunch cafe inside the historic home, built in 1847 in downtown Thibodaux. — Melissa Duet
