Read Between the Buns: It's National Sandwich Day!

by Sarah Grimball, intern

It’s hard to make sandwiches sexy; but when the right flavors come together, there is nothing better than a good sandwich. We’d like to celebrate this classic dish’s national holiday by celebrating some of the tastiest sandwiches we’ve ever had:

Curry Chicken Salad Sandwich

Beausoleil Restaurant & Bar in Baton Rouge, LA

Our Product Czar @chuckp23 loves the Curried Chicken Salad Sandwich with a side of Mac n Cheese when he's doing brunch at @beausoleilrestaurantand. What's your favorite brunch dish when you stop in? #brunch

A post shared by Bite & Booze (@biteandbooze) on Jan 8, 2017 at 2:11pm PST

Grilled Cheese with Jay D's BBQ Date Jam

JayDucote.com

Pastrami Croque Madame

City Pork Brasserie & Bar in Baton Rouge, LA

Stop your heart and melt with @cpbrasserie's Pastrami Croque Madame for brunch. #cheesy #gobr #tastelouisiana #foodporn #foodpics #brunch

A post shared by Bite & Booze (@biteandbooze) on Oct 16, 2016 at 10:43am PDT

Classic Muffuletta

Olde Tyme Grocery in Lafayette, LA

Torta Ahogada

Araña Taqueria y Cantina in New Orleans, LA

On the blog | As 2015 comes to a close, we're reflecting on all the great food we've eaten this year. In the coming weeks, we'll be sharing some of of favorite dishes of 2015 on the blog! First up, @bloup3's picks: featuring @arananola, @wafflechampion, @comperelapin, @thesecondlineoxford, & more! #2k15 #bestof #bestof2015 #2015roundup #besteats #yummy #foodpics #foodblogger

A post shared by Bite & Booze (@biteandbooze) on Dec 16, 2015 at 8:46am PST

Best Bites of 2016: Blair's Picks

by Blair Loup

I had the best of intentions for 2016. Full of existential expectations in my 25th year, I dubbed this the “Year of Blair." Well, if you know me, you know how that turned out. The year was filled with peaks and valleys, but I feel very fortunate to say that the majority of the peaks came from the opportunities afforded to me as a member of the Bite and Booze team.

On top of taking an epic road trip of a lifetime to the James Beard House in New York and their Chefs & Champagne event in the Hamptons, I took a lovely solo vacation to Georgia and we’re getting amped up for the opening of Gov’t Taco in the summer of 2017.

As per usual at this fantastic place of work, I did plenty of traveling this year and consequently ate a ton of amazing things. While this year-end post is one of my favorites to write, it’s also the most torturous. Here are the best things I ate this year:

Smoked Tomato Soup with Basil Oil

Pop-up at Tin Roof Brewing in Baton Rouge, LA

Smoked Tomato Soup with Basil Oil

I know…surprising that something as simple as a bowl of soup can make the list, but on this chilly January night at Tin Roof, this soup was ON TIME. Executive Chef at soon-to-be open Kahlurah St. Grill Kelley McCann and Masterchef Season 6 contestant and owner of Robear Ln. opening in White Star Market, Jesse Romero stole my heart with this one.

The soup’s consistency blew me away. It wasn’t too creamy, but just super velvety. The smoke flavor peeked through at all the right moments and the basil oil set it over the edge. It was a damn good bowl of soup.

Orange Zest and Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta

Lunchbox on 10th in McCallen, TX

Orange Zest and Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta

I’m not one for sweets unless there’s chocolate involved, but this Panna Cotta had me dumbfounded. I had and still haven’t had another Panna Cotta this perfect in my life. Oftentimes I find them to be too firm or so loose they’re breaking on the plate into a pile of mush, but this one retained its structure and melted in my mouth.

Aside form the exquisite technical execution, the flavors were bright and perfectly balanced.

Chargrilled Oysters

Sac-a-Lait in New Orleans, LA

Chargrilled Oysters with a Green Garlic House-Pickled Jalapeño and Bacon Butter

I feel like almost all chargrilled oysters are delicious, but these were different somehow. I will jump at any chance to dine at the beautiful, always stellar Sac-a-Lait. I have an enormous respect for Chefs Sam & Cody Carroll as friends and the utmost regard for them as some of the best chefs in the south. If you have not been, you must go, like, now.

Instead of the traditional garlic butter, the cook their oysters with a green garlic house-pickled jalapeño and bacon butter. I think the street name for it is crack.

Plated in a terra cotta plant saucer and river stones, the presentation fits the restaurant like a glove. Doing everything right always, that’s Sac-a-Lait.

Beet Sorbet

SALT New American Table in McAllen, TX

Beet Sorbet

I love beets. They are so precious to me. I don’t know where it came from, but they are hands down my number one favorite. Having that said, I’ve had beets in about as many ways Bubba says you can cook shrimp, but it wasn’t until this year that I tasted a beet sorbet.

Several who read this will automatically turn your nose up at thinking about beets as a dessert, but you’re wrong.

This sorbet was a beet swan song. A gracious balance of sweetness while maintaining the full flavor characteristics of the beet is tricky, but they did it!

Som Tam Paa

Alfie’s in Washington, D.C.

Papaya Salad with Fried Chilis and Lime

We had the pleasure of stopping by to visit Jay’s Food Network Star cast mate Alex McCoy at his pop-up restaurant, Alfie’s. As you might recall, Alex has an affinity for Asian and, more specifically, Thai cuisine. 

After mingling with the staff for a bit, Alex piled the dishes on one after one. It’s always special to be able to taste the love, and in Alex’s case, the authenticity and honor in his food. I could tell that he could back up every bit of his passion with dishes that showcase a culture.

Being the heat freak I am, this papaya salad rocked my world. Tart, refreshing and spicy as all Hell, this textural wonderland keeps you coming back for more heat every three seconds.

Open-Faced Tamale

Araña in New Orleans, LA

Open-Faced Tamale

Araña is easily one of my favorite places to eat in New Orleans. Chef Richard is a magician with sauces and plates up some creative, re-imagined classics while still holding down the fort of some Mexican favorites.

This open–faced tamale is a fried rectangular prism of grits (instead of traditional tamale masa) dredged in a mildly spicy, insanely flavorful sauce and topped with tender chicken tinga, brightly pickled onions and queso fresco. Boom baby!

A shot of whiskey soaking with the fat of a 2 year cured ham, a drop of Poirier Cane Syrup and a bite of 2 year ham

Acre in Auburn, AL

2 Year Ham, Whiskey soaked with 2 Year Ham Fat and Poirier Cane Syrup

With a constant rain of accolades, Acre has become one of the top farm-to-table restaurants in the country.

Chef David Bancroft grows a lot of produce on site and throughout the parking lot of Acre. We were happy to stop by on our way back from New York for an incredible meal. Chef David wanted to “bring us back home” with some southern decadence and they took care of us big time.

While everything we had blew us away, I know Chef David’s charcuterie is a passion project of his. He treated us to some of his 2 year cured ham and brought out a special mason jar of whiskey that had been soaking with the trimmings of that ham. A shot of pig fat whiskey, a drop of Poirier Can Syrup and a bite of ham and we felt right at home.

Chilled Spicy Noodles

Momofuku Noodle Bar in New York City, NY

Chilled Spicy Noodles with Thai Basil, Cashews, and Sichuan Sausage

David Chang means a lot to me. When I first got the job at Bite and Booze, I had no clue what I was in for. Like most freshly graduated 22 years olds, I knew that I had a job, but didn’t exactly know what I was doing with myself. I immediately started watching every beer and food related shows on Netflix imaginable (which in 2013 wasn’t many). I stumbled across season 1 of ‘Mind of a Chef’ and my world turned upside down. David Chang was the point person for most of that season and drove me to submerse myself in the culinary world.

Jay brought me to Momofuku Noodle Bar when we went to NYC for Sam & Cody Carroll’s James Beard Dinner a year ago, but we went back for a full on Momofuku day this summer when we were in town for our own James Beard Dinner.

This will probably always be one of the best days of my life, mostly because I decided to order differently than everyone at the table and go for these famously spicy noodles.

The entire bowl covered in these candied, crunchy cashews holds electric green, sweet, but spicy noodles. It’s the kind of good heat that you can’t put down. Bite after bite my love grew deeper and deeper. The rich basil flavor complimented by a crispy, savory Sichuan sausage peppered with the sweet, crunchy cashews still haunts my memory.

I legitimately think of these noodles every day. Every day. Still.

Check out Chuck P's Best Bites of 2016 (Burger Edition)

Best Bites of 2015: Blair's Picks

by Blair Loup

At the end of last year, Jay and I teamed up and narrowed down a list of the 10 best bites of food Jay had that year. In 2015, Team Bite and Booze grew to a team of three, and Jay, Sydney and I have traveled extensively throughout this year.

We all curated our own lists of the five best things we’ve eaten this year. It wasn’t easy, and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t go through any personal turmoil in making this decision.

These are the five most delicious, life-changing, fork dropping, emotionally involved bites I had the pleasure of eating this year.

Torta Ahogada at Araña New Orleans, LA

I’m not typically in the mood for sandwiches. It is what it is. I can’t explain it, but I could eat this any day, any time. All of the flavors and textures are everything I want: savory, fresh, pickled, spicy, sweet. The bitter/fruity nature of the chili sauce that drowns the torta harmonizes the dish like a rug that ties a whole room together. Every time I think about this dish or see this picture, I fight the urge to drive to New Orleans.

Torta Ahogada: Slow Roasted Pork on Bolillo Bread, Black Bean Purée, Avocado, Crema, Cotiga Cheese, Cumin Pickled Onion,
Spicy Chili Dipping Salsa

Smoked Duck Banh Mi Waffle at Waffle Champion Oklahoma City, OK

I had zero expectations for the Oklahoma City food scene when Jay shipped me off in May, and it blew me away. There are several places I wanted to try that weren't on our schedule, and I honestly can’t wait to plan a trip there soon. Seriously. Picking one item off of the menu at Waffle Champion is challenging, so I went with my heart. The smoked duck was on point; the pickled red onion gave a nice crunchy, acidic bite, and I’m all about pickled fresh jalapeños on anything. The right amount of duck fat soaked into the waffle, which made my life. If you’re ever in OKC, go to Waffle Champion and order this.

Smoked Duck Banh Mi Waffle packed with pickled veggies, jalapeño, and cilantro mayo

Beet Salad at Compère Lapin New Orleans, LA

I love beets. I’m not ashamed of that, and if there’s an item on a menu with beets on it, I will have it. I got the chance to hang out at Compère Lapin interviewing head bartender Abigail Gullo for my Women in Booze series. We talked about seasonal menus, and when she realized my appreciation for beets, she had them send out their beet salad. These perfectly, and I mean perfectly, roasted beets atop house made ricotta, a little Kale pesto, pistachios, and a rocking ciabatta toast point made me emotional.

Roasted Beets, House Ricotta, Kale Pesto, Ciabatta
Photo Courtesy: Compère Lapin

Besh Shrimp at The Second Line Oxford, MS

Born and raised in Louisiana, I’ve never really caught on to the whole New Orleans Style BBQ Shrimp thing. I can appreciate it, and I think it tastes okay, but it’s not my favorite Louisiana dish. Recently on a trip to Oxford, Mississippi, at Chef Kelly English's  Second Line, I had the best BBQ shrimp dish of my life. Obviously named after one of Chef Kelly’s mentors, John Besh, this New Orleans style BBQ shrimp dish had me on that feeling you’re supposed to get when you bite into a York Peppermint Patty. Executive Chef Meredith Pittman runs a tight ship at the Lousiana-inspired eatery with a lovely staff of devoted and talented students. I could eat these Besh Shrimp until the end of my days. It legit made me feel feelings.

Besh Shrimp at Second Line in Oxford, MS

Mole Burrito at El Limon Wayne, PA

When I took a trip up to Wayne, Pennsylvania (outside of Philadelphia) for one of my best friends’ graduation from Villa Nova, he took me to a local Mexican Taqueria, El Limon. Authentic Latin American cuisine is one of my soft spots, but the mole at this place is unreal. We tried several menu items there, but I dreamt about this mole the rest of the trip. That’s right…we went back for more. The cravings were so strong; I had to have that roasty, toasty, spicy goodness twice in one week.

Mole Burrito at El Limon in Wayne, PA

Araña: The Only Spider I Welcome

by Blair "B-Rex" Loup

Generally speaking, New Orleans is a fantastic destination for food. This is not news. There’s so much for your palate to experience, yet so little time.

In the same streets you taste dishes that are new, inventive, and inspiring, you can experience meals that are so old they practically birthed the crescent city. In a place that is so uniquely Louisiana, some of the meals I’ve enjoyed most recently in New Orleans are based around lime, cotiga cheese, and cilantro.

Araña is everything I want in a Mexican restaurant. Their presentation is beautiful, the flavors are on fleek, and it’s simply built for a good time.

When I dine out, I consider three criteria: atmosphere, drinks, and apps & ‘sserts (because you can’t have one without the other).

If a restaurant pulls off all of these elements successfully, they can have my money.

Atmosphere: check.

I prefer when a restaurant is cozy (not too cramped, but not a cave), the design is well thought out, and the seating allows for natural lighting (because I take pictures of everything I ingest). So many restaurants get things wrong: uncomfortable seating, bad lighting, canned, adult-contemporary music playing in the background.

But Araña is a place I could sit and sip for hours.

Drinks: check.

I tried three drinks that were on totally different levels.

First, the Jalapeño Pineapple Cilantro Margarita: the depth of flavor gave me life. The grilled pineapple has a sultry sweetness from caramelizing on the grill, the fresh jalapeño adds just enough back heat, and I live my life thinking that cilantro improves most things. We’ll call this one a win.

The Jalapeño Pineapple Cilantro Margarita

Next up, the Romera Fresca. This puppy is packed with savory, tart confusion in a great way. Juniper-infused tequila hit with a zing of small batch tonic and finished off with a house-made rosemary syrup can grace my glass any day. Another point to Gryffindor. 

The Romera Fresca: Juniper-Infused Tequila,  Small Batch Tonic, and House Made Rosemary Syrup

I’m not into things that are super sweet, so dessert drinks aren’t my jam. I thought it couldn’t be done, but Araña said, “Here’s our frozen, drunken Horchata. Enjoy.”

Enjoy, I did, and to that I say winner winner, chicken dinner. 

Drunken Horchata

Bite and Booze Bonus: If you’re into tequila, Araña has something for you. Joining the Araña Tequilla Society is free. With each tequila you taste, you take another (somewhat more inebriated) step towards rewards ranging from t-shirts to free tequila flights to a free bottle of expensive tequila. Worried about keeping up with your passport? Don’t be—Araña holds on to it for you. They’ve thought of everything!

Apps, shareables, and ‘sserts: Check. 

Apps and ‘sserts is Blair-speak for appetizers and dessert. If I’m meeting up with my friends, I’m all about grabbing apps and ‘sserts. While there are some stellar sandwiches and entrées, if you share more, you taste more. It’s science.

Here’s the lineup:

Atop a velvety bed of milky oaxaca cheese lies a spicy blanket of house-made chorizo just waiting to be spread on warm corn tortillas and drizzled with a magically bold red sauce. Don’t think, just order it. 

Queso Fundido: House-Made Chorizo, Grilled Oaxaca Cheese, and Corn Tortillas

Tacos are the most delicious way to get your fix without feeling too full, and Araña has some great options. I’m a sucker for tacos Al Pastor: I'm into the savory and sweet juicy pork and succulent pineapple chunks.

Tacos Al Pastor: Shaved Pork, Grilled Pineapple, Cilantro, and Onion

I’m pretty sure “Your Body is a Wonderland” by John Mayer was written about the Torta Ahogana.

Slow roasted pork on bolillo bread, black bean purée, avocado, crema, cotiga cheese, and cumin pickled onion come together under a waterfall of spicy chili dipping salsa and make for a mountain of flavor.

Mind you, this is literally a quarter of the sandwich that’s on the menu so it’s certifiably shareable. 

Torta Ahogada: Slow Roasted Pork on Bolillo Bread, Black Bean Purée, Avocado, Crema, Cotiga Cheese, Cumin Pickled Onion, Spicy Chili Dipping Salsa

The art of the classic fajita has been lost, and Araña has found it in the form of their Poc Chuc.

Smoked pork loin, escabecbe (pickled veggies), crisp red cabbage, and a pork-fried onion poblano sauce were meant to live inside of that corn tortilla, y’all. Pair that with a flight of tequila and I’m in.

Poc Chuc: Smoked Pork Loin, Escabeche, Red Cabbage, Pork Fried Onion Poblano Sauce, and Corn Tortilla

Bite and Booze Bonus: Araña also has brunch (word on the street is that it’s killer). 

Desserts are tricky with me. I can't get more than a bite or two in to a super sweet dessert, but I could get after this Trés Leches cake with fresh berries all day. A little sweet, a little creamy, and totally traditional, it’s definitely worth the caloric sacrifice.

Trés Leches Cake

I know there's a mess of restaurants to try out in New Orleans, but Araña has something special going on that's worth your money.