Phil Anselmo's Louisiana Hangout

03 Jun 2013

Miikka Skaffari / Getty Images

The Chimes (Covington, LA)

There's a ceramic dog that keeps watch over the laid-back Louisiana bar and restaurant known as the Chimes. Nicknamed Nipper, he's been stolen and recovered twice.

Hard rocker Phil Anselmo, best known as the lead singer of Pantera ^[1], is an animal lover who has cared for a wide range of pets over the years, including a beloved Rottweiler named Dracula. Nipper is just one of the reasons the metalhead, who was born in New Orleans and lives on a sprawling property in rural Louisiana, loves to unwind at the Chimes.

Built on the site of an old block of commercial storefront, including a drugstore, clothing shop, and movie theater, the watering hole features brick walls, salvaged old doors, and century-old stained glass from Scotland. "It's a huge place, so there's usually a quiet place to sit, especially on the outdoor deck built on the edge of the Bogue Falaya River," Anselmo tells 'Men's Journal.' His father used to own a restaurant just outside New Orleans called Anselmo's, so the singer knows his way around a menu. "We normally just load up on the appetizers – stuff like marinated blackened alligator, shrimp and grits, 'lagniappe' cakes and raw or char-grilled oysters ^[2]. And they have tons of beers from all around the globe, too – good stuff!"

These days the intense performer has been wildly busy with two bands, Down and Philip H. Anselmo and the Illegals, as well as his work with his label, Housecore Records. "After any studio session, and there's been a lot of them these days, my lady Kate and I like to take our bands to the Chimes," he says. Debuting his new music, Anselmo recently told 'Rolling Stone' that he's tired of self-congratulatory metal: "The celebration is worn out, in my view," he said. At the Chimes, though, he'll gladly raise a glass or two. [thechimes.com ^[5]]^[3]^[4]

References

^{^} Pantera (www.pantera.com)
^{^} blackened alligator, shrimp and grits, 'lagniappe' cakes and raw or char-grilled oysters (www.thechimes.com)
^{^} Down (www.down-nola.com)
^{^} Anselmo recently told 'Rolling Stone' (www.rollingstone.com)
^{^} thechimes.com (www.thechimes.com)