Long before Al Scramuzza made 1826 North Broad popular with Seafood City, you could find customers day and night at Broad & Bruxelles buying tasty treats from Mr. Dan Rousseve and his wife at Dixiana Bakery.
It all began in 1920 when Daniel Rousseve and his wife, Jeanne Becnel Rousseve, opened a bakery in the heart of the 7th Ward at 2631 Bruxelles Street, corner of North Broad. The first item for sale was freshly baked New Orleans French bread. Folks figured that if your French bread was something special then your other products would be equally fine, so business got better and better.
Mr. Rousseve was a shrewd businessman. He knew how to draw customers to Dixiana. He placed many ads throughout local newspapers bragging about his modern and sanitary bakery that offered the best quality baked items which could not be found anywhere else in the city. Some of the ads are displayed throughout this article.
As business expanded in the 1930s, so did improvements to the bakery. A large neon electric sign was installed to lead customers to its location. As an added incentive, to make life more convenient, bakery items could be delivered to all parts of the city simply by dialing FRanklin 4410.
A larger assortment of confectionary goods became more available to the public. Fruitcake- filled with pecans, currants, raisins, citron, cherries, pure honey and brandy- became the most popular. “Honey Dew” muffins, twist glazed “Butter Do-Nuts”, pastries, and coffee cakes were a big favorite also. A complete line of breads (beyond the regular French type) was offered. New selections included French caps, Pullman loaf, split frog loaf, finger buns, and French twist loaf.
By 1938, Mr. Rousseve introduced mincemeat pies in Dixiana Bakery. It soon became a big sales item. As he stated in newspaper ads, “It took us a great number of years to find the kind of mincemeat we desired and none better is located anywhere in this city.” He even guaranteed to refund money to anyone who disagreed with him as to its superior taste. In addition to pies, one could also find delicious cheese and pound cakes. Cookies, brownies, pecan tarts, and jelly rolls were all attractively displayed in brand new cases.
Many older Dixiana patrons distinctly remember entering the bakery and noticing an elderly woman in a rocking chair dutifully watching the cash register. They also recall being sent as kids to buy petit fours every Sunday for 5 cents each or 60 cents a dozen. For many years, young men from St. Augustine High School would stop there to buy doughnuts with the hope they wouldn’t be late for school and experience the pain of the paddle.
To mark the bakery’s 20th anniversary, a huge celebration was held in February 1941. In appreciation for the excellent support received from Dixiana’s customers over the past 20 years, Mr. Rousseve offered a 20% discount on all purchases made on February 28. Prizes were awarded and ads in the newspaper spoke of the improvements and enlargements that continued to be made to Dixiana. That same year, 1941, a new Century electric revolving oven was installed as well as a dough retarding refrigerator.
By the 1950s, all sorts of gimmicks were used to draw people to 2631 Bruxelles Street. A brand new 1950 Philco 12-inch television set was given away to some lucky attendant present at the March 25th store renovation celebration. At another event, a contest was held wherein a customer could win a $100.00 Defense Bond by simply entering a jingle about delicious Melt-O-Way.
Introduced in 1951, Melt-o-Way Coffee Cake was advertised as one of the greatest discoveries since bread, and Dixiana Bakery was proud to be the only one in New Orleans featuring this wonderful taste treat. It consisted of a cake and coffee cake combination guaranteed to melt in your mouth and keep you coming back for more. It was so popular that Dan Rousseve had it copyrighted just for his store. Even more popular was the Sarah Bernhardt Cake created exclusively by Dixiana and filled with rich wine, nuts, red apple jelly glaze and whipped cream.
As the years passed, Dixiana’s popularity enabled the Rousseve family to expand to two other locations: 2382 St. Claude Avenue and 2700 Airline Highway in the Schwegmann’s Supermarket. In its final years, it officially became Klotzbach-Dixiana Bakery Inc. but everyone simply called it Dixiana.
On November 30, 1956, Mr. Rousseve passed away at his home, 2631 Bruxelles. Daniel Rousseve was born Delile Rousseve, but preferred being called Daniel throughout his adult life. He was a native of St. John Parish and a resident of New Orleans for 65 years.
At the time of his death, he was actively engaged in the bakery business. His remains were shipped via the Southern Pacific Railroad to Glendale, California for religious services and interment. He was survived by his wife, Jeanne Becnel Rousseve, and their five children. The entire family would move to California, but Henry Rousseve would come back several times a year to manage the bakery. Today, McDonald’s occupies the spot where Dixiana once was.
Throughout their adult lives, Daniel and Jeanne Becnel Rousseve lived as white, but on the U.S. Census of 1900 and 1910 (plus WWI draft registration) they are mulatto or black. Even today, older customers of the bakery still discuss the racial background of the Rousseve family.
Addendum
According to the WWII Draft Registration Cards found on Ancestry.com, the following young men in New Orleans worked at Dixiana in the 1940s.
Joseph Anthony Tenette, Jr. of 1904 Agriculture St. age: 22
Emile Albert Soupenne Jr. of 2509 London Ave. age: 22
Norman J. Plueger of 2716 New Orleans St. age: 18
Paul Zelio Legaux of 1677 N. Roman St. age: 26
Ralph Joseph Dominique of 1827 Hope St. age: 35
Joseph Livingston of 1426 St. Ann St. age: 21
Raymond Henry Daste of 1116 N. Derbigny St. age: 22
Sources: New Orleans States: Nov. Sept.27,1938- page14+ Oct.25, 1938- page. 22 +Nov.23, 1937- page 22. The Times Picayune Feb.27, 1941-page 27+March 31, 1950- page 21+Dec.14, 1951- page 21 +June 29, 1952- page 67 + Jan.25, 1953- page 273 + Apr.22, 1954- page52 + Feb. 25, 1955- page 1. Obituary: The Times Picayune Dec. 4, 1956 page 3 + page 27. Ancestry.com (WW11 Draft Registration Cards).
Lolita V. Cherrie
While attending St Augustine High School from ’75-’79, many of the students would start the day at Dixiana. There was a pastry called a “sinker” that lived up to it’s name. If you were able to eat one, you were sunk. Great memories. I grew up 1 block away on Broad and Duels. My father Ronald Egana, Sr. was “THE” barber at 2100 N Broad St.until he retired in the mid 90’s
I got many a haircuts from your dad!
Plenty of haircuts from Mr Ronald. He cut my hair, my brother and all my cousins. He probably started with my father.
Mr. Ronald cut my hair from my first cut when his shop was on Annette St. We lived around the corner on Industry St. He cut my hair and my son’s hair until he retired. Mr. Ronald was a true 7th Ward icon.
I lived around the corner on Republic Street. Yes, I remember Dixiana Bakery.
Hi, my dad took over this bakery after his dad Dan passed away of a heart attack while watching the Joe Lewis fight
I remember Dixiana Bakery quite well. It was the morning stop for many St. Aug students. And I did get many haircuts from your Pop at Egana’s barbershop.
SA class of 82
Hi Ronald, my grandma mentioned these “sinkers.” I’m trying to recreate them for her. If you can remember, what did they taste like to you!
My understanding is that they were made from day old donuts. There is no “recipe” to speak of…gone but certainly not forgotten. 🙂
Thank you Ronald!
Sinkers were made of ginger bread and fruit like raisins. The dough was heavy so you could fill up on the bus home from Xavier Prep.
Elaine! Based on that a baker friend of mine said they are probably a version of an Irish Gur Cake!!! Thank you so much!
Erica–The cakes were baked in a mini-cake mold like a tart. I don’t recall if the cakes had icing, but they may have. They fit into the palm of your hand.
Erica—The bakery may have been Toll Bakery . Toll is a German name, but the location was in the Irish Channel. The sinker was made of day-old donuts, syrup, spice and raisins.. The Irish Gur was described as made of day-old cake and soaked in rum. I located a picture of the Irish Gur, and it is a flat pastry and doesn’t look like the sinker which was sort of a mini-BUndt cake. The principle behind both was using slightly stale goods in a positive way
After some research, I discovered that Ronald Egana was right. Sinkers were made from leftover doughnuts bound with syrup and spices.(Slow Food USA–Feb. 17, 2015). They were molded to fit in your palm. The name of the bakery Prepers stopped at might have been Toll’s Bakery. Sylvia Bernard wrote in New Orleans Magazine that the bakery was located at Washington & Magazine, the bus stop.
You’re amazing!!!! Great research here!
Xavier Preppers used to buy their sinkers after school at a bakery located at Louisiana and Magazine where the bus stopped.
WOW ! EVERYONE KNEW, BUT NO ONE DARED TO SAY A WORD ! JUST THE WAY IT WAS !
You would be surprised at how many families had this racial secret in their family. Mine certainly did. Usually the folks involved moved to either California, Texas, or Chicago. Very few stayed in New Orleans, if they wanted to pass for White.
My dad spoke of Dixiana Bakery fondly throughout his life. He would often tell us how he would, as a young man, go there for the “day-old” bread and doughnuts. I can’t remember ever going in the bakery myself. When did they close?
My wedding cake came from Dixiana in 1962. Growing up in the 7th ward we bought donuts from Dixiana after attending Mass at Corpus Christi. Those times will always be remembered.
I also bought donuts from Dixiana’s after attending Mass at Corpus Christi every Sunday.
I remember Dixiana’s very well. My friends and I would leave class at St. Aug and debate if we should catch the St. Bernard to Senate bus back to the St. Bernard Projects or use the quarter to buy a “Sinker” and walk. Dixiana’s specialty little pie was good, heavy and filling. I was told they made it from day old pastries and covered it with chocolate icing. I thought it was the best thing you could buy for a quarter !
If it wasn’t raining and was not cold, NOPSI did not see that quarter that day.
I love your story, Alan !! Those days were priceless…..Lolita
My dad had a cousin Daniel Rousseve whose brother and sister told him as an adult, I believe, that they were going to pass for white and wouldn’t know him anymore. I don’t know whether he was part of the Dixiana Bakery family. He looked a lot like my dad, so much so that when dad was in a Chicago night club as a young man, someone came over to advise him to leave because someone thought he looked like the person who had messed with his wife. He visited with us once and he was definitely related to dad. So much for the silliness that we lived/live through.
P.S. Adrian’s Bakery on Paris and Mirabeau Aves. has revived the Dixiana Sinker and Famous Cinnamon Rolls. The sinker is as good as Dixiana’s, albeit smaller but Adrian’s had added strawberry and a white icing as options. I don’t live in N.O. anymore but on every trip back I stop in to get a Sinker and some of the Cinnamon Rolls. Both are as good as the old Dixiana’s.
My downfall. I Loved the chocolate eclairs. We had their mincemeat pie every Thanksgiving. My grandmother brought us with her every time she shopped on Bruxelles. This really brings back many memories
Our corner grocery store, Santo’s (used to be Nick’s) sold Dixiana bread. They delivered it early in the morning and put it in the wooden bread box on the side of the store facing Old Prieur street. Mama really liked Dixiana. We did not call it French bread. Mama would say, “go across the street and get me a long bread”. We knew what she meant. It was narrow on each heel and wide in the middle. Crunchy on the outside and soft and billowy on the inside. I feel so fortunate to have experienced that era of New Orleans.
You triggered a memory. My mom also called it ‘a long bread’. I was sent to the store often for a long bread.
Dianne, Santo’s was my corner grocery store also. My name is Janice Duplantier Smith and I lived on St. Ann St. My dad was the ice man.
Hi Janice, My name was Dianne Badon and my sister was Sheila Badon. We lived directly across the street from Santo’s on the corner of Old Prieur.
I am interested in a store my mother called “Nick the Greek’s.” It was located at N. Prieur and Lapeyrouse. If anyone has information, I would appreciate it.
I remember Nick the Greek. He sold handsuckers, spearmint, strawberry and pineapple. One was molded into the bust of Beethoven and the other choice was a hand. He also sold a scrumptious concoction that I have never found anyplace else in the world called, “sweet land sweet”. It was not sherbet or ice cream but something else exotic, creamy, and cold. It was pink, blue and white. I often think about that. We would get them when we visited our Grandfather on Lapeyrouse Street. You triggered a great memory.
Yes , I too remember that ice !!! It was something I often wondered how to make.
As a kid my parents lived two doors from Mr Nick’s sweet shop.
I remember Dixiana’s French bread with great fondness. I also remember an item in an oversized muffin-like paper holder called a Russian Cake. It was multi colored bread-like sweet cake with a hard white icing on top. It was quite heavy and tasty. Some insisted it was made from leftover cake. I was not deterred, as a kid, I liked it!
I still remember and would LOVE to have a Russian Cake today! One of my childhood favorites.
Well stated. The Dixiana Bakery is a true Louisiana Landmark.
The time of the Dixiana Bakery is timely with the development of the Louisiana Interscholastic Athletic and Literary Organization (LIALO) This organization was a sign-post to recognize everything Negros/Black Americans stood for in the South from 1929-1969..
I used to stand out front on Sunday mornings to sell my extra copies of The Times Picayune.
I remember my Mama talking about Dixiana Bakery
There was a bakery on Magazine near the Prep that sold sinkers. They were smaller and cheaper, but would fill you up while you waited for the bus.
Mona, my mom now is 94 yrs. old. Read this article & saw your comment. My email address hubbardrentals@yahoo.com. Many good memories – contact me.
MY Dad cooked breakfast for us everyday and drove to Dixiana for cinnamon rolls, sticky buns and donuts, before cooking grits, eggs and ham.
I worked at Dixiana for 3 months in the summer of 1966 until college classes began. The sinkers were made from all the leftover pastries. Somehow the taste was the same even though the combination of pastries changed every week. And they would sell out quickly.
On Sundays, Mrs. Jeanne would “treat” her working employees to a bologna and cheese on a dry pistolette bun. I remember it was delicious.
One of favorite food memories was Dixiana’s Italian bread. I would eat it with butter and/or jam while drinking tea with my grandpa.
We grew up in “uptown” New Orleans, and moved to California in the early sixties, so even though I don’t know much about this bakery, I still love to read all of the stories that are posted and I keep a copy of all of them. I also enjoy reading all of the replies I see from my friends that I know and the ones I have come to know through Facebook. Creolegen has taught me so much about New Orleans and I appreciate all of the time and hard work Lolita and staff dedicate to it…and also to all of you who keep it going with your added memories and replies.
I guess I had the best of both worlds, lived uptown until 1948, then lived in the seventh ward until 1957. These memories belong to all of us in some way, either we are related to someone.or we know them personally. This is us !
CreoleGen is an amazing website, please support it financially !
You’re absolutely right Bobby! Through technology, the world has become so much smaller… we can now keep in touch with everyone no matter where we now live….and share these memories with each other. Let’s keep CreoleGen active!!!
How sad that people had to live with all those “pressures” just to make a living and have a successful business! Studies have shown that this kind of stress (continuous and long term) leads to a multitude of illnesses! It’s no wonder that so many African Americans suffer from so many health conditions! “Shame, shame, on this country!”
I just told my kids what McDonald’s really was years ago. ! My grandmother Etta Kimp Lawson (wife of McCoy Lawson), would have my mom stop there and I always had my own three petit fours. She would buy coffee cakes, shoe soles, donuts and pies.
Dixianal bakery ——cream doughnuts, were out of this world . Never better ever.
I grew up on North Dorgenois Street in the next block from St. Aug. I remember Dixiana well and miss the sinkers. We ( I was usually with the Woods brothers) used to stop by to buy them on the way to Bayou St. John for a day of fishing and swimming. Ah for the good old days!!
My daddy, Wilbert Khaton, worked at Dixiana on the weekends. We lived across from Corpus Christi school on Johnson St. We couldn’t wait for daddy to get home with the frenchbread. I live in North Carolina now and these folks don’t know what french bead is all about. I miss those days.
There was no February 29th in 1941.
Erik, Thank you for notifying me of the error I made. Of course, there wasn’t any such date as February 29,1941. The mistake has been corrected…..Lolita
What a great article. I am the grandson of Dan and Jeanne Rousseve although Papa Dan passed away a month after I was born. I spent most holidays and several weeks during the summer with my grandmother after she moved to California in 1968.
One correction, my uncle Henry moved to California in 1968 as well but would fly back to New Orleans three or four times a year to manage the business.
Hi Dave, Thank you for commenting and informing us of your Uncle Henry’s move to California. The correction will be made…Lolita
Hi Dave, it’s Dale Rousseve
I loved their “chewies”, the brownie. So delicious! I can’t find a recipe that even comes close to them!!
When our family would visit in New Orleans, we’d get into town just as Dixiana was opening. We’d load up on Creole Cream Cheese, fresh donuts, and hot French bread! My grandmother lived on Pauger Street!
Anybody know if there was a connection with the Klotzbach bakeries in Independence & Bogalousa?
Adrian’s Bakery at 4710 Paris Ave., has the Sinkers the last time I was in New Orleans last October 2023. The phone is: 504-282-2283.
I’m going to get my niece to bring me some when she comes to Houston!
Hey Y’all!! So I went to Adrian’s and bought a bunch of them! I wish I could post photos of them. My grandma said they were pretty close to what she remembered. But said the spice wasn’t the same (So not sure what that means).