Bart Waguespack spent about 25 years building houses in Ascension Parish with Waguespack Homes. He also spent a lot of evenings driving to Baton Rouge for dinner with friends, wishing there was a place like that closer to home. When he was putting together a commercial project in front of the Conway subdivision in Gonzales, he decided to build that place himself.

The result is Library Wine & Provisions, a wine-centric restaurant in Suite 103 of Conway Village Center on Hwy 44.

Two Owners, One Idea

Waguespack brought in Ronnie George as a fellow owner. George ran Central Heating and Air for 25 years and did plenty of new-construction work alongside Waguespack before selling that business in 2022. The pair worked with a chef consultant, a branding company and an interior designer to put the room together. Photos on the restaurant's site show dark walls lined with framed portraits, deep red booths and a back bar of arched wine shelves.

What to Order

On the menu, nearly every dish lists the style of wine it pairs with. Small plates include meatballs al forno with burrata, a Creole arancini with crawfish and asparagus, black garlic hummus and a prime steak flatbread with white truffle. Larger plates run from an 8-oz prime filet mignon with truffle butter to blackened redfish over crawfish risotto, a 14-oz bone-in pork chop and New Orleans crab cakes.

The wine list by the glass covers sparkling, whites, rosés and reds, with dessert wines and ports for the end of the night. The bar also carries a long bourbon and whiskey list plus custom cocktails.

Plan Your Visit

Where: 7530 Hwy 44, Suite 103, Gonzales

Hours: Tuesday through Saturday, 4:30 to 10 p.m.

Reservations: Call (225) 644-9123 and leave a message if no one answers. Tables are held for 15 minutes, and the whole party needs to be there to be seated. Walk-ins are welcome, and the bar serves the full food menu on a first-come basis.

Photo courtesy of Library Wine & Provisions.