About Jay Ducote

Jay D. Ducote is a rare talent who specializes in both critical thinking and common sense. Seriously, he should write a book. He is a spectacular hugger, a lover of many people and things, and enjoys both the finer and simpler things in life. Jay also makes an art out of being ambitious while maintaing a laid back personality.

Mr. Ducote was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana; is a graduate of William P. Clements High School in Sugar Land, Texas; earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and Political Science with a minor in Business Administration from Louisiana State University; and has earned a Master of Arts degree in Political Science - American Government and Comparative Politics - from LSU. Jay spent two years teaching high school math and coaching baseball before moving into Health Information Technology policy, research, grant writing, and program development. After over two years with the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals and the Louisiana Health Care Quality Forum he decided to pursue his passion in the culinary world.

JDD is a talented writer, an avid traveler, a philanthropist when he gets the chance, an entrepreneur at times, and one heck of a good guy. He is the author of the website Bite and Booze (www.biteandbooze.com) which chronicles his culinary and indulgent cultural experiences as he eats and drinks in South Louisiana and around the world. Jay's writing has been featured on various national and global websites as well as print publications around Louisiana. He produces and hosts the "Bite and Booze Radio Show presented by Calandro's Supermarket" where he interviews local chefs and other food personalities, discusses restaurants and culinary events, and much more. He also co-hosts a radio program called "Raise a Glass" which features history, culture, production, and enjoyment of alcoholic beverages. Jay served as the chairman on the charter board of directors for the Baton Rouge Social Media Association whose mission is to promote Baton Rouge to both its citizens and potential visitors through blogs and new media. He served five seasons as the Public Address Announcer for the LSU Soccer team, including announcing games in the NCAA Tournament. He is also a founding member of the Third Row Tailgaters (www.thirdrow.org).

In May 2011 the Baton Rouge Advocate declared, "If there is a king of the local food-blogging community, it is Ducote, who in just 18 months has established as one of the leaders of the local social media movement, and one of the bigger names in the national food blogging community."

Jay is the winner of the Tony Chachere's Tailgating Cookoff in 2010 as well as the victor in numerous competitive eating contests. In 2011 he was named one of the "Top 100 Amateur Chefs in America" as he competed on the FOX reality show MasterChef with Chef Gordon Ramsay, Chef Graham Elliot, and Joe Bastianich. From July to October 2011 he worked on the opening team for the first ever Viking Cooking School Outdoors in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. In November 2011 the Greater Baton Rouge Business Report named Jay Ducote as one of their annual "Top Forty Under 40" selections.  Jay is currently focusing Bite and Booze as a culinary media company including the blog, social media, radio shows, freelance food writing, and food-based video productions.

For more information about Jay, please email him at jay@biteandbooze.com, follow him on Twitter @biteandbooze, friend him on Facebook, and join his network on LinkedIn.