You might take one look at Kona Grill's Hibiscus Margarita and think it's too much. The drink has an exotic name, a raspberry color, and the actual flower perched on the edge of the glass. It wouldn't be out of place on an episode of Gossip Girl. All visual cons aside, Jeff Roedel explains why the drink should be famous in this month's 225. Read Roedel's take here.
What better way to stay healthy this summer than with a refreshing, frozen margarita? If it sounds too good to be true, it isn't. Baton Rouge native Elke Ellzey is the creator of Elkarita, a natural, no-sugar-added non-alcoholic drink mix. Elkarita comes in three flavors: lime, mango and pomegranate. Each mix has fewer than 40 calories, and the four ingredients used are all pronounceable. Ellzey says that although the mixes were originally intended for combining with spirits, she suggests adding it to water for the kids and even using it as a marinade for cooking.
Fresh off the success of his Sensation salad dressing, Richard Hanley and Hanley's Foods has rolled out a new Louisiana Strawberry Vinaigrette dressing. The new creation features fresh Louisiana strawberries, pecans and cane sugar, and is naturally low in fat, carbs and sugar. The dressing is available in Baton Rouge now at Our Daily Bread, both Calandro's Market locations, Pam's Capitol Corner, Calvin's Bocage Market, Matherne's Supermarket on Bluebonnet Boulevard and Alexander's Market. For more information, click here.
American Craft Beer Week is in full swing. You still have some time to celebrate by grabbing a specialty brew at your favorite Baton Rouge pub. Below, we've got a few special events you shouldn't miss if you're in the beer spirit. Tonight, The Pelican House (Map it!) will feature Tin Roof Double Dry Hopped Juke Joint IPA at 5:30 p.m. The Bulldog (Map it!) will have a special cask of Stone Brewing IPA that is best served by May 17, the Harpoon Barrel Series and Brooklyn Brewmaster Series, all starting at 6 p.m.
Treat your mother to a nice, light spring menu this Mother's Day. In this month's 225, Stephanie Riegel and Tracey Koch have crafted a lovely spread of quick and easy-to-make dishes that will make mom proud. The menu features smoked salmon-stuffed eggs, avocado and grapefruit salad, curried chicken salad, and buttermilk sorbet for dessert. The dishes are great for other occasions, too, such as graduation day celebrations, bridal showers and more. Also included is a recipe for a French 75, a classic cocktail that fits well with the light menu. For more information on these treats and to find out how to make them, check out this month's edition of Dining In.
Toothbrushes, bread and wine have been the hot sellers at Baton Rouge's first downtown grocery store since it opened last Thursday with little fanfare. While not a full-service grocery store, Downtown Grocery at the corner of Third and Florida streets, is the closest thing to it downtown. As evidence of that, the small grocer had completely run out of bread by Saturday. White bread, wheat bread, hamburger buns—it was all gone, says co-owner Michael Matroodnejad. "It's been a good crowd," Matroodnejad says, "a lot better than expected on the first day."
Chef and 225 contributor Jay D. Ducote will team up with Restaurant IPO chef Chris Wadsworth for a movie villain-themed dinner Wednesday, May 8, and tickets are going fast. A limited number of spots are still available. Tickets are $65 and can be purchased online.
On a Thursday morning, Raymond Cutrer's booth at the Red Stick Farmers Market has a line five customers deep. Cutrer's Meat Market has quite the selection: homemade salami, ground beef, soup bones, premium steaks and smoked sausage made with a 100-year-old family recipe.
If you've driven on Interstate 10 near the College Drive exit, you have no doubt noticed the bright blue logo for The Pelican House. The bar/restaurant specializes in high-end beers, with more than 130 taps at its main bar and an additional bar with even more beers on tap, as well as a large selection of bottled beers, whiskeys, scotches and bourbons.
Dry rosés are incredibly versatile wines that complement a wide range of foods, including many of the signature dishes on a Louisiana spring menu. Largely from France—although there are exceptions—these wines are not sweet, but similar to a good dry white wine.
The Red Stick can add a foodie award to its wall after acquiring around 1,800 votes and winning the ConventionSouth poll for the South's Best Foodie Cities for Groups. Baton Rouge garnered 700 more votes than the second-place city Jackson, Miss. Nearly 5,000 people voted in the poll overall earlier this month, and Baton Rouge beat out cities from Mississippi, Alabama and Florida and even New Orleans in the Gulf States Region category. The award and poll was made to find "the best of the best when it comes to offering traveling groups a wide selection of unique, intriguing and delicious cuisine," ConventionSouth Associate Publisher and Editor Marlane Bundock says. "Whether groups are coming to town for a business meeting, trade show, wedding or other event, their attendees are sure to be delighted by the food offered at these cities." —Matthew Sigur
April is national Grilled Cheese Month, and while you could celebrate at home—prepping the standard two pieces of bread and American cheese on a skillet or in the oven—Baton Rouge has a few places that feature a brilliant take on the classic concept.
Swine Palace will kick off its run of the classic, cautionary tale All the King's Men next Wednesday, April 17 at LSU's Reilly Theatre. The play, and the book its based on, are said to be loosely based on the life of former Louisiana Gov. Huey P. Long, a.k.a. The Kingfish. Check out Jeff Roedel's article on the production here. To celebrate the new play, 225 wanted to share a recipe for one of Long's favorite drinks—the Ramos Gin Fizz. There are numerous legends about Long and his gin fizzes, such as the one that says Long took a New Orleans bartender with him to New York to teach northerners how to make the drink. The fizz contains gin with a mixture of orange, lemon and lime flavors and an egg white. It's not that it's a difficult drink to make, but making it perfect requires time and a few key ingredients.
Last September, downtown Baton Rouge saw Red Star Bar close after more than 10 years. An answer for the bar's loyal patrons wondering where they could go has come sooner rather than later.
No regular beer will help you beat the summer heat. At least, that's what Abita is hoping you'll think in the coming months. The brewery recently announced the release of its new Lemon Wheat beer—a cool, citrus brew made with real lemon peel. Lemon Wheat will be on shelves during late spring, available for a limited time only. For more information, click here.
On the football field, Charles Alexander was known for slicing and dicing defenses with his stellar running game with the LSU Tigers. In the kitchen, he slices and dices just about everything, and launched his own line of spicy seasoning, dubbed “C'mon Man,” last spring.
Having just opened a few months ago, Olive or Twist is turning heads with its long list of complex and inventive cocktails. And we're not exaggerating when we say long. Divided into sections like Specialty Cocktails, New Orleans Cocktails, Drop Martinis, Dessert Martinis and more, it's easy to get lost in the menu's maze of concoctions. But when the bartenders take the time to smack basil leaves between their palms a few times before adding the garnish to a drink (it releases the oils), you know you're in good hands. For more on Olive or Twist, read Benjamin Leger's review from March's 225here.
In Jay D. Ducote and Galen Iverstine's first appearance at the fifth annual Hogs for the Cause cookout in New Orleans, the duo—dubbed Team Bite and Booze—did quite well. They finished sixth out of more than 80 teams in the "Porkpouri" category. The team's dish? Slices of hickory-smoked bacon dipped in dark chocolate and then crusted in crumbled pork rinds. Try to hold back the drool. Ducote, a 225 contributor, and Iverstine also tried their hands in pork shoulder, ribs, entire hog, and sauce categories. The team didn't place in those categories, but Ducote was still ecstatic about the "Porkpouri" finish, and is ready for next year. "We're hoping to grow our Baton Rouge team next year and include more Red Stick chefs," he says. For more information on Hogs for the Cause, click here.
In preparation for 225's Hot off the Press event at Zolia Bistro next week, we asked Chef Brant Palazzo about his favorite dish to prepare. Palazzo quickly replied with the crab cake. "It is made with all Pontchartrain crabs," Palazzo says. "There isn't much filler. It's almost all completely crab. We use a little bit of fresh white bread, and that keeps the integrity of the crab and keeps the cake itself really soft, but crisp on the outside." At next week's event, Palazzo says patrons can expect Zolia's popular Tin Roof Shrimp and tuna tartar as well as other unique tapas.
March is typically the time to pull out the crawfish pot, check that the tank is full of butane and fire it up. Boiling crawfish is the quintessential Louisiana pastime; it's fun getting together with friends and family to "pass a good time" over a steaming heap of mudbugs. But once crawfish season is in full swing, we like to prepare our mudbugs in lots of different ways, including etouffee, bisque, pasta, pie and even tamales. That's right—Crawfish Tamales, which are not only a bit unusual, but are a lot of fun to make when you have a group of friends coming over who don't mind gathering in the kitchen around a pitcher of margaritas to help you cook!
Chef Celeste Gill will cook up an Irish menu during the Red Stick Farmers Market's Fresh from the Market cooking demonstration. Gill will kick off the St. Paddy's Day-themed event at 10 a.m. Local musician Mel Chavis will also be performing throughout the morning. For more information, visit redstickfarmersmarket.org.
Barbara Auten, executive director of Alzheimer's Services of the Capital Area, has quite a few favorite dishes she couldn't resist sharing with 225. In Baton Rouge, Auten loves the sea bass with mango salsa at Bonefish Grill. The mango salsa, she says, "brings out the flavor" of the bass, and "the service is always great." In Gonzales, Auten also digs the classic steak dinner at Sno's Seafood and Steakhouse Restaurant. "There's great atmosphere with a great steak," she says, "and [owner] Todd Sheets always makes you feel welcome."
Fashion Week in New Orleans wraps up this Saturday at several locations in the Central Business District. We asked a few people to pitch us their choice New Orleans restaurants and bars to visit between shows.
Daniel Lewis is the COO of Active Entertainment, a local motion picture distributing company that has been around for a little more than a decade. In between his busy schedule, Lewis gave 225 a peek into his favorite Baton Rouge dish: John's Favorite off the dinner menu at Maison Lacour, 11025 N. Harrells Ferry Rd. "The dish includes a filet, lump crabmeat, and garlic shrimp topped with homemade béarnaise sauce," Lewis says. "And everything is cooked to perfection."
“I've reached the point in my life as a mother of three children where 15 minutes is sometimes all I have to get something on the table,” writes 225 blogger Maggie Heyn Richardson. “What can I make in that amount of time? A phone call for pizza delivery, which I do from time to time. But that's unsustainable, and the truth is, there are a ton of serviceable dinners that can be out in short order; it just requires a tiny bit of planning. The most important thing to remember is to limit ingredients, to always have certain things on hand and to forget the idea that dinner always has to be a protein, starch and vegetable.” Click here to get Maggie's fast and healthy recipes.
Despite stormy weather and chilly temperatures, more than 500 people turned out for local homebrew club Brasseurs a la Maison's first-ever "Iron Brewer" competition, held last Friday at Tin Roof Brewery. "We were totally overwhelmed by the response," says club founder Blake Winchell. "We weren't even sure that 50 people would show up." The 10 varieties of homebrewed beer on offer, with ingredients ranging from Louisiana peaches to coffee and cayenne, went quickly, with no kegs left untapped at the end of the night. The People's Choice Award went to the Chicory Stout, but the winner of the official "Iron Brewer" title went to the Red Beans and Rice brew, which wowed with savory, smoky flavor. The event, which accepted canned goods in lieu of admission, also raised more than 1,300 pounds of food for the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank, enough to provide 1,090 meals for needy families. The success of the evening has definitely paved the way for future homebrew events, according to...
LSU and local startup Swamp Seeds have signed an agreement to sell the crawfish boil–flavored sunflower seeds at Alex Box Stadium and Tiger Park. "We worked really hard to finalize this contract because we felt that there was a need to expose LSU fans to a snack that is not only a true Louisiana product but also synonymous with baseball and softball," says Cathy Bryant, president of Louisiana Swamp House, which owns the distribution rights for Swamp Seeds. Bryant says Swamp Seeds has seen "astronomical growth" since it began selling the seeds in about 50 local stores in 2011. The seeds are now sold in more than 10,000 stores in Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi, Florida, Georgia and Alabama. At the LSU ballparks, Swamp Seeds will be carried at 24 concession stands, sold in a 3.5-ounce bag of seeds in the shell and 2.5-ounce bag of kernels. Read more about Swamp Seeds and Bryant in a recent Business Report feature
Baton Rougean Helana Brigman, author of the popular Clearly Delicious blog, is putting her recipes on paper next month with the publication of her first cookbook, The Fresh Table: Cooking in Louisiana All Year Round. Among the expected Louisiana favorites, like crab cakes and crawfish potpie, are new, innovative ways of preparing local fish and produce that make good use of current culinary trends. Recipes like Lemon-Lavender Muffins are unexpectedly delicious, and mouthwatering new takes on old favorites like Crawfish Etouffee Ravioli or Bananas Foster Croissant French Toast are great ways to enjoy beloved flavors, and dishes like the Strawberry-Brie Bruschetta (pictured) make great use of fresh ingredients. The cookbook is divided into seasons, which makes it easy to cook according to what can be found in local farmers markets, and the instructions are detailed, and include dishes that suit both the...
After four years on Highland Road near The Country Club of Louisiana, Luca Di Martino says he has found the perfect location for Latte e Miele: Bocage. Co-owner Di Martino opened the second Latte e Miele last summer at Bocage and has discovered the new location is exacting "blatant cannibalism" on the Highland Road location, attracting old and familiar customers while expanding its menu and now providing a full-service lunch. "We've created a monster, I think," Di Martino says of the Bocage store. For now, Di Martino wants to pare Latte e Miele down to one location—Bocage—and concentrate on another expansion of the menu in the evening, including cheese plates and charcuterie. He says he's also in the process of applying for a liquor license.
Where can you find cochon de lait—along with chicken, ribs and sausage—waiting for you on a street corner? New food truck Big Los' Chicken n Ribs aims to please with a menu of delicious, fresh-made barbecue. Racks of smoking meat make it easy to follow your nose to owner Carlos Decuir's truck, where you can enjoy everything from pulled pork to whole barbecued chicken.
A new bar and restaurant intended to give young professionals the same kind of entertainment that has flourished downtown will open in early March on Perkins Road, says organizers. The forthcoming Le Bons Temps bar and restaurant is housed in Panache Plaza at 8342 Perkins Road between Essen Lane and Bluebonnet Boulevard, and will feature three distinct components, a full-service restaurant with “upscale Cajun cuisine,” a courtyard with outdoor seating and a lounge with a 42-inch illuminated wall that changes colors. Former Bin 77 chef Blake Abadie will serve as executive chef, and has designed a menu that includes a ten-pound suckling pig stuffed with boudin and garnished with etouffee and frog legs. Le Bon Temps is also planning to feature a nighttime deejay and Sunday brunch.—Maggie Heyn Richardson
What do a Baton Rouge insurance man and a speech pathology student have in common? Together they run 926-Muff, a popular new muffaletta shop on Perkins Road. Greg Town started the business last August with plans for his daughter Leigh Anne to run it when she graduates from LSU this spring. When asked why he wanted to sell muffalettas, Town praised this quintessentially Southern creation. “It's a great sandwich,” he says. “People are pretty passionate about a muffaletta compared to a ham sandwich.” What makes the sandwich so good? It starts with Leidenheimer bread from New Orleans that's ordered the day before. They use the same olive mix recipe from Central Grocery piled atop Genoa salami, mortedella ham and provolone. Town says people from New Orleans hear about the store in Baton Rouge and are “compelled to try it.”—Moriah Purdy
At a location in Lafayette’s River Ranch where upscale Cajun fare didn't catch on, Baton Rouge-based Ruffino's is expanding, with plans to open a restaurant by April on the site of Cochon Lafayette on the Vermilion River. "We'll call it Ruffino's on the River to give it its own identity," says Ruffin Rodrigue. Ruffino's co-owner and chef, Peter Sclafani, and Rodrigue have signed a lease-to-purchase agreement on the building with the Link Restaurant Group, which announced today it is closing Cochon Lafayette and exiting the market so it can deepen its focus in the New Orleans market; it plans to open a new wood-fired seafood restaurant at the corner of Magazine and Julia streets this spring, to join its principal restaurant on Tchoupitoulas Street. Rodrigue says Cochon Lafayette plans to close Sunday, Feb. 10. LRG had the restaurant building constructed and opened for business in September 2011. "We had heard the business wasn't what they had expected," Rodrigue says. What might...
As NFL fans pour into New Orleans for the biggest pro football game of the year, it's easy to get caught up in Super Bowl fever. While many Baton Rougeans aren't heading to the Big Easy for the game, Baton Rouge restaurants have plenty of ways to spice up the home viewing party with tasty to-go food. Whether you're hosting at home or crashing in a friend's living room, we promise these items will be welcomed. Calvin's chicken salad: Made fresh daily, the smooth and creamy chicken salad from Calvin's Bocage Market makes a great dip or sandwich filler—your mouth may be too full to cheer. calvinsbocage.com
Tony Lu bought the building that formerly housed Primo's Steak & Italian Restaurant at 5454 Bluebonnet Blvd. about 14 months ago and, after completely renovating it, opened Kabuki Sushi and Japanese Steakhouse there. He last opened its doors for business on New Year's Eve, closing them for good the following day. "I'm analyzing what I did wrong," says Lu, who also owns Royal Panda Chinese Buffet & Sushi Bar in Lafayette. Lu says he's not sure if economic conditions just weren't right for opening a new restaurant in Baton Rouge in late 2011, but his venture into the Capital Region never quite took off. If he were to open another restaurant in Baton Rouge, Lu says, he'd probably choose a smaller space. Several interested parties are already looking into leasing the building.
Four years ago this spring, Strands Café opened on Laurel Street downtown and since then has built a loyal and enthusiastic following for its fresh, homemade croissants, scones, cinnamon rolls and seasonal king cakes, now in full swing. Available until Fat Tuesday are the patisserie’s king cake rings, served plain or with one of three signature fillings: lemon cheesecake, white chocolate raspberry or praline turtle. Strands is also one of a handful of regional purveyors who make galette des rois, traditional French king cake made from puff pastry. At Strands, the galette des rois is filled with either apricot or chocolate marzipan.
By the time the St. Patrick's Day Parade rolls in mid-March, a new sandwich shop hopes to be open for business along the parade route, in the former retail space of Loft 3H in the Perkins Road overpass area. "I like that area; I think it has a good vibe," says Josh Priola, who, along with his wife Melissa Priola, is planning to bring Street Breads to the Capital Region. The Priolas moved to Baton Rouge recently to expand with a second store, and possibly a third, after opening the original Street Breads two years ago in Lake Charles. "We're not a bakery; we're a sandwich shop," says Priola, noting that there will be 15 sandwiches on the menu, as well as quesadillas, salads and desserts.
Fans of defunct food truck Ignatius Reilly’s, and especially its chef Marcus Day, will be gratified to know they can once again taste some of Day’s gourmet street food—but with the “street” removed. Day is the new chef at Latte e Miele’s Bocage location, bringing a savory edge to the gelateria’s lunch menu. “Right now we’re focusing on soups, salads and sandwiches, but of course we have a huge vision for the menu,” says Day, who hopes to introduce plated lunches and possibly a dinner service in the future. For now, however, the porchetta sandwich—a close cousin to Day’s much-beloved cochon de lait poboy—is a smash hit, as are the fresh soups and salads. With the backing of owner Luca DiMartino, Day is sticking close to his ethos of using locally sourced, fresh ingredients as the inspiration for his menu, and making everything from scratch daily. “If you want to taste love in your food, this is the...
A new blues bar is slated to open before the end of the month in downtown Baton Rouge. The Blues Room will be on Lafayette Street in the former home of Tabby’s Blues Box and, years before that, the Rathskeller. "Baton Rouge is very well known for having a lot of young musicians, particularly blues musicians," says owner Billy Stevens. "It’s going to give them a venue to play, and those guys will play inexpensively. … I think downtown is the perfect place for that. It’s kind of an eclectic crowd already." Stevens is also hoping to host some of the area’s internationally known veteran blues artists. Stevens is shooting for a Jan. 25 opening and plans for the bar to be open seven nights a week, with live music as often as possible, and to serve a limited menu of bar food. —David Jacobs
Gretna bar owner Toni Smith says she plans to open The Fourth Quarter restaurant and bar in the vacant building at 3669 Government St., just east of Acadian Thruway, by the end of February. "It's going to be American: steaks, fries and hamburgers," says Smith, who spoke to Daily Report from the Tee Kay Place in Gretna. While the Baton Rouge building location has been a Chinese eatery in the past—China Palace in 2003 and China Dragon as recently as 2007—it underwent a transformation as a Mid City sports bar and restaurant in recent years. According to city-parish officials, The 50 Yard Line had the building rezoned to accommodate a sports bar in October 2009; the building later became Changes Sports Bar and Restaurant, whose signage still remains on the property. In May 2012 the city-parish received a permit for a remodeling project at the building, which had been damaged by fire. Smith applied for a business permit on Dec. 4 and says she's awaiting approval from...
Mardi Gras gets an early start this year, and with it comes an early start to crawfish season. Although the mudbugs are still on the dinky side this time of year, many groceries and restaurants are already offering live and boiled bags to customers who can't picture a carnival season without a heaping plate of crawfish. Country Corner, just outside the Garden District on Perkins Road, is already selling bags, although the price—hovering just below $4 per pound at the time of publication, is a bit steep. Lucy's Retired Surfers Bar, meanwhile, is planning the first of a series of crawfish boils this Sunday. Live music and drink specials will sweeten the deal. Do you know where to grab crawfish this early in the season? Click here to let us know where.
The long-awaited Galatoire's Bistro in the Acadian Village development has scheduled its grand opening for Tuesday and will begin regular dinner service the next evening. A media tour is set for Tuesday, followed by an invitation-only cocktail party–style reception 6 p.m.-8 p.m. The event, which will be held inside the new restaurant and outside under tents, will feature complimentary hors d'oeuvres and music from a New Orleans jazz band. The new Galatoire's, which resembles in design and décor the century-old French Quarter establishment, was originally scheduled to open in time for the holidays, but ran behind because of routine construction delays. Though the bistro begins dinner service next Wednesday, it will not be open for lunch until Friday, Jan. 25.—Stephanie Riegel
Nearly five months after signing a purchase agreement, two New Orleans restaurateurs have closed on their $900,000 deal to acquire the vacant building on Old Hammond Highway that formerly housed the renowned Chalet Brandt gourmet restaurant and, more recently, Another Broken Egg Café/Lalou. That clears the way for Herb Dyer and Rusty White—owners of The Bulldog bars on Perkins Road and in New Orleans—to redevelop the property and build on it a new 4,000-square-foot Mexican restaurant called The Velvet Cactus. The menu will range from fajitas and quesadillas to enchiladas and burritos. This will be the third Velvet Cactus location, including Lakeview and New Orleans.—Rachael Upton and Stephanie Riegel
Not yet part of the Red Stick's main dining stage, Thai cuisine has slowly and quietly made its mark in the city. In a small, unassuming building on South Sherwood Forest Boulevard, Duang Tawan offers friendly service and an authentic Thai menu within a small, cozy setting. Just in time for our quick burst of winter, this overlooked gem's traditional Tom Yum Soup ($3.95) is sure to warm your soul with its savory tang and wonderful aroma. This tasty soup is a complex harmony of sour and spicy comfort—flavored with lemongrass, lime juice, mushrooms, Thai herbs, fresh scallions and your choice of shrimp or tender sliced chicken breast.
When the new Galatoire’s Bistro opens later this month, locals will be greeted by a familiar face at the helm. Lucas Molbert is a veteran of many of Baton Rouge’s fine dining establishments, having supervised the daily operations and managed a staff of more than 60 employees at Ruth’s Chris Steak House in Baton Rouge and served as dining room and beverage manager at the Baton Rouge Country Club. Galatoire’s Bistro is scheduled to open in Acadian Village in January, at the corner of Acadian Thruway and Perkins Road. The revamped eatery will include a restaurant, bar, outdoor seating area and a private dining space, offering traditional French-infused cuisine and Louisiana foods.—Rachael Upton
Perkins Rowe is getting a new tenant that will be part live music venue, part Mexican restaurant. Lava Cantina, as the establishment will be called, is set to open in late spring in the 6,700-square-foot space next to California Pizza Kitchen that previously housed The Grill Room. "This is the first of its kind," says Steve Vaughn, who is launching the restaurant as a retirement business with his son, Ian Vaughn, who lives in Dallas. "But we hope it will be the first of many." Steve Vaughn, who recently retired from his day job at the Syngenta plant in St. Gabriel, is a musician on the side and plays in the local band Magnolia. Ian Vaughn is in the restaurant business in Dallas. The two decided to combine their passions—music and food—and create a concept restaurant they compare to a cross between the House of Blues and Hard Rock Café with a Mexican-themed menu. Lava Cantina will feature live bands and also take advantage of the many traveling acts that pass through Baton...
If you’ve got a late-night craving that only a food truck can satisfy, Nacho Mama’s is the food truck to follow. Owner Lars Carlsen and his staff focus on the nighttime crowds around Tigerland bars in the wee hours—usually from 10 p.m. to around 3 a.m.—pulling in hungry students with promises of delicious street food. Their specialty is the eponymous nachos, particularly the pulled pork variety, which has proved such a hit with hungry crowds that “Home of the Pulled Pork Nachos” is painted on the side of their truck. Other toppings include boudin, barbecued chicken and chili cheese, and the menu—still “being tinkered with,” says Carlsen—currently includes poboys and wraps as well. If you’re not a night owl, though, don’t worry. The truck will soon be making occasional stops downtown to hit the lunch crowds. Follow them on Twitter at @NachoMamasPork...
Have you long harbored a dream of starting a small business built around Grandma’s vinaigrette recipe, or that marinade all your friends love? The LSU AgCenter will soon be helping food entrepreneurs bring their products to markets with a new food business incubator. Gaye Sandoz, a 37-year veteran of the food process industry who helped establish the successful Edible Enterprises food incubator in Norco, began working with the AgCenter this month and says that she hopes to see the new incubator fully developed within the next year. The food incubator will be equipped with state-of-the-art kitchens and laboratories in which the start-up businesses can perfect and develop their products, sparing them the burden of start-up costs like major equipment purchases. Once the businesses start turning a profit, they will be able to move out of the incubator and into their own facilities. Sandoz will help the start-up businesses make contacts with suppliers and vendors. The businesses...
225 writers Tracey Koch and Stephanie Riegel have delicious Christmas recipes to share. Most years, when we were growing up, we spent Christmas Eve having a quiet night with just the immediate family—our parents, the two of us and our younger sister. Our mother was always up to her ears in stuffing and pies, getting ready for a big Christmas Day feast for extended family and friends. So we watched reruns of It's a Wonderful Life and ate takeout Chinese before heading to midnight mass.
Our restaurant reviewer takes on one of Baton Rouge's favorites. The Chimes is an old friend and a home away from home. It's been there in good times and bad, sickness and health. I've celebrated birthdays, graduations and random Tuesdays within the walls of its famed Highland Road location. It's helped me get over lost loves and revel in new ones. I even met my spouse there. And I would never have survived graduate school without its happy hour.
New Orleans Original Daiquiris, a Metairie-based company with more than 50 daiquiri shops around the country, is moving into Baton Rouge in early 2013, after years of intentionally overlooking the local market. "We stayed out of Baton Rouge because for a long time we perceived the zoning laws were not favorable to our use," says Joe Pando, executive vice president and chief operating officer. "But we really let that market slip completely." The company is making up for lost time. The first local New Orleans Original Daiquiris shop will open this spring in the Siegen Place Shopping Center, which is currently under construction on Siegen Lane near Industriplex Boulevard.
Not yet part of the Red Stick’s main dining stage, Thai cuisine is slowly and quietly making its mark in the city. In a small, unassuming building on South Sherwood Forest Boulevard, Duang Tawan offers friendly service and an authentic Thai menu within a small, cozy setting. Just in time for our quick burst of winter, this overlooked gem’s traditional Tom Yum Soup ($3.95) is sure to warm your soul with its savory tang and wonderful aroma. This tasty soup is a complex harmony of sour and spicy comfort—flavored with lemongrass, lime juice, mushrooms, Thai herbs, fresh scallions and your choice of shrimp or tender sliced chicken breast.
Bundt cakes were Kasie Coleman’s grandmother’s favorite cakes—she knows this because she helped make them, year after year. “You could call me her apprentice,” Coleman jokes. Now she aims to bring her grandmother’s recipes, along with several of her own, to her soon-to-open bakery, My Sugarbelle, on Plank Road.
State health inspectors found more violations between 2009 and 2011 at The Great Wall Restaurant on College Drive—345 total—than at any other restaurant in East Baton Rouge Parish. That's according to a new Legislative Auditor's report that highlights several problems with the way the Office of Public Health inspects restaurants. "Overall, OPH's permitting, inspection and enforcement processes need improvement to ensure the safety of food served in retail food establishments," states the audit, released Nov. 21. Specifically, the audit found that OPH issued restaurant permits to four out of 30 establishments with critical health violations, and issued only four compliance orders during the two-year period, despite identifying some 450,000 violations at restaurants around the state. Click here to read the whole story.
After 30 years of serving up burgers and lunch fare at 336 Third St. in downtown Baton Rouge, Riverside Patty has closed its doors. Restaurant owner Nader Tahmasebi says two reasons are behind Riverside's closure, which occurred Wednesday: He couldn't work out a new lease with the building's owner, and business has been sapped by food trucks that have increasingly been frequenting the downtown area.
“A few years ago, kale was anointed the darling of the leafy green world, and since then it's been seen in everything from upscale salad bars to smoothies,” writes 225 blogger Maggie Heyn Richardson. “Kale chips have become a wildly popular method of using up the season's bounty because they make the biting green accessible and fun to eat. Kale chips also make pretty little garnishes for Thanksgiving feasts this week. The problem with them is that they sometimes don't crisp up enough, and they can still be slightly aggressive. Solve the first problem with proper cooking, and the second with inventive spices.” Find out her recipe for never-fail kale in this week's Spatula Diaries.
Thanksgiving is truly a lovely holiday and one that seems increasingly overshadowed by the commercialism of Christmas. Don't misunderstand; it's not that we don't love Christmas. It's just that Thanksgiving is about gathering with family and friends to share in a meal and reflect on our many blessings. This act of creating a thoughtful and deliberate meal is, in fact, what the whole concept of Dining In is about. And what better day to dine in but Thanksgiving—the biggest dining-in day of the year.
Self-serve yogurt bars seemed like such a good idea when they first appeared in the Capital Region about three years ago, the concept quickly caught on. Today there are no fewer than five national chains and locally owned businesses with at least seven outlets in a five-mile radius of south Baton Rouge. But one of the local pioneers of the frozen dessert trend is also one of its first casualties. Bosco's Frozen Yogurt, which first opened in 2009 on Nicholson Drive near LSU—then reopened in a space near the Perkins Road overpass just three months ago—has permanently shut down, and the owners are trying to sell. "The business just wasn't there," says Chad Hughes, who in early July opened the shop with his wife and business partner, Christina Bourg. "It wasn't even close." To break even in the 1,400-square-foot space, which is located in a newly renovated strip center next to Jimmy John's on the former site of Perkins Road Hardware, Bosco's needed to sell about $400 worth of...
If you prefer a home-cooked meal for Thanksgiving, but want to forgo some of the "cooking" part, Baton Rouge has you fully covered for all eventualities. Gourmet Girls Catering will shake up your normal menu of holiday standards with a sweet array of delicious, if nontraditional, food. Roasted pumpkin soup, garlic and rosemary stuffed pork tenderloin, goat cheese tortas, and crab and spinach Madeleine are just some of the delectable dishes on offer. Visit their Facebook page for more information. Juban's lets you leave the cooking to Chef Jaime Hernandez, selling their famous gumbo by the gallon, as well as whole roasted turkeys and rotisserie pork loin. You can check out their full menu by clicking here.
LSU alumnus Will Edwards is bringing the classic Central European kolache, a popular pastry in his native Houston, to Baton Rouge with The Kolache Kitchen (Map it!). A kolache is a pastry about the size of a hot dog bun and filled with a variety of ingredients; traditionally, sausage, cheese or fruit. Edwards hopes that the easy-to-eat nature of the kolache and the store's proximity to LSU's campus—it will open in the former Blimpie's at Nicholson and East Boyd drives—will make the venture successful. Edwards is also adding a mobile component to his business plan, as a food truck dubbed The Rolling Pin will cruise LSU and the downtown area, serving products also sold at The Kolache Kitchen. To follow the new restaurant's...
Some Baton Rouge bars made their first Sunday of operation as much about the food they offered as the drinks they poured. The Radio Bar on Government Street moved its typical Monday barbecue to Sunday—it opened at 2 p.m.—and had quit serving food by 7 p.m., as a steady bar crowd made the first open Sunday busier than a typical Monday or Tuesday. "But it's the first night," notes co-owner Dave Remmetter. The Radio Bar will likely operate on Sundays from now on, 4 p.m. to midnight, eschewing an earlier opening for the football crowd and sticking to its no-TVs ethos, he says.
Like other homegrown Baton Rougeans, Chef Sammy Chenevert can recite an oft-repeated list of extinct local restaurants and their memorable contributions to regional dining. “There was Mickey's Gold Nugget, Jake Staples', DaJoNel's and Mike and Tony's,” begins Chenevert. “I remember Jack Sabin's, and of course, The Village. My parents went there for special occasions. They'd get the seafood cannelloni every time.”
Come Sunday, bars in Baton Rouge will be able to open their doors to thirsty patrons and retailers will be able to sell alcohol beginning at 6 a.m. That's because Tuesday morning, Mayor-President Kip Holden put his signature on an ordinance recently approved by the Metro Council that rolls back restrictions on bar openings and alcohol sales on Sundays. After much debate, the council last week approved relaxing some of the city-parish's "blue laws"—now, all bars can open between 11 a.m. and midnight on Sundays; while retailers can sell alcohol between 6 a.m. and midnight.
People love brunch. It's like the last weekend hoo-rah before the workweek starts. On a recent Sunday, my companion and I set out to join the final celebration at Mansurs on the Boulevard. Seated in a booth facing the dining room, we felt a little on display, as everyone entering passed our table. But the location did offer us a wide vista of the room and allowed us to appreciate the softly hued paint, bricked archways and wood-beamed ceilings. With walls accented by Louisiana art and the atmosphere punctuated by a pianist, the entire scene made for a serene dining experience.
Get out your costumes and get ready for food, drinks and fun at 225's next Hot Off the Press party, coming up next Tuesday, Oct. 30. Save the date now for amazing tapas from the new Restaurant IPO, all served upstairs at The Office Bar with cocktails and live music. An Ultimat Costume Contest will put your spooky skills to the test, and, like always, you can snag an early copy of the November issue of 225. The event is free, but guests must RSVP. Click here for more info.
About 300 farmers, nonprofit organizations, policy-makers, school officials and others are expected at a daylong food access summit on Wednesday, Nov. 7, at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center. LSU AgCenter nutritionist Annrose Guarino says organizers hope to improve communication among people who produce food and those who distribute it. She says the summit will include sessions on school and community gardens, food stamps and farmers markets, use of local foods in school lunch programs, developing local food policy councils, farm-to-school programs, and implementing a hunger-free Louisiana plan. Speakers will include state Agriculture Commissioner Mike Strain; U.S. Department of Agriculture Regional Administrator Bill Ludwig; state Rep. Scott Simon, whose bill established a state Sustainable Local Food Policy Council; and LSU AgCenter Vice Chancellor Paul Coreil. The daylong summit will run 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Cost to attend is $26. You can check out a complete list of events...
Four years after opening in Lafayette, 2Paul's Radically Urban BBQ has plans to open its second location in nearby Broussard and is also looking to expand in Baton Rouge, says co-owner Gary “Paul” Roy. The Broussard location will be owned and operated by Roy and his fellow investors in the original restaurant, he says, and they hope to have it open by the middle of next year. The Baton Rouge location, however, will be the company's first attempt at a franchise. “The reason for doing the Broussard location is to demonstrate and replicate what we've done at our first restaurant, and hopefully make the idea of a franchise more palatable,” Roy says. A few locations in Baton Rouge have been looked at, Roy says, and he's spoken with some potential investors in Baton Rouge. “It's nothing concrete at the moment, but I'd love to expand to Baton Rouge because I went to high school there, lived there for a few years and still have a lot of friends there,” he...
Maple-bacon, key lime pie, vanilla jalapeño, mint chocolate chip. These are the donut flavors that Baton Rouge entrepreneur Jeff Herman serves up every Saturday morning from his small commercial kitchen space in a strip center off Jones Creek Road. Handmade in small, by-the-dozen batches and packed with unusual ingredients, Herman's Tiger Deaux-nuts stand head and shoulders above the offerings at commercial chains in both freshness and innovation.
“At one point in her life, AnnieLaurie Thompson was so in love with cheese, she decided to make a career of it,” writes 225 food blogger Maggie Heyn Richardson. “Its culinary possibilities were too infinite and its heritage too inspiring. She joined the cheese team at Whole Foods Market in Baton Rouge, and along the way kept learning about the magic behind curds and whey. Her passion paid off. Recently, Thompson became one of only 121 cheesemongers in the United States to pass the inaugural American Cheese Society’s Certified Cheese Professional Exam, an indication of her knowledge of cheese from farm to counter.” Find out more about Thompson in this week’s edition of Spatula Diaries by clicking here.
Do you smell what's cooking? Early this morning, teams from all over Louisiana were hauling their cast-iron pots to assigned tents downtown, getting ready for the 25th annual Capital Area United Way Jambalaya Jam. This storied event raises money for one of the biggest charitable organizations in Baton Rouge, as well as giving Baton Rougeans the chance to taste a bunch of delicious dishes. Over the last few years, the event has grown from a simple cook-off and lunch to a complete downtown festival, with live music and activities for the whole family to enjoy. A $10 ticket lets you sample unlimited jambalaya from all 46 teams, but if you can't stay for the fun, you can grab a jam-to-go plate with any jambalaya to take home. Tonight, 5 p.m.-8 p.m. downtown at Main and Third Streets. Check cauw.org/jam for full details.
“Like any self-respecting Louisiana food lover should, you probably have a gumbo recipe in your arsenal, but how often do you make straight-up soups?” writes 225 food blogger Maggie Heyn Richardson. “The answer should be real often, because soups are not only economical and convenient, they are a fabulous template for creativity. Black bean, vegetable beef, potato with dill and creamy butternut squash sound simple, but prepared correctly, they can be complex and luscious. Best of all, you can make them without being joined at the hip to recipes; just follow three important principles.” Click here to read Maggie's soup tips.
The Louisiana Department of Agriculture & Forestry is producing a series of four 30-minute cooking shows, hosted by Chef Celeste Gill and featuring LDAF Commissioner Mike Strain. Gill, familiar to anyone who frequents BREADA’s Saturday Red Stick Farmers Market cooking demonstrations, will take viewers to various Louisiana farms and their specialty crops, follow the farmers to the local markets, and then into the studio kitchen for tasty and nutritious family meals prepared with fresh local ingredients. Baton Rougeans can catch the show, Cooking Up Louisiana Treasures, on Cox Cable Channel 21, Sundays at 8 a.m., as well as at louisianagrown.com.
"Like any self-respecting, self-professed food fanatic, I swore I'd never turn to bakery cakes after I met my future husband," writes 225 food blogger Maggie Heyn Richardson. "Our happy little home would be filled only with cakes made from my sweat and grit, mixed by hand, baked in the oven, cooled, iced and lovingly decorated. No matter how busy life got, I wouldn't take short cuts in the birthday cake department." Click here to read the rest of this week's Spatula Diaries.
Sensation salad is a standard in many South Louisiana restaurants—and in many Baton Rouge residents’ kitchens. Now Hanley Foods—a startup begun with the help of local “food incubator” Edible Enterprises—is bringing the tangy, tasty dressing in bottled form to store shelves. Owner Richard Hanley, Jr. says it took two years of constant taste-testing to find the perfect recipe. Made with fresh-squeezed Louisiana lemons and other local ingredients, low-carb and gluten-free, the dressing will begin making its way onto store shelves starting Friday. It will also be available for online purchase on the Hanley’s Foods website.
“Hurricane Isaac's damage to Louisiana agriculture was originally estimated at about $100 million,” writes 225 blogger Maggie Heyn Richardson. “It flatted sugar cane, damaged soybeans and disturbed rice fields and other crops. But if the weather cooperates between now and harvest, the overall outcome could be better than expected, said LSU AgCenter economist Kurt Guidry, who described the state as being 'fairly lucky' after all. For state citrus growers, however, it's a different story.” Find out if Baton Rouge's citrus farmers can bounce back in this week's Spatula Diaries.
It's that time of year again—time for Baton Rouge's tailgating greats to put their money where their mouth is and sign up for the BREADA Red Stick Farmers Market's annual Tailgating Throwdown challenge Oct. 20. Competitors must use a minimum of two local ingredients from the Red Stick Farmers Market to create their dish and can prepare up to two different dishes to be judged in the competition, including one meat and one vegetarian recipe. The entry fee is $100, which includes $20 in Farmers Market tokens that teams receive to purchase their local ingredients from farmers. A panel of judges will determine the best dishes, including an award for “Best Use of Local Ingredients” and the “Best Overall Experience.” Teams will also serve their dishes to event attendees, who will select the People's Choice Award.
"When cool weather finally hits South Louisiana, it brings with it the promise of sturdy gumbo, brawny tailgate eats and other comforting fare," writes 225 food blogger Maggie Heyn Richardson. "But for all the dishes that reemerge in the fall, a host of others recede until next year. That includes sno-balls. How many—and what flavors—did you consume during our summer of 2012 when temperatures around here rose to levels that seemed unfit for humans? We're lucky in Baton Rouge, where an authentic sno-ball culture lives and breathes." Read more about this signature Southern treat in this week's edition of Spatula Diaries by clicking here.
In South Louisiana, we defend our hometown teams, our hometown festivals and even our hometown seasonings. The famous Tony Chachere's calls Opelousas home, Slap Ya Mama hails from Ville Platte and Zatarain's (originally from New Orleans) is made across the river in Gretna.
Baton Rouge native and author of the bestselling Trim&Terriffic cookbook series Holly Clegg has released a new cookbook, entitled Kitchen 101. The simple recipes inside are designed to inspire confidence in even the most novice of home cooks. Click here to order on Amazon. … Bluebell has released a new ice cream flavor for fall. Called Southern Peach Cobbler, the ice cream combines everything peach—from the ice cream to sweet peach slices to a thick peach swirl—with crumbly bits of pie crust, cinnamon and brown sugar. The flavor is available now in local grocers' freezers.
Football and food go hand in hand, especially around here. Whether you're going out to tailgate or having folks over to watch the game, the only thing that matters as much as who's playing—well, almost as much—is what's on the menu.
“The poor Crock-Pot,” writes Maggie Heyn Richardson in this week's edition of Spatula Diaries. “There it sits collecting dust, while Big Green Eggs, Le Creuset roasters and pricy, hip sauté pans take center stage. Long considered a tool that requires little finesse and few skills, the slow cooker seems about as cool as polyester pants or sandals with black socks. It routinely gets short shrift in an era that values distinct cooking steps and culinary sophistication.” Click here to find out what you can do with this seemingly outdated kitchen appliance.
From 225: An exotic twist on the margarita
You might take one look at Kona Grill's Hibiscus Margarita and think it's too much. The drink has an exotic name, a raspberry color, and the actual flower perched on the edge of the glass. It wouldn't be out of place on an episode of Gossip Girl. All visual cons aside, Jeff Roedel explains why the drink should be famous in this month's 225. Read Roedel's take here.
A healthy margarita? With Elkarita, it's possible
What better way to stay healthy this summer than with a refreshing, frozen margarita? If it sounds too good to be true, it isn't. Baton Rouge native Elke Ellzey is the creator of Elkarita, a natural, no-sugar-added non-alcoholic drink mix. Elkarita comes in three flavors: lime, mango and pomegranate. Each mix has fewer than 40 calories, and the four ingredients used are all pronounceable. Ellzey says that although the mixes were originally intended for combining with spirits, she suggests adding it to water for the kids and even using it as a marinade for cooking.
Hanley's Louisiana Strawberry Vinaigrette out now
Fresh off the success of his Sensation salad dressing, Richard Hanley and Hanley's Foods has rolled out a new Louisiana Strawberry Vinaigrette dressing.
The new creation features fresh Louisiana strawberries, pecans and cane sugar, and is naturally low in fat, carbs and sugar.
The dressing is available in Baton Rouge now at Our Daily Bread, both Calandro's Market locations, Pam's Capitol Corner, Calvin's Bocage Market, Matherne's Supermarket on Bluebonnet Boulevard and Alexander's Market. For more information, click here.
Grab a beer for American Craft Beer Week
American Craft Beer Week is in full swing. You still have some time to celebrate by grabbing a specialty brew at your favorite Baton Rouge pub. Below, we've got a few special events you shouldn't miss if you're in the beer spirit.
Tonight, The Pelican House (Map it!) will feature Tin Roof Double Dry Hopped Juke Joint IPA at 5:30 p.m. The Bulldog (Map it!) will have a special cask of Stone Brewing IPA that is best served by May 17, the Harpoon Barrel Series and Brooklyn Brewmaster Series, all starting at 6 p.m.
From 225—Dining In: Mother's Day lunch
Treat your mother to a nice, light spring menu this Mother's Day. In this month's 225, Stephanie Riegel and Tracey Koch have crafted a lovely spread of quick and easy-to-make dishes that will make mom proud.
The menu features smoked salmon-stuffed eggs, avocado and grapefruit salad, curried chicken salad, and buttermilk sorbet for dessert. The dishes are great for other occasions, too, such as graduation day celebrations, bridal showers and more. Also included is a recipe for a French 75, a classic cocktail that fits well with the light menu.
For more information on these treats and to find out how to make them, check out this month's edition of Dining In.
Grocery begins filling food void downtown
Toothbrushes, bread and wine have been the hot sellers at Baton Rouge's first downtown grocery store since it opened last Thursday with little fanfare. While not a full-service grocery store, Downtown Grocery at the corner of Third and Florida streets, is the closest thing to it downtown. As evidence of that, the small grocer had completely run out of bread by Saturday. White bread, wheat bread, hamburger buns—it was all gone, says co-owner Michael Matroodnejad. "It's been a good crowd," Matroodnejad says, "a lot better than expected on the first day."
Tickets going fast for Bad Guys, Good Eats!
Chef and 225 contributor Jay D. Ducote will team up with Restaurant IPO chef Chris Wadsworth for a movie villain-themed dinner Wednesday, May 8, and tickets are going fast. A limited number of spots are still available. Tickets are $65 and can be purchased online.
From 225: Making Groceries
On a Thursday morning, Raymond Cutrer's booth at the Red Stick Farmers Market has a line five customers deep. Cutrer's Meat Market has quite the selection: homemade salami, ground beef, soup bones, premium steaks and smoked sausage made with a 100-year-old family recipe.
The Pelican House opens Monday
If you've driven on Interstate 10 near the College Drive exit, you have no doubt noticed the bright blue logo for The Pelican House. The bar/restaurant specializes in high-end beers, with more than 130 taps at its main bar and an additional bar with even more beers on tap, as well as a large selection of bottled beers, whiskeys, scotches and bourbons.
From 225: In the Pink
Dry rosés are incredibly versatile wines that complement a wide range of foods, including many of the signature dishes on a Louisiana spring menu. Largely from France—although there are exceptions—these wines are not sweet, but similar to a good dry white wine.
Baton Rouge is best foodie city for groups in ConventionSouth poll
The Red Stick can add a foodie award to its wall after acquiring around 1,800 votes and winning the ConventionSouth poll for the South's Best Foodie Cities for Groups.
Baton Rouge garnered 700 more votes than the second-place city Jackson, Miss. Nearly 5,000 people voted in the poll overall earlier this month, and Baton Rouge beat out cities from Mississippi, Alabama and Florida and even New Orleans in the Gulf States Region category. The award and poll was made to find "the best of the best when it comes to offering traveling groups a wide selection of unique, intriguing and delicious cuisine," ConventionSouth Associate Publisher and Editor Marlane Bundock says. "Whether groups are coming to town for a business meeting, trade show, wedding or other event, their attendees are sure to be delighted by the food offered at these cities." —Matthew Sigur
Grilled cheese, Baton Rouge style
April is national Grilled Cheese Month, and while you could celebrate at home—prepping the standard two pieces of bread and American cheese on a skillet or in the oven—Baton Rouge has a few places that feature a brilliant take on the classic concept.
Drink for a King
Swine Palace will kick off its run of the classic, cautionary tale All the King's Men next Wednesday, April 17 at LSU's Reilly Theatre. The play, and the book its based on, are said to be loosely based on the life of former Louisiana Gov. Huey P. Long, a.k.a. The Kingfish. Check out Jeff Roedel's article on the production here.
To celebrate the new play, 225 wanted to share a recipe for one of Long's favorite drinks—the Ramos Gin Fizz. There are numerous legends about Long and his gin fizzes, such as the one that says Long took a New Orleans bartender with him to New York to teach northerners how to make the drink.
The fizz contains gin with a mixture of orange, lemon and lime flavors and an egg white. It's not that it's a difficult drink to make, but making it perfect requires time and a few key ingredients.
Red Star reopening
Last September, downtown Baton Rouge saw Red Star Bar close after more than 10 years. An answer for the bar's loyal patrons wondering where they could go has come sooner rather than later.
Spatula Diaries: The perfect summer red
Abita introduces Lemon Wheat
No regular beer will help you beat the summer heat. At least, that's what Abita is hoping you'll think in the coming months. The brewery recently announced the release of its new Lemon Wheat beer—a cool, citrus brew made with real lemon peel. Lemon Wheat will be on shelves during late spring, available for a limited time only. For more information, click here.
Former LSU great expands 'C'mon Man' seasonings line
On the football field, Charles Alexander was known for slicing and dicing defenses with his stellar running game with the LSU Tigers. In the kitchen, he slices and dices just about everything, and launched his own line of spicy seasoning, dubbed “C'mon Man,” last spring.
Spatula Diaries: Mmm…Buttery, Cinnamon Coffee Cake
SIPS: In the mix at Olive or Twist
Having just opened a few months ago, Olive or Twist is turning heads with its long list of complex and inventive cocktails. And we're not exaggerating when we say long. Divided into sections like Specialty Cocktails, New Orleans Cocktails, Drop Martinis, Dessert Martinis and more, it's easy to get lost in the menu's maze of concoctions. But when the bartenders take the time to smack basil leaves between their palms a few times before adding the garnish to a drink (it releases the oils), you know you're in good hands.
For more on Olive or Twist, read Benjamin Leger's review from March's 225 here.
Baton Rouge team places sixth during NOLA Hogs for the Cause
In Jay D. Ducote and Galen Iverstine's first appearance at the fifth annual Hogs for the Cause cookout in New Orleans, the duo—dubbed Team Bite and Booze—did quite well. They finished sixth out of more than 80 teams in the "Porkpouri" category. The team's dish? Slices of hickory-smoked bacon dipped in dark chocolate and then crusted in crumbled pork rinds. Try to hold back the drool. Ducote, a 225 contributor, and Iverstine also tried their hands in pork shoulder, ribs, entire hog, and sauce categories. The team didn't place in those categories, but Ducote was still ecstatic about the "Porkpouri" finish, and is ready for next year. "We're hoping to grow our Baton Rouge team next year and include more Red Stick chefs," he says. For more information on Hogs for the Cause, click here.
Spatula Diaries: Throw a 'Cupcake War' Birthday Party
Zolia chef talks crab cakes
In preparation for 225's Hot off the Press event at Zolia Bistro next week, we asked Chef Brant Palazzo about his favorite dish to prepare. Palazzo quickly replied with the crab cake. "It is made with all Pontchartrain crabs," Palazzo says. "There isn't much filler. It's almost all completely crab. We use a little bit of fresh white bread, and that keeps the integrity of the crab and keeps the cake itself really soft, but crisp on the outside."
At next week's event, Palazzo says patrons can expect Zolia's popular Tin Roof Shrimp and tuna tartar as well as other unique tapas.
Dining In: Tamales meet crawfish
March is typically the time to pull out the crawfish pot, check that the tank is full of butane and fire it up. Boiling crawfish is the quintessential Louisiana pastime; it's fun getting together with friends and family to "pass a good time" over a steaming heap of mudbugs. But once crawfish season is in full swing, we like to prepare our mudbugs in lots of different ways, including etouffee, bisque, pasta, pie and even tamales. That's right—Crawfish Tamales, which are not only a bit unusual, but are a lot of fun to make when you have a group of friends coming over who don't mind gathering in the kitchen around a pitcher of margaritas to help you cook!
Spatula Diaries: Wear green, drink red
Irish-themed recipes at Main Street Market Saturday
Chef Celeste Gill will cook up an Irish menu during the Red Stick Farmers Market's Fresh from the Market cooking demonstration. Gill will kick off the St. Paddy's Day-themed event at 10 a.m. Local musician Mel Chavis will also be performing throughout the morning. For more information, visit redstickfarmersmarket.org.
My Obsession: Barbara Auten's favorite dishes
Barbara Auten, executive director of Alzheimer's Services of the Capital Area, has quite a few favorite dishes she couldn't resist sharing with 225. In Baton Rouge, Auten loves the sea bass with mango salsa at Bonefish Grill. The mango salsa, she says, "brings out the flavor" of the bass, and "the service is always great." In Gonzales, Auten also digs the classic steak dinner at Sno's Seafood and Steakhouse Restaurant. "There's great atmosphere with a great steak," she says, "and [owner] Todd Sheets always makes you feel welcome."
On the Road: Places to check out during NOLA Fashion Week
Fashion Week in New Orleans wraps up this Saturday at several locations in the Central Business District. We asked a few people to pitch us their choice New Orleans restaurants and bars to visit between shows.
My Obsession: Daniel Lewis' favorite local dish
Daniel Lewis is the COO of Active Entertainment, a local motion picture distributing company that has been around for a little more than a decade. In between his busy schedule, Lewis gave 225 a peek into his favorite Baton Rouge dish: John's Favorite off the dinner menu at Maison Lacour, 11025 N. Harrells Ferry Rd. "The dish includes a filet, lump crabmeat, and garlic shrimp topped with homemade béarnaise sauce," Lewis says. "And everything is cooked to perfection."
Bite and Booze: The Great American Beer Boom
Spatula Diaries: What can you make in 15 minutes?
“I've reached the point in my life as a mother of three children where 15 minutes is sometimes all I have to get something on the table,” writes 225 blogger Maggie Heyn Richardson. “What can I make in that amount of time? A phone call for pizza delivery, which I do from time to time. But that's unsustainable, and the truth is, there are a ton of serviceable dinners that can be out in short order; it just requires a tiny bit of planning. The most important thing to remember is to limit ingredients, to always have certain things on hand and to forget the idea that dinner always has to be a protein, starch and vegetable.” Click here to get Maggie's fast and healthy recipes.
Homebrew competition a hopping good time
Despite stormy weather and chilly temperatures, more than 500 people turned out for local homebrew club Brasseurs a la Maison's first-ever "Iron Brewer" competition, held last Friday at Tin Roof Brewery. "We were totally overwhelmed by the response," says club founder Blake Winchell. "We weren't even sure that 50 people would show up." The 10 varieties of homebrewed beer on offer, with ingredients ranging from Louisiana peaches to coffee and cayenne, went quickly, with no kegs left untapped at the end of the night. The People's Choice Award went to the Chicory Stout, but the winner of the official "Iron Brewer" title went to the Red Beans and Rice brew, which wowed with savory, smoky flavor. The event, which accepted canned goods in lieu of admission, also raised more than 1,300 pounds of food for the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank, enough to provide 1,090 meals for needy families. The success of the evening has definitely paved the way for future homebrew events, according to...
Bite and Booze: Feast of Fields 2013
Spatula Diaries: Have produce, will travel
Swamp Seeds to be sold at Tigers' ballparks
LSU and local startup Swamp Seeds have signed an agreement to sell the crawfish boil–flavored sunflower seeds at Alex Box Stadium and Tiger Park. "We worked really hard to finalize this contract because we felt that there was a need to expose LSU fans to a snack that is not only a true Louisiana product but also synonymous with baseball and softball," says Cathy Bryant, president of Louisiana Swamp House, which owns the distribution rights for Swamp Seeds. Bryant says Swamp Seeds has seen "astronomical growth" since it began selling the seeds in about 50 local stores in 2011. The seeds are now sold in more than 10,000 stores in Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi, Florida, Georgia and Alabama. At the LSU ballparks, Swamp Seeds will be carried at 24 concession stands, sold in a 3.5-ounce bag of seeds in the shell and 2.5-ounce bag of kernels. Read more about Swamp Seeds and Bryant in a recent Business Report feature
Cookbook offers innovative takes on Louisiana cooking
Baton Rougean Helana Brigman, author of the popular Clearly Delicious blog, is putting her recipes on paper next month with the publication of her first cookbook, The Fresh Table: Cooking in Louisiana All Year Round. Among the expected Louisiana favorites, like crab cakes and crawfish potpie, are new, innovative ways of preparing local fish and produce that make good use of current culinary trends. Recipes like Lemon-Lavender Muffins are unexpectedly delicious, and mouthwatering new takes on old favorites like Crawfish Etouffee Ravioli or Bananas Foster Croissant French Toast are great ways to enjoy beloved flavors, and dishes like the Strawberry-Brie Bruschetta (pictured) make great use of fresh ingredients. The cookbook is divided into seasons, which makes it easy to cook according to what can be found in local farmers markets, and the instructions are detailed, and include dishes that suit both the...
Latte e Miele to focus on Bocage location
After four years on Highland Road near The Country Club of Louisiana, Luca Di Martino says he has found the perfect location for Latte e Miele: Bocage. Co-owner Di Martino opened the second Latte e Miele last summer at Bocage and has discovered the new location is exacting "blatant cannibalism" on the Highland Road location, attracting old and familiar customers while expanding its menu and now providing a full-service lunch. "We've created a monster, I think," Di Martino says of the Bocage store. For now, Di Martino wants to pare Latte e Miele down to one location—Bocage—and concentrate on another expansion of the menu in the evening, including cheese plates and charcuterie. He says he's also in the process of applying for a liquor license.
Barbecue food truck takes to the streets
Where can you find cochon de lait—along with chicken, ribs and sausage—waiting for you on a street corner? New food truck Big Los' Chicken n Ribs aims to please with a menu of delicious, fresh-made barbecue. Racks of smoking meat make it easy to follow your nose to owner Carlos Decuir's truck, where you can enjoy everything from pulled pork to whole barbecued chicken.
Dang’s Vietnamese Restaurant offers “dang” good Banh Mi
Restaurant and bar aimed at young professionals coming to Perkins
A new bar and restaurant intended to give young professionals the same kind of entertainment that has flourished downtown will open in early March on Perkins Road, says organizers. The forthcoming Le Bons Temps bar and restaurant is housed in Panache Plaza at 8342 Perkins Road between Essen Lane and Bluebonnet Boulevard, and will feature three distinct components, a full-service restaurant with “upscale Cajun cuisine,” a courtyard with outdoor seating and a lounge with a 42-inch illuminated wall that changes colors. Former Bin 77 chef Blake Abadie will serve as executive chef, and has designed a menu that includes a ten-pound suckling pig stuffed with boudin and garnished with etouffee and frog legs. Le Bon Temps is also planning to feature a nighttime deejay and Sunday brunch.—Maggie Heyn Richardson
New shop brings Central Grocery-style muffaletta to B.R.
What do a Baton Rouge insurance man and a speech pathology student have in common? Together they run 926-Muff, a popular new muffaletta shop on Perkins Road. Greg Town started the business last August with plans for his daughter Leigh Anne to run it when she graduates from LSU this spring.
When asked why he wanted to sell muffalettas, Town praised this quintessentially Southern creation. “It's a great sandwich,” he says. “People are pretty passionate about a muffaletta compared to a ham sandwich.” What makes the sandwich so good? It starts with Leidenheimer bread from New Orleans that's ordered the day before. They use the same olive mix recipe from Central Grocery piled atop Genoa salami, mortedella ham and provolone. Town says people from New Orleans hear about the store in Baton Rouge and are “compelled to try it.”—Moriah Purdy
Ruffino's looks to open Lafayette restaurant by April
At a location in Lafayette’s River Ranch where upscale Cajun fare didn't catch on, Baton Rouge-based Ruffino's is expanding, with plans to open a restaurant by April on the site of Cochon Lafayette on the Vermilion River. "We'll call it Ruffino's on the River to give it its own identity," says Ruffin Rodrigue. Ruffino's co-owner and chef, Peter Sclafani, and Rodrigue have signed a lease-to-purchase agreement on the building with the Link Restaurant Group, which announced today it is closing Cochon Lafayette and exiting the market so it can deepen its focus in the New Orleans market; it plans to open a new wood-fired seafood restaurant at the corner of Magazine and Julia streets this spring, to join its principal restaurant on Tchoupitoulas Street. Rodrigue says Cochon Lafayette plans to close Sunday, Feb. 10. LRG had the restaurant building constructed and opened for business in September 2011. "We had heard the business wasn't what they had expected," Rodrigue says. What might...
Setup for the Super Bowl
As NFL fans pour into New Orleans for the biggest pro football game of the year, it's easy to get caught up in Super Bowl fever. While many Baton Rougeans aren't heading to the Big Easy for the game, Baton Rouge restaurants have plenty of ways to spice up the home viewing party with tasty to-go food. Whether you're hosting at home or crashing in a friend's living room, we promise these items will be welcomed.
Calvin's chicken salad: Made fresh daily, the smooth and creamy chicken salad from Calvin's Bocage Market makes a great dip or sandwich filler—your mouth may be too full to cheer. calvinsbocage.com
Baton Rouge sushi restaurants close
Tony Lu bought the building that formerly housed Primo's Steak & Italian Restaurant at 5454 Bluebonnet Blvd. about 14 months ago and, after completely renovating it, opened Kabuki Sushi and Japanese Steakhouse there. He last opened its doors for business on New Year's Eve, closing them for good the following day. "I'm analyzing what I did wrong," says Lu, who also owns Royal Panda Chinese Buffet & Sushi Bar in Lafayette. Lu says he's not sure if economic conditions just weren't right for opening a new restaurant in Baton Rouge in late 2011, but his venture into the Capital Region never quite took off. If he were to open another restaurant in Baton Rouge, Lu says, he'd probably choose a smaller space. Several interested parties are already looking into leasing the building.
Specialty king cakes, weekend waffles and more at Strands
Four years ago this spring, Strands Café opened on Laurel Street downtown and since then has built a loyal and enthusiastic following for its fresh, homemade croissants, scones, cinnamon rolls and seasonal king cakes, now in full swing. Available until Fat Tuesday are the patisserie’s king cake rings, served plain or with one of three signature fillings: lemon cheesecake, white chocolate raspberry or praline turtle. Strands is also one of a handful of regional purveyors who make galette des rois, traditional French king cake made from puff pastry. At Strands, the galette des rois is filled with either apricot or chocolate marzipan.
Sandwich shop planned for former Loft 3H space
By the time the St. Patrick's Day Parade rolls in mid-March, a new sandwich shop hopes to be open for business along the parade route, in the former retail space of Loft 3H in the Perkins Road overpass area. "I like that area; I think it has a good vibe," says Josh Priola, who, along with his wife Melissa Priola, is planning to bring Street Breads to the Capital Region. The Priolas moved to Baton Rouge recently to expand with a second store, and possibly a third, after opening the original Street Breads two years ago in Lake Charles. "We're not a bakery; we're a sandwich shop," says Priola, noting that there will be 15 sandwiches on the menu, as well as quesadillas, salads and desserts.
Latte e Miele shakes up lunch menu
Fans of defunct food truck Ignatius Reilly’s, and especially its chef Marcus Day, will be gratified to know they can once again taste some of Day’s gourmet street food—but with the “street” removed. Day is the new chef at Latte e Miele’s Bocage location, bringing a savory edge to the gelateria’s lunch menu. “Right now we’re focusing on soups, salads and sandwiches, but of course we have a huge vision for the menu,” says Day, who hopes to introduce plated lunches and possibly a dinner service in the future. For now, however, the porchetta sandwich—a close cousin to Day’s much-beloved cochon de lait poboy—is a smash hit, as are the fresh soups and salads. With the backing of owner Luca DiMartino, Day is sticking close to his ethos of using locally sourced, fresh ingredients as the inspiration for his menu, and making everything from scratch daily. “If you want to taste love in your food, this is the...
The blues to return to downtown B.R.
A new blues bar is slated to open before the end of the month in downtown Baton Rouge. The Blues Room will be on Lafayette Street in the former home of Tabby’s Blues Box and, years before that, the Rathskeller. "Baton Rouge is very well known for having a lot of young musicians, particularly blues musicians," says owner Billy Stevens. "It’s going to give them a venue to play, and those guys will play inexpensively. … I think downtown is the perfect place for that. It’s kind of an eclectic crowd already." Stevens is also hoping to host some of the area’s internationally known veteran blues artists. Stevens is shooting for a Jan. 25 opening and plans for the bar to be open seven nights a week, with live music as often as possible, and to serve a limited menu of bar food. —David Jacobs
Government St. building eyed as new location for restaurant and bar
Gretna bar owner Toni Smith says she plans to open The Fourth Quarter restaurant and bar in the vacant building at 3669 Government St., just east of Acadian Thruway, by the end of February. "It's going to be American: steaks, fries and hamburgers," says Smith, who spoke to Daily Report from the Tee Kay Place in Gretna. While the Baton Rouge building location has been a Chinese eatery in the past—China Palace in 2003 and China Dragon as recently as 2007—it underwent a transformation as a Mid City sports bar and restaurant in recent years. According to city-parish officials, The 50 Yard Line had the building rezoned to accommodate a sports bar in October 2009; the building later became Changes Sports Bar and Restaurant, whose signage still remains on the property. In May 2012 the city-parish received a permit for a remodeling project at the building, which had been damaged by fire. Smith applied for a business permit on Dec. 4 and says she's awaiting approval from...
Catching crawfish early
Mardi Gras gets an early start this year, and with it comes an early start to crawfish season. Although the mudbugs are still on the dinky side this time of year, many groceries and restaurants are already offering live and boiled bags to customers who can't picture a carnival season without a heaping plate of crawfish. Country Corner, just outside the Garden District on Perkins Road, is already selling bags, although the price—hovering just below $4 per pound at the time of publication, is a bit steep. Lucy's Retired Surfers Bar, meanwhile, is planning the first of a series of crawfish boils this Sunday. Live music and drink specials will sweeten the deal. Do you know where to grab crawfish this early in the season? Click here to let us know where.
Galatoire's poised to open next week
The long-awaited Galatoire's Bistro in the Acadian Village development has scheduled its grand opening for Tuesday and will begin regular dinner service the next evening. A media tour is set for Tuesday, followed by an invitation-only cocktail party–style reception 6 p.m.-8 p.m. The event, which will be held inside the new restaurant and outside under tents, will feature complimentary hors d'oeuvres and music from a New Orleans jazz band. The new Galatoire's, which resembles in design and décor the century-old French Quarter establishment, was originally scheduled to open in time for the holidays, but ran behind because of routine construction delays. Though the bistro begins dinner service next Wednesday, it will not be open for lunch until Friday, Jan. 25.—Stephanie Riegel
Velvet Cactus slated to open in 2013
Nearly five months after signing a purchase agreement, two New Orleans restaurateurs have closed on their $900,000 deal to acquire the vacant building on Old Hammond Highway that formerly housed the renowned Chalet Brandt gourmet restaurant and, more recently, Another Broken Egg Café/Lalou. That clears the way for Herb Dyer and Rusty White—owners of The Bulldog bars on Perkins Road and in New Orleans—to redevelop the property and build on it a new 4,000-square-foot Mexican restaurant called The Velvet Cactus. The menu will range from fajitas and quesadillas to enchiladas and burritos. This will be the third Velvet Cactus location, including Lakeview and New Orleans.—Rachael Upton and Stephanie Riegel
Unique comfort food
Not yet part of the Red Stick's main dining stage, Thai cuisine has slowly and quietly made its mark in the city. In a small, unassuming building on South Sherwood Forest Boulevard, Duang Tawan offers friendly service and an authentic Thai menu within a small, cozy setting. Just in time for our quick burst of winter, this overlooked gem's traditional Tom Yum Soup ($3.95) is sure to warm your soul with its savory tang and wonderful aroma. This tasty soup is a complex harmony of sour and spicy comfort—flavored with lemongrass, lime juice, mushrooms, Thai herbs, fresh scallions and your choice of shrimp or tender sliced chicken breast.
Galatoire’s Bistro names general manager
When the new Galatoire’s Bistro opens later this month, locals will be greeted by a familiar face at the helm. Lucas Molbert is a veteran of many of Baton Rouge’s fine dining establishments, having supervised the daily operations and managed a staff of more than 60 employees at Ruth’s Chris Steak House in Baton Rouge and served as dining room and beverage manager at the Baton Rouge Country Club. Galatoire’s Bistro is scheduled to open in Acadian Village in January, at the corner of Acadian Thruway and Perkins Road. The revamped eatery will include a restaurant, bar, outdoor seating area and a private dining space, offering traditional French-infused cuisine and Louisiana foods.—Rachael Upton
Lava Cantina to open in Perkins Rowe
Perkins Rowe is getting a new tenant that will be part live music venue, part Mexican restaurant. Lava Cantina, as the establishment will be called, is set to open in late spring in the 6,700-square-foot space next to California Pizza Kitchen that previously housed The Grill Room. "This is the first of its kind," says Steve Vaughn, who is launching the restaurant as a retirement business with his son, Ian Vaughn, who lives in Dallas. "But we hope it will be the first of many." Steve Vaughn, who recently retired from his day job at the Syngenta plant in St. Gabriel, is a musician on the side and plays in the local band Magnolia. Ian Vaughn is in the restaurant business in Dallas. The two decided to combine their passions—music and food—and create a concept restaurant they compare to a cross between the House of Blues and Hard Rock Café with a Mexican-themed menu. Lava Cantina will feature live bands and also take advantage of the many traveling acts that pass through Baton...
Nacho Mama’s satisfies the late-night crowds
If you’ve got a late-night craving that only a food truck can satisfy, Nacho Mama’s is the food truck to follow. Owner Lars Carlsen and his staff focus on the nighttime crowds around Tigerland bars in the wee hours—usually from 10 p.m. to around 3 a.m.—pulling in hungry students with promises of delicious street food. Their specialty is the eponymous nachos, particularly the pulled pork variety, which has proved such a hit with hungry crowds that “Home of the Pulled Pork Nachos” is painted on the side of their truck. Other toppings include boudin, barbecued chicken and chili cheese, and the menu—still “being tinkered with,” says Carlsen—currently includes poboys and wraps as well. If you’re not a night owl, though, don’t worry. The truck will soon be making occasional stops downtown to hit the lunch crowds. Follow them on Twitter at @NachoMamasPork...
Bite and Booze: Louisiana’s best craft beers of 2012
Spatula Diaries: Foolproof Cast Iron Chicken
LSU to incubate new food ideas
Have you long harbored a dream of starting a small business built around Grandma’s vinaigrette recipe, or that marinade all your friends love? The LSU AgCenter will soon be helping food entrepreneurs bring their products to markets with a new food business incubator. Gaye Sandoz, a 37-year veteran of the food process industry who helped establish the successful Edible Enterprises food incubator in Norco, began working with the AgCenter this month and says that she hopes to see the new incubator fully developed within the next year. The food incubator will be equipped with state-of-the-art kitchens and laboratories in which the start-up businesses can perfect and develop their products, sparing them the burden of start-up costs like major equipment purchases. Once the businesses start turning a profit, they will be able to move out of the incubator and into their own facilities. Sandoz will help the start-up businesses make contacts with suppliers and vendors. The businesses...
Dining in: Christmas Eve dinner
225 writers Tracey Koch and Stephanie Riegel have delicious Christmas recipes to share.
Most years, when we were growing up, we spent Christmas Eve having a quiet night with just the immediate family—our parents, the two of us and our younger sister. Our mother was always up to her ears in stuffing and pies, getting ready for a big Christmas Day feast for extended family and friends. So we watched reruns of It's a Wonderful Life and ate takeout Chinese before heading to midnight mass.
Restaurant Review: The Chimes
Our restaurant reviewer takes on one of Baton Rouge's favorites.
The Chimes is an old friend and a home away from home. It's been there in good times and bad, sickness and health. I've celebrated birthdays, graduations and random Tuesdays within the walls of its famed Highland Road location. It's helped me get over lost loves and revel in new ones. I even met my spouse there. And I would never have survived graduate school without its happy hour.
New Orleans Original Daiquiris finally breaking into Baton Rouge
New Orleans Original Daiquiris, a Metairie-based company with more than 50 daiquiri shops around the country, is moving into Baton Rouge in early 2013, after years of intentionally overlooking the local market. "We stayed out of Baton Rouge because for a long time we perceived the zoning laws were not favorable to our use," says Joe Pando, executive vice president and chief operating officer. "But we really let that market slip completely." The company is making up for lost time. The first local New Orleans Original Daiquiris shop will open this spring in the Siegen Place Shopping Center, which is currently under construction on Siegen Lane near Industriplex Boulevard.
Unique comfort food at Duang Tawan
Not yet part of the Red Stick’s main dining stage, Thai cuisine is slowly and quietly making its mark in the city. In a small, unassuming building on South Sherwood Forest Boulevard, Duang Tawan offers friendly service and an authentic Thai menu within a small, cozy setting. Just in time for our quick burst of winter, this overlooked gem’s traditional Tom Yum Soup ($3.95) is sure to warm your soul with its savory tang and wonderful aroma. This tasty soup is a complex harmony of sour and spicy comfort—flavored with lemongrass, lime juice, mushrooms, Thai herbs, fresh scallions and your choice of shrimp or tender sliced chicken breast.
My Sugarbelle will bring sweet nostalgia
Bundt cakes were Kasie Coleman’s grandmother’s favorite cakes—she knows this because she helped make them, year after year. “You could call me her apprentice,” Coleman jokes. Now she aims to bring her grandmother’s recipes, along with several of her own, to her soon-to-open bakery, My Sugarbelle, on Plank Road.
Legislative Auditor's report critical of inspections processes at La. restaurants
State health inspectors found more violations between 2009 and 2011 at The Great Wall Restaurant on College Drive—345 total—than at any other restaurant in East Baton Rouge Parish. That's according to a new Legislative Auditor's report that highlights several problems with the way the Office of Public Health inspects restaurants. "Overall, OPH's permitting, inspection and enforcement processes need improvement to ensure the safety of food served in retail food establishments," states the audit, released Nov. 21. Specifically, the audit found that OPH issued restaurant permits to four out of 30 establishments with critical health violations, and issued only four compliance orders during the two-year period, despite identifying some 450,000 violations at restaurants around the state. Click here to read the whole story.
Riverside Patty closes Third Street location after 30 years
After 30 years of serving up burgers and lunch fare at 336 Third St. in downtown Baton Rouge, Riverside Patty has closed its doors. Restaurant owner Nader Tahmasebi says two reasons are behind Riverside's closure, which occurred Wednesday: He couldn't work out a new lease with the building's owner, and business has been sapped by food trucks that have increasingly been frequenting the downtown area.
Bite and Booze: Baton Rouge Chef Scott Varnedoe invited to the James Beard House for Thanksgiving
Spatula Diaries: Getting the most out of kale chips
“A few years ago, kale was anointed the darling of the leafy green world, and since then it's been seen in everything from upscale salad bars to smoothies,” writes 225 blogger Maggie Heyn Richardson. “Kale chips have become a wildly popular method of using up the season's bounty because they make the biting green accessible and fun to eat. Kale chips also make pretty little garnishes for Thanksgiving feasts this week. The problem with them is that they sometimes don't crisp up enough, and they can still be slightly aggressive. Solve the first problem with proper cooking, and the second with inventive spices.” Find out her recipe for never-fail kale in this week's Spatula Diaries.
Dining in: A feast for the season
Thanksgiving is truly a lovely holiday and one that seems increasingly overshadowed by the commercialism of Christmas. Don't misunderstand; it's not that we don't love Christmas. It's just that Thanksgiving is about gathering with family and friends to share in a meal and reflect on our many blessings. This act of creating a thoughtful and deliberate meal is, in fact, what the whole concept of Dining In is about. And what better day to dine in but Thanksgiving—the biggest dining-in day of the year.
Yogurt bar pioneer a casualty of oversaturation
Self-serve yogurt bars seemed like such a good idea when they first appeared in the Capital Region about three years ago, the concept quickly caught on. Today there are no fewer than five national chains and locally owned businesses with at least seven outlets in a five-mile radius of south Baton Rouge. But one of the local pioneers of the frozen dessert trend is also one of its first casualties. Bosco's Frozen Yogurt, which first opened in 2009 on Nicholson Drive near LSU—then reopened in a space near the Perkins Road overpass just three months ago—has permanently shut down, and the owners are trying to sell. "The business just wasn't there," says Chad Hughes, who in early July opened the shop with his wife and business partner, Christina Bourg. "It wasn't even close." To break even in the 1,400-square-foot space, which is located in a newly renovated strip center next to Jimmy John's on the former site of Perkins Road Hardware, Bosco's needed to sell about $400 worth of...
Turkey to-go
If you prefer a home-cooked meal for Thanksgiving, but want to forgo some of the "cooking" part, Baton Rouge has you fully covered for all eventualities.
Gourmet Girls Catering will shake up your normal menu of holiday standards with a sweet array of delicious, if nontraditional, food. Roasted pumpkin soup, garlic and rosemary stuffed pork tenderloin, goat cheese tortas, and crab and spinach Madeleine are just some of the delectable dishes on offer. Visit their Facebook page for more information.
Juban's lets you leave the cooking to Chef Jaime Hernandez, selling their famous gumbo by the gallon, as well as whole roasted turkeys and rotisserie pork loin. You can check out their full menu by clicking here.
Kolache Kitchen slated to open in early December
LSU alumnus Will Edwards is bringing the classic Central European kolache, a popular pastry in his native Houston, to Baton Rouge with The Kolache Kitchen (Map it!). A kolache is a pastry about the size of a hot dog bun and filled with a variety of ingredients; traditionally, sausage, cheese or fruit. Edwards hopes that the easy-to-eat nature of the kolache and the store's proximity to LSU's campus—it will open in the former Blimpie's at Nicholson and East Boyd drives—will make the venture successful. Edwards is also adding a mobile component to his business plan, as a food truck dubbed The Rolling Pin will cruise LSU and the downtown area, serving products also sold at The Kolache Kitchen. To follow the new restaurant's...
B.R. bars enjoy first Sunday in business
Some Baton Rouge bars made their first Sunday of operation as much about the food they offered as the drinks they poured. The Radio Bar on Government Street moved its typical Monday barbecue to Sunday—it opened at 2 p.m.—and had quit serving food by 7 p.m., as a steady bar crowd made the first open Sunday busier than a typical Monday or Tuesday. "But it's the first night," notes co-owner Dave Remmetter. The Radio Bar will likely operate on Sundays from now on, 4 p.m. to midnight, eschewing an earlier opening for the football crowd and sticking to its no-TVs ethos, he says.
Extinct, but not forgotten
Like other homegrown Baton Rougeans, Chef Sammy Chenevert can recite an oft-repeated list of extinct local restaurants and their memorable contributions to regional dining. “There was Mickey's Gold Nugget, Jake Staples', DaJoNel's and Mike and Tony's,” begins Chenevert. “I remember Jack Sabin's, and of course, The Village. My parents went there for special occasions. They'd get the seafood cannelloni every time.”
Some B.R. bars eager to open Sundays
Mayor signs new framework for Sunday alcohol sales into law
Come Sunday, bars in Baton Rouge will be able to open their doors to thirsty patrons and retailers will be able to sell alcohol beginning at 6 a.m. That's because Tuesday morning, Mayor-President Kip Holden put his signature on an ordinance recently approved by the Metro Council that rolls back restrictions on bar openings and alcohol sales on Sundays. After much debate, the council last week approved relaxing some of the city-parish's "blue laws"—now, all bars can open between 11 a.m. and midnight on Sundays; while retailers can sell alcohol between 6 a.m. and midnight.
Restaurant Review: Mansurs on the Boulevard
People love brunch. It's like the last weekend hoo-rah before the workweek starts. On a recent Sunday, my companion and I set out to join the final celebration at Mansurs on the Boulevard.
Seated in a booth facing the dining room, we felt a little on display, as everyone entering passed our table. But the location did offer us a wide vista of the room and allowed us to appreciate the softly hued paint, bricked archways and wood-beamed ceilings. With walls accented by Louisiana art and the atmosphere punctuated by a pianist, the entire scene made for a serene dining experience.
Spatula Diaries: Turkey Burgers Inspired by Bistro Byronz
Plan ahead for Hot Off the Press
Get out your costumes and get ready for food, drinks and fun at 225's next Hot Off the Press party, coming up next Tuesday, Oct. 30. Save the date now for amazing tapas from the new Restaurant IPO, all served upstairs at The Office Bar with cocktails and live music. An Ultimat Costume Contest will put your spooky skills to the test, and, like always, you can snag an early copy of the November issue of 225. The event is free, but guests must RSVP. Click here for more info.
Louisiana Food Access Summit set for Nov. 7 in B.R.
About 300 farmers, nonprofit organizations, policy-makers, school officials and others are expected at a daylong food access summit on Wednesday, Nov. 7, at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center. LSU AgCenter nutritionist Annrose Guarino says organizers hope to improve communication among people who produce food and those who distribute it. She says the summit will include sessions on school and community gardens, food stamps and farmers markets, use of local foods in school lunch programs, developing local food policy councils, farm-to-school programs, and implementing a hunger-free Louisiana plan. Speakers will include state Agriculture Commissioner Mike Strain; U.S. Department of Agriculture Regional Administrator Bill Ludwig; state Rep. Scott Simon, whose bill established a state Sustainable Local Food Policy Council; and LSU AgCenter Vice Chancellor Paul Coreil. The daylong summit will run 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Cost to attend is $26. You can check out a complete list of events...
Bite and Booze: The Club at LSU Union Square
Lafayette barbecue joint looks to B.R. for first franchise
Four years after opening in Lafayette, 2Paul's Radically Urban BBQ has plans to open its second location in nearby Broussard and is also looking to expand in Baton Rouge, says co-owner Gary “Paul” Roy. The Broussard location will be owned and operated by Roy and his fellow investors in the original restaurant, he says, and they hope to have it open by the middle of next year. The Baton Rouge location, however, will be the company's first attempt at a franchise. “The reason for doing the Broussard location is to demonstrate and replicate what we've done at our first restaurant, and hopefully make the idea of a franchise more palatable,” Roy says. A few locations in Baton Rouge have been looked at, Roy says, and he's spoken with some potential investors in Baton Rouge. “It's nothing concrete at the moment, but I'd love to expand to Baton Rouge because I went to high school there, lived there for a few years and still have a lot of friends there,” he...
Gourmet 'Deaux-nuts' a foodie sensation
Maple-bacon, key lime pie, vanilla jalapeño, mint chocolate chip. These are the donut flavors that Baton Rouge entrepreneur Jeff Herman serves up every Saturday morning from his small commercial kitchen space in a strip center off Jones Creek Road. Handmade in small, by-the-dozen batches and packed with unusual ingredients, Herman's Tiger Deaux-nuts stand head and shoulders above the offerings at commercial chains in both freshness and innovation.
Spatula Diaries: Certified cheesy
“At one point in her life, AnnieLaurie Thompson was so in love with cheese, she decided to make a career of it,” writes 225 food blogger Maggie Heyn Richardson. “Its culinary possibilities were too infinite and its heritage too inspiring. She joined the cheese team at Whole Foods Market in Baton Rouge, and along the way kept learning about the magic behind curds and whey. Her passion paid off. Recently, Thompson became one of only 121 cheesemongers in the United States to pass the inaugural American Cheese Society’s Certified Cheese Professional Exam, an indication of her knowledge of cheese from farm to counter.” Find out more about Thompson in this week’s edition of Spatula Diaries by clicking here.
Bite and Booze: Bon Repas Truck and a Pink Party!
Annual Jambalaya Jam gets cookin' downtown
Do you smell what's cooking? Early this morning, teams from all over Louisiana were hauling their cast-iron pots to assigned tents downtown, getting ready for the 25th annual Capital Area United Way Jambalaya Jam. This storied event raises money for one of the biggest charitable organizations in Baton Rouge, as well as giving Baton Rougeans the chance to taste a bunch of delicious dishes. Over the last few years, the event has grown from a simple cook-off and lunch to a complete downtown festival, with live music and activities for the whole family to enjoy. A $10 ticket lets you sample unlimited jambalaya from all 46 teams, but if you can't stay for the fun, you can grab a jam-to-go plate with any jambalaya to take home. Tonight, 5 p.m.-8 p.m. downtown at Main and Third Streets. Check cauw.org/jam for full details.
Spatula Diaries: Soup secrets
“Like any self-respecting Louisiana food lover should, you probably have a gumbo recipe in your arsenal, but how often do you make straight-up soups?” writes 225 food blogger Maggie Heyn Richardson. “The answer should be real often, because soups are not only economical and convenient, they are a fabulous template for creativity. Black bean, vegetable beef, potato with dill and creamy butternut squash sound simple, but prepared correctly, they can be complex and luscious. Best of all, you can make them without being joined at the hip to recipes; just follow three important principles.” Click here to read Maggie's soup tips.
New cooking program showcases Louisiana produce
The Louisiana Department of Agriculture & Forestry is producing a series of four 30-minute cooking shows, hosted by Chef Celeste Gill and featuring LDAF Commissioner Mike Strain. Gill, familiar to anyone who frequents BREADA’s Saturday Red Stick Farmers Market cooking demonstrations, will take viewers to various Louisiana farms and their specialty crops, follow the farmers to the local markets, and then into the studio kitchen for tasty and nutritious family meals prepared with fresh local ingredients. Baton Rougeans can catch the show, Cooking Up Louisiana Treasures, on Cox Cable Channel 21, Sundays at 8 a.m., as well as at louisianagrown.com.
Bite and Booze: Post-Olympics Beer Dinner at The Londoner
Spatula Diaries: It's come to this?
"Like any self-respecting, self-professed food fanatic, I swore I'd never turn to bakery cakes after I met my future husband," writes 225 food blogger Maggie Heyn Richardson. "Our happy little home would be filled only with cakes made from my sweat and grit, mixed by hand, baked in the oven, cooled, iced and lovingly decorated. No matter how busy life got, I wouldn't take short cuts in the birthday cake department." Click here to read the rest of this week's Spatula Diaries.
Bite and Booze: BREADA's 2nd Annual Tailgating Throwdown
Sensation salad dressing now available in stores
Sensation salad is a standard in many South Louisiana restaurants—and in many Baton Rouge residents’ kitchens. Now Hanley Foods—a startup begun with the help of local “food incubator” Edible Enterprises—is bringing the tangy, tasty dressing in bottled form to store shelves. Owner Richard Hanley, Jr. says it took two years of constant taste-testing to find the perfect recipe. Made with fresh-squeezed Louisiana lemons and other local ingredients, low-carb and gluten-free, the dressing will begin making its way onto store shelves starting Friday. It will also be available for online purchase on the Hanley’s Foods website.
Bite and Booze: September class at Fresina's with Anolon
Spatula Diaries: Isaac leaves much of the state citrus crop rotting
“Hurricane Isaac's damage to Louisiana agriculture was originally estimated at about $100 million,” writes 225 blogger Maggie Heyn Richardson. “It flatted sugar cane, damaged soybeans and disturbed rice fields and other crops. But if the weather cooperates between now and harvest, the overall outcome could be better than expected, said LSU AgCenter economist Kurt Guidry, who described the state as being 'fairly lucky' after all. For state citrus growers, however, it's a different story.” Find out if Baton Rouge's citrus farmers can bounce back in this week's Spatula Diaries.
Red Stick Farmers Market gears up for Tailgating Throwdown
It's that time of year again—time for Baton Rouge's tailgating greats to put their money where their mouth is and sign up for the BREADA Red Stick Farmers Market's annual Tailgating Throwdown challenge Oct. 20.
Competitors must use a minimum of two local ingredients from the Red Stick Farmers Market to create their dish and can prepare up to two different dishes to be judged in the competition, including one meat and one vegetarian recipe. The entry fee is $100, which includes $20 in Farmers Market tokens that teams receive to purchase their local ingredients from farmers. A panel of judges will determine the best dishes, including an award for “Best Use of Local Ingredients” and the “Best Overall Experience.” Teams will also serve their dishes to event attendees, who will select the People's Choice Award.
Bite and Booze: An ode to crabs
Spatula Diaries: The close of sno-ball season
"When cool weather finally hits South Louisiana, it brings with it the promise of sturdy gumbo, brawny tailgate eats and other comforting fare," writes 225 food blogger Maggie Heyn Richardson. "But for all the dishes that reemerge in the fall, a host of others recede until next year. That includes sno-balls. How many—and what flavors—did you consume during our summer of 2012 when temperatures around here rose to levels that seemed unfit for humans? We're lucky in Baton Rouge, where an authentic sno-ball culture lives and breathes." Read more about this signature Southern treat in this week's edition of Spatula Diaries by clicking here.
The spice is right
In South Louisiana, we defend our hometown teams, our hometown festivals and even our hometown seasonings. The famous Tony Chachere's calls Opelousas home, Slap Ya Mama hails from Ville Platte and Zatarain's (originally from New Orleans) is made across the river in Gretna.
Tidbits: Holly Clegg releases new cookbook and Bluebell premieres new ice cream flavor
Baton Rouge native and author of the bestselling Trim&Terriffic cookbook series Holly Clegg has released a new cookbook, entitled Kitchen 101. The simple recipes inside are designed to inspire confidence in even the most novice of home cooks. Click here to order on Amazon. … Bluebell has released a new ice cream flavor for fall. Called Southern Peach Cobbler, the ice cream combines everything peach—from the ice cream to sweet peach slices to a thick peach swirl—with crumbly bits of pie crust, cinnamon and brown sugar. The flavor is available now in local grocers' freezers.
Dining In: A tailgate touchdown
Football and food go hand in hand, especially around here. Whether you're going out to tailgate or having folks over to watch the game, the only thing that matters as much as who's playing—well, almost as much—is what's on the menu.
Spatula Diaries: Dated and dowdy, slow cookers are the new phase
“The poor Crock-Pot,” writes Maggie Heyn Richardson in this week's edition of Spatula Diaries. “There it sits collecting dust, while Big Green Eggs, Le Creuset roasters and pricy, hip sauté pans take center stage. Long considered a tool that requires little finesse and few skills, the slow cooker seems about as cool as polyester pants or sandals with black socks. It routinely gets short shrift in an era that values distinct cooking steps and culinary sophistication.” Click here to find out what you can do with this seemingly outdated kitchen appliance.