Baton Rouge Food Tours kick off today

Kimberly Harper was born and raised in the Capital City, and she wants locals and out-of-towners to appreciate and get a taste of downtown on her new Baton Rouge Food Tours.

The tours kick off today at 11 a.m. and also run Fridays at 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. The downtown stroll takes visitors on a one-mile trek to some of the city’s local restaurants while providing a brief history and a few stories on Louisiana culture.

Festivities start at Poor Boy Lloyd’s where attendees can enjoy half of a hot roast beef po-boy. The tour proceeds to the Hilton for a short history on the Heidelberg Hotel, then to Stroube’s for crab and corn Brie bisque and duck and andouille gumbo plus a discussion on Cajun cuisine. From there, the tour rolls on to Zolia for the restaurant’s take on shrimp and grits, called “Shrimp on a Hot Tin Roof.” The tour will then make a stop at The Lobby Café for a muffaletta, Restaurant IPO for duck poppers, then a final stop back at the Hilton balcony where patrons can enjoy beignets stuffed with cream cheese and topped with homemade Bananas Foster sauce and snow sugar.

“You will definitely get full by the end of the tour,” Harper says. “This is a great way to get to know the essence of the city.”

The tour isn’t limited to visitors—she says these excursions are for “anyone who likes to eat.”

“I want locals to come, too,” she says. “I feel like a lot of locals don’t know about the development and revitalization of downtown Baton Rouge.”

The tours last approximately three hours. Tickets are $45 and advanced purchase is required. Call 1-800-838-3006 or click here for more information.