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

8 of Baton Rouge's Best Restaurant Hacks

by Sydney Blanchard

If you've lived anywhere long enough, you'll become an expert on the area. And if you eat anywhere long enough, you'll learn the area's top secret menu tweaks to level up your favorite dishes.

We rounded a few of our favorite local restaurant "hacks" and threw in some of your suggestions through social media to come up with this list of our best Baton Rouge restaurant hacks. We didn't include fast food (except for Cane's because they started in Baton Rouge) or chain restaurants in this list, because that's not our style.

If you've got any restaurant hacks or know of any secret menu items at local restaurants, let us know in the comments!

Sammy's Grill

This one is Jay's: substitute pickled for fried mushrooms when ordering the Coach's Plate at Sammy's Grill.

The Chimes

The Ale Runner recommends ordering a blackened alligator poboy or a buffalo shrimp poboy at The Chimes.

No better appetizer than blackened gator

A photo posted by BBQ614 (@bbq614) on Apr 29, 2016 at 9:47am PDT

Bistro Byronz

On Instagram, @eatbatonrouge suggested adding the bleu cheese sauce to the debris sandwich at Bistro Byronz.

Beausoleil Restaurant and Bar

According to @gsweathers on Instagram, ordering Beausoleil's truffle fried oyster appetizer on a bun is a recipe for success.

Tio Javi's Fresh Mex Bar & Grill

According to insider sources, Tio Jave (formerly Ninfa's) has a secret third salsa that you can get only if you ask for it by name: the Molcajete.

Atcha Bakery & Cafe

Team Bite and Booze consumes more Atcha per week than anything else. Blair taught us this tip: substitute the rice in any combo plate for extra hummus.

Pluckers Wing Bar

This one was one of my favorites in college! Frachos: order the nachos but sub out the tortilla chips for waffle fries.

Want those boneless wings and lemonade... #pluckers #food #boneless #wings

A photo posted by Pluckers Wing Bar (@pluckerswingbar) on May 25, 2016 at 7:53am PDT

Raising Cane's

There are a number of Cane's hacks, but my favorite is that you can get your toast toasted on BOTH SIDES if you ask for it. Also, unbeknownst to many, they have honey mustard. (Formerly, everyone in the know knew to order the Cane's chicken sandwich with toast instead of buns for a cheaper, two-toast alternative to the three finger combo, but my sources tell me that Cane's caught on and no longer honors this substitution.)

If it can be dipped, it tastes better with #CanesSauce.

A photo posted by Raising Cane's (@raisingcanes) on Apr 11, 2016 at 4:53pm PDT

8 Summer Sips You Can't Miss

by Sydney Blanchard & Hannah Alkadi

Summertime always brings out the drinker in me. The way I see it, if I'm expected to tolerate the heat and humidity of Louisiana summers, at least have the decency to fix me up a fancy, freezing cold cocktail.

Luckily, all my favorite bars and restaurants have taken the hint. Here are some of my favorite cocktails around town to beat the summer heat.

Rum Punch at Barcadia

Masonrita at Mason's Grill

You look like you need a little #masonrita in your life! 😉🍹#masonsgrill $6 alllllllll night looooonnnnng!

A photo posted by MasonsGrill (@masonsgrill) on Jun 21, 2014 at 2:28pm PDT

Cane Shaker at Donner Peltier Distillers

Adult Snoball at Olive or Twist

Jardin District at Radio Bar

Our spring cocktail menu has been released!! Come on by and try one of our delicious drinks like this Jardin District. The bar opens at 4pm!

A photo posted by The Radio Bar (@the_radiobar) on Mar 21, 2016 at 2:22pm PDT

Moscow Mule at Beausoleil

Rose Freeze at Bistro Byronz

Southern Hemisphere at City Pork Brasserie

A Southern Hemisphere. #BRFoodies

A photo posted by Christina Stephens (@christinastephens) on Apr 16, 2016 at 11:13am PDT

Beausoleil Restaurant, Uprooted

by Sydney Blanchard

Chef Nathan Gesham at Christina's in downtown Baton Rouge

On any given Saturday, you're liable to find Chef Nathan Gresham elbows deep in fresh produce at the Red Stick Farmers Market, making the rounds and shaking hands with the local farmers and producers who've become his friends over the last decade.

He doesn't use services like Indie Plate. Gresham, like many chefs, prefers to foster one-on-one relationships with local producers. It's that connection to his ingredients that makes his Beausoleil Restaurant stand out.

The idea for Beausoleil came about in 2010 during Gresham's time as chef de cuisine at Galatoire's. Joining forces with former Galatoire's general manager Jeff Conaway and restauranteur Michael Boudreaux of Juban's, the concept for a Southern, French-style restaurant with Mississippi flair was born.

Lunching like a champ today at #beausoleil with @redstickbenedict @jesspryles @bloup3 @christychachere @jasonmcc01! Shrimp and scallop with celery root purée and red eye gravy! #nomnom #gobr #tastelouisiana

A photo posted by Jay Ducote (@jayducote) on Apr 21, 2016 at 12:11pm PDT

Gresham said his goal for Beausoleil has been consistent since its opening.

"I wanted to use fresh ingredients, make everything in-house, and evolve it," he said.

And in the four years since the restaurant's opening, he's done exactly that.

According to Gresham, he sources about 60 percent of the ingredients on his menu locally. Along with sourcing directly from the farmers market, Gresham sources from Covey Rise Farms, Iverstine Family Farms, and Two Run Farms in his home state of Mississippi.

Chef Eric Arceneaux makes Beausoleil's bread, and soon he'll be sourcing more from Fullness Organic Farms.

In the mean time, Gresham said, Beausoleil's menu will continue to change constantly. His fresh, locally sourced ingredients inspire him to play around in the kitchen and try out new ideas.

"Baton Rouge can't just be stuck between Lafayette and New Orleans," Gresham said. "If you want Baton Rouge to become this neat place, you've got to support the people around you. Otherwise it's just going to keep being overlooked."

For Gresham, making sure Baton Rouge doesn't get overlooked starts in his own kitchen.

"To me, it's all about relationships and doing what you believe in."


Read more Uprooted here:

Nino's Italian, Uprooted
Indie Plate, Uprooted
Red Stick Farmers Market, Uprooted
Iverstine Family Farms, Uprooted
Murder Point Oysters, Uprooted
Southern Foodways Alliance, Uprooted
Fullness Farms, Uprooted
Louisiana Seafood, Uprooted

Bocage Bee & Honey, Uprooted

Cooking Culture with Chef Nathan Gresham

If you didn't know, a few months ago, Team Bite and Booze collaborated with Visit Baton Rouge, TommysTV, and four Louisiana Culinary Institute graduates to showcase what Baton Rouge's food scene has to offer.

Behind the scenes in the kitchen at Beausoleil 

One of the chefs we got to interview was Chef Nathan Gresham at Beausoleil Restaurant & Bar. Chef Nathan journeyed across the country taking on a number of cooking jobs before winding up as a chef-owner at Beausoleil. His story is definitely unique, but not unheard of around here.

People have a tendency to fall in love with Baton Rouge.

Chefs Ryan Andre' and Nathan Gresham prepare an outdoor dinner for the Cooking Culture video series

Without further adieu, here's Chef Nathan Gresham in his own words.

Be sure to check out all four of the Cooking Culture videos!

Dori Murvin: Sorceress of Service

Almost everyone has a connection to the service industry. Whether you're a frequent restaurant diner or a former (or current for that matter) service industry employee, you are surely aware that there are some people who dedicate their lives to making each of your restaurant experiences memorable. We see general managers doing table visits and celebrated chefs with write ups in magazines, but there are others that pump blood through the restaurant industry.

After being laid off during a large corporate buyout with Maison Blanche, accountant Dori Murvin began waiting tables at the old Colonel's Club where Chelsea's Café currently sits in Baton Rouge. Six months into the game, Murvin moved up to bartending. A year in, she was managing. Dori moved to Mansur's to fill in for a couple of months and ended up working there for 5 years where she fell in love with wine and began handling their wine program. After that, she helped whip the Camelot Club's wine program in to shape and worked with Chef Peter Sclafani at Ruffino's with their new wine dinner program at the time. Further along in her career she worked at Fleming's as their wine director.

Dori Murvin Enjoys a Glass of Wine

Over the years, the bond Dori formed with players throughout the industry began to turn into something more. She and some of her friends started talking about creating a wine round-table to better the dining experiences offered in Baton Rouge. They wanted to help gain buying power for the market to bring in wines not typically seen in the city. Talks turned to action thus producing the Baton Rouge Epicurean Society. The organization is known for their glorious events, such as Fête Rouge, that raise money to be poured directly back into the community. Each fête is a competition, and with Dori Murvin as one of the founders, there is most definitely a Fête du Vin. She is in charge of getting the wine flights prepared for tasting, contacting teams to taste each wine, and more recently has expanded the the event to include local sommeliers to help further educate the tasters and enhance their experience. 

She worked at a few more restaurants along the way until one fateful evening when she attended a friends and family night at the newly opened Beausoleil Restaurant and Bar. It was love at first sip. "Jeff (the general manager) went and grabbed some of [chef] Nathan's gnocchi and I tried it with the pinot and said, 'I have to work here.'" At the time Conaway couldn't offer her a management position, but Murvin believed in the food so much she offered to return to a server position for the opportunity to work at the new, inspired eatery. She showed up for work the following Tuesday in 2010 and the rest is history. "I love working here. The food's good, the wine's good, it's just a good place. I don't have a poker face, I have to work somewhere I believe in." Now serving as the Front of the House Manager and Wine Director at Beausoleil, Dori dedicates herself to keeping Beausoleil on the cutting edge of the local dining scene. She also does wine consulting for other programs in the city and is still heavily involved in all aspects of the Baton Rouge Epicurean Society. 

Dori Murvin is a strong, in-charge female who has been consistently killing it in the Baton Rouge service industry for years. Discovering her love of fine wines along the way ended up being a stepping stone that lead to being one of the founders of an extremely charitable organization in the capital city. The Baton Rouge service industry needs more passionate people like Dori who dedicate themselves to the making fine cuisine and wines approachable and elevating our food culture.

This post is part of a new monthly series spotlighting Louisiana women in the business of booze. Previous features include:
Natalie Parbhoo: Duchess of Distribution
Lindsay Nations: Baroness of Beer

Month of Salads #9: Beausoleil

Beausoleil's Grilled Shrimp Pasta Salad

Beausoleil gets a lot of recognition for their curried chicken salad sandwich on their brunch and lunch menu, but their other versions of salad also highlight bold flavors that come together in a way that has this big guy craving something a little greener. I'm a huge fan of their seafood salad, but I ventured out of my norm for this post and gave their grilled shrimp pasta salad a try. The skewered grilled shrimp were lightly seasoned, superbly succulent, and slightly warmed atop a cool pasta salad. A rainbow of Rotini pasta dressed with a pistou sauce which is essentially a Provençal pesto with cloves of garlic, fresh basil, and olive oil was satisfying without weighing me down. For an added fresh bite, some red onion, peas, and tomatoes round out the textures and flavors. Chef Nathan takes things to an entirely different level with goat cheese. It marries all of the flavors together and makes this a truly restaurant quality pasta salad.

Give me Liberty or Give me Sauce: Jay D's Louisiana Barbecue Sauce launches to shelves in style!

The official launch of Jay D’s Lousiana Barbecue Sauce is finally upon us, and it is one week of activities you won’t want to miss! Unique in flavor and consistency, this barbecue sauce redefines a Southern summer staple and does it in style. This isn’t your mom’s barbecue sauce launch—from bottle signings to hot dog eating contests, Jay D’s has you covered for your fourth of July week happenings.

While most barbecue sauces are thin and vinegary or as thick as molasses, Jay D’s Louisiana Barbecue Sauce has a consistency somewhere between the two with flavors of tomato, Louisiana cane syrup and brown sugar. Follow that with flavors inspired by the heat of Louisiana cuisine including cayenne, Creole mustard, and Cajun pepper sauce and you’ve got a locally made and inspired concoction.

The schedule of events for launch week, all of which are free and open to the public, include samplings, and bottle signings is as follows:

July 1st – The week kicks off with the official launch party at Beausoleil Restaurant & Bar from 6-9pm. Executive Chef Nathan Gresham will prepare a variety of eats featuring Jay D’s Louisiana Barbecue Sauce. This is going to be the coolest thing you could be doing on July 1st!

July 2nd – Red Stick Spice Company will be hosting me from 4-7pm for a cooking demo featuring Jay D’s Louisiana Barbecue Sauce. Slow-cooked brisket sliders and grilled sausage will be served. They have tons of great products and if you've never had the chance to stop by, this is the day to do it!

July 3rd – Calandro’s Supermarket will be hosting a big local foods blowout in preparation for the Fourth of July at their Perkins at Siegen from 3-8pm. There's going to be a lot of great things to try that can really kick up your game for the 4th that are made and sourced locally. It's going to be a party for sure!

July 4th – On this day of national celebration, Frankie’s Dawg House is holding its 3rd hot dog eating contest at noon. Frankie’s was one of the first places to use Jay D’s Louisiana Barbecue sauce on a menu item, so stop by and try a Jay Ducote Dawg, watch the competition, or see if you have what it takes to compete against yours truly!

July 5th –From 8am-noon, I will be selling bottles of Jay D’s Louisiana Barbecue sauce for the first time ever inside the Main Street Market at the Red Stick Farmer’s Market! This is one of my favorite Saturday morning activities and I can't wait to sling some sauce, so come by and see me!

Mark your calendars for each of these barbecue-licious activities! A bottle of Jay D’s Louisiana Barbecue Sauce can be purchased at any of these events or at Calandro’s Supermarket (both locations), Red Stick Spice Company, Ambrosia Bakery, or online at Indie Plate and HugJayD.com. Look for the sauce on menu items at Ambrosia Bakery, Mason’s Grill, Leroy’s, Brew Ha Ha, and Frankie’s Dawg House.

Cheers!

Bite and Booze Awards: Restaurant Week Baton Rouge

Local Products List and Pork Rinds at Beausoleil

Restaurant Week Baton Rouge has come and gone, but the memories remain for those of us who dined out last week.  I took the liberty of compiling a rundown of the RW highlights. Take a look, and let me know what you think by commenting below or posting on Twitter or Facebook! These picks are my opinion alone and I'd love to hear what you think.

Best deals:

$15 - Chelsea's Cafe - Cheese fries, the stellar chicken mojo poboy with fries, and French silk cake for $15... yeah, that's a good deal despite it all being on the normal menu.

$20 - The Londoner - Just a slight step up from Chelsea's, at the Londoner you could get a grilled chicken, strawberry, and walnut salad, a steak and ale pie, and finish it with their amazing sticky toffee bread pudding for nothing but a Jackson.

$25 - Beausoleil - Starting off a meal with a dish called "General Tso's Cheeks" always gets the imagination running. Following that up with a Creole cane syrup grilled pork chop and ending with a fresh fruit cobbler with toasted pecan crust for only a hundred quarters... that's just plain silly good.

Le Creole's Lobster Wontons

$30 - Juban's - The stuffed crab cake with avocado aioli showed what new Executive Chef Joey Daigle is capable of, and that only got me through the appetizer. As one of Baton Rouge's most historic fine dining restaurant, a three course menu like this is something that should be unheard of... though they actually offer a $29.99 prefix all the time! Moving on to a medium-rare steak frites and a cinnamon raisin bread pudding, it's hard to argue about the Restaurant Week deal at Juban's.

$35 - Le Creole - I began my meal with the lobster wontons. Lobster knuckle and claw meat and truffle cream filled crispy fried wontons accompanied with pepper jelly. They were delightful. Next came the gulf red grouper topped with crab meat sitting on a bed of Napa cabbage in a ginger-citrus sauce. I finished the meal with flaming bananas foster. I won.

Best off menu dishes:

Appetizer - Allow me to rant here: While a Restaurant Week is amazing and I'm extremely happy that Baton Rouge has one, it does also seem that perhaps part of the spirit is not understood. I could find ZERO restaurants that went off of their ordinary menu for the first course of their restaurant week menu. They recycled their appetizers, soups, and salads. They showed a lack of creativity, imagination, and desire to use the week to showcase their chef or something new rather than let people just order something that would be on the menu anyway. Next Restaurant Week, I encourage all restaurants and their chefs to allow their passion to shine and create some restaurant week specials as small plates and first courses. Fortunately, there were a few second and third courses that went off-menu.

Entree - Bin 77: Stuffed Mississippi Quail - As if the bird wouldn't be enough for the entree in a $25 three course menu, the folks at Bin 77 rounded the dish out with foie gras, oyster ragu, three potato pave, and red-eye gravy. What a dish! And it can't be found on their regular dinner menu!

Dessert - Blend: Warm Chocolate Torte - Complete with salted caramel gelato and roasted peanuts, this dessert cried out to be eaten! While there is a chocolate torte on Blend's dessert menu, it doesn't come with salted caramel gelato and roasted peanuts, so if you didn't get to try this version, you may have missed out!

Special Mentions:

Most Creative Menu - Nino's Italian: Forget dessert... you can order that on your own. Nino's bucked the "three courses = appetizer, entree, dessert" mentality and decided instead to offer a slew of incredible appetizers like mussels or gnocchi followed by a soup or salad and then an amazing entree including their homemade grilled vegetable and goat cheese cannelloni!

The filet at Doe's, an option I could have had for Restaurant Week

Sad I Missed It - Doe's Eat Place: They had a pound-and-a-half T-bone on their Restaurant Week menu
and I missed it. That steak costs over $35 by itself, but they served it with three tamales, fries, biscuits, and then eclair cake. While I can go back to Doe's and eat tamales, prime steak, and eclair cake any time, I'm still sad I missed this deal.

Welcome to the Show - Le Bon Temps: Although they just recently opened, Le Bon Temps Bar & Grill wasted no time joining in on Restaurant Week Baton Rouge. That's what I like to see from a new restaurant! And for $20, their menu that featured combinations like duck and andouille egg rolls, a cochon de lait platter, and lemon icebox pie could not have steered anybody wrong!

Corporate Love - Fleming's: While I'm not a promoter of chain or corporate restaurants, there were several that participated in Restaurant Week and I'm sure there were many happy diners. The menu at Fleming's Prime Steakhouse and Wine Bar, for example, should not have been overlooked. Listed as four courses on their menu, you could start with a lobster bisque, follow that up with a petite filet, include some Fleming's potatoes, and wrap it all up with a huge slice of carrot cake. Whether they are corporate or not, their Chef is a Louisiana boy, and it is hard to beat a meal like that for $35!

Wasatch and Squatters Beer Dinner at Beausoleil

Mark Clevelend from the Utah Brewers Cooperative, myself, and Chef Nathan Gresham

I thoroughly enjoy when Baton Rouge restaurants do something exciting and adventurous.  This can happen in many ways.  Restaurants can expand their horizons through local ingredients, modern techniques, or attention to the most finite of details.  It can also be done, in my eyes at least, with alcohol.  I recently helped prepare a pop-up restaurant beer dinner at the Tin Roof Brewery, so this time I was excited to just show up and enjoy the fruits of somebody else's labor.  In this case, that somebody else happened to be Chef Nathan Gresham.  He combined efforts with his partner at Beausoleil, Jeffrey Conaway, to pair a five course meal with craft beer out of Utah.  The Utah Brewers Cooperative, consisting of beer from Squatters and Wasatch, provided some excellent liquid accompaniments to the cuisine of the evening.  Here's a quick recap of the evening's indulgence:    

Hors d' oeuvres: Beausoleil's house-made pork rinds and a duck pate puff pastry

The meal began with some hors d' oeuvres and a Little Slammer from Wasatch.  The Little Slammer is their golden ale that comes in a fancy little 7 oz bottle.  It certainly provided a nice palate starter and paired well with a few snacks.  We had a puff pastry filled with duck pate and some of Beausoleil's signature pork rinds, then patiently awaited our next dish.  The rest of the courses were themed to coincide with times of the day.

"Dawn" came with a blue crab corn fritter set atop an oven roasted tomato slice and peach remoulade sauce. The sweet crab and corn inside the golden brown fritter worked extremely well together.  With just the right amount of crunch and smoothness, the fritter pleased the crowds.  The dish elevated itself to the next level with the bright acidity of the tomato and the fantastic peach remoulade sauce.  The Wasatch Belgian Style White Ale paired amazingly with the crab and the hints of peach.  I'd suggest the Wasatch White Ale to anybody who enjoys that style of beer.  It is a great one.  Blue Moon can jump off a cliff and shatter on jagged rocks.

"Dawn" - Blue crab corn fritter with oven-roasted tomato, and peach remoulade

"High Noon" - Sauteed grouper, crispy sweetbreads over sunflower shoots with a coriander citrus butter

"High Noon" brought on a nice portion of grouper and some crispy sweetbreads.  The grouper was sauteed and then placed over some cooked down sunflower shoots and a coriander citrus butter.  The grouper flaked apart well and the sweetbreads had that excellent can't-quite-place-it organ taste... I love 'em!  The dish came with the Squatters IPA.  The bitter hops from the India Pale Ale worked very well with the lightness of the fish as well as the coriander citrus butter. "Dusk" arrived an opportune time.  The sun set with the most creative dish of the evening.  Chef Gresham braised a bunch of lamb shanks, pulled the meat off the bones, formed patties, breaded them in panko, and gave them a quick fry.  The lamb shank "Milanese" came with some roasted root vegetables and an Outer Darkness stout reduction.  The dish proved to be inventive and downright delicious.  Each bite supplied a myriad of textures and tastes.  I'd order this dish again and again.  It came paired with the Squatters Outer Darkness Stout that the reduction was made from.  

"Dusk" - Lamb shank Milanese, roasted root vegetables with an Outer Darkness Stout Reduction

I figured we'd get something dark for the "midnight" course.  The bacon and chocolate terrine with cocoa espresso beans and pistachio creme anglaise certainly fit the bill.  The chocolate had an incredibly smooth and velvety texture until you hit the crunchy bacon scattered throughout.  The pistachios and espresso beans added some more layers as well.  While the dish kind of laid flat on the plate, it still packed some excellent sweetness that rounded out the night along with the Wasatch Devastator Double Bock.  While I think the stout and the double bock may have paired better had they been switched around, they are still both certainly excellent beers!  I especially like the Outer Darkness.  I need to have a few more of those.

"Midnight" - Bacon and chocolate terrine with cocoa espresso beans and a pistachio creme anglaise

I'd like to congratulate Nathan and Jeff and everyone at Beausoleil for an outstanding beer dinner.  Thanks to Natalie from International Wine and Spirits and Mark Cleveland from the Utah Brewers Cooperative for doing their part on the beer side as well.  The event brought in a great crowd and everybody left extremely pleased.  I'll be looking for Beausoleil to put on more dinners like this in the future... perhaps even some whiskey dinners or some other breweries that don't get much attention around here.  That'd be great!

Beausoleil Celebrates Their First Anniversary!

For the past year I've been raving about how Beausoleil is not only one of my favorite new restaurants in Baton Rouge, but also one of my favorite restaurants period.  Owners Jeff Conaway and Chef Nathan Gresham have breathed a fresh breeze into BR's restaurant scene with their blend of casual atmosphere, soulful dining, and local ingredients.  Their brunch, lunch, and dinner menus change with the seasons and always impress.  Plus, every dining experience begins with fresh pork rinds delivered to your table instead of the traditional bread and butter!  With a bar menu featuring custom cocktails like the Aviator and craft spirits along with boutique wines, Beausoleil is really doing things right!

I recently had the pleasure of attending Beausoleil's One Year Anniversary Wine Dinner featuring a five course meal from hors d'oeuvres to dessert.  Wine pairings came from the Vending Machine Winery which has a local twist as well.  The winery, which is in California, is owned by some excellent Louisianians and is currently only distributed in Louisiana!  The passed hors d'oeuvres featured barbeque rabbit turnovers and shrimp mousse on endive.  The turnovers had a superb texture contrast between the moist and tender rabbit on the inside and the crisp doughy outer shell.  Similarly, the endive had a great natural spice and crunch to it that complimented the creamy shrimp mousse.

When we sat down at our table I knew we were really in for a great evening all around.  My guest Hannah Lane and I were seated at a table with newly weds Brian and Ashley Thom as well as the O'Connors and a few other people.  Pork rinds awaited us at the table, but I knew that I had plenty of eating to do so I didn't overload on them.  I'll admit though, they are incredible hard to resist!  The Premier course brought out a lobster bisque with ghost pepper caviar.  I thought that the bisque would be a little spicier with ghost pepper in the name but Chef Gresham did a marvelous job of incorporating the true flavor of the pepper without leaving behind the intense heat that would have taken away from the delicate lobster and flavorful bisque.  The soup came with the "Loula's Revenge" Chardonnay that contrasted the soup very nicely and left the palate longing for another bite, then another sip, and still another bite.

Our Intermediare course featured a smoked duck breast over mushroom risotto served with a sweet fig sauce.  It paired with the 2009 Vending Machine Winery "Double Shotgun" which is a lovely Petit Verdot/Cab Franc blend.  The duck itself came out masterfully cooked.  The fig sauce had enough sweetness to both contrast with the mushroom risotto and compliment the flavors of the duck.  It actually may have been my favorite dish of the day, which is saying a lot especially with the dish on deck.

Our Principal dish of the evening drew inspiring oohs and aahs when placed in front of the anniversary dinner guests.  Teasing my taste buds sat a blue cheese bruleed New York Strip with crispy fried Louisiana oysters over braised mustard greens and a red wine jus.  Naturally, this dish came with the "Crooked Mayor," Vending Machine's Cabernet Sauvignon.  Everything about the dish worked as I could hardly control myself from gobbling up each morsel as rapidly a Hoover on a dirty floor.  The greens were amazingly tender and the beef had a true flavor despite being surrounded by so many other distractions.  I like to taste a good cut of steak, and I certainly did with this one.  The blue cheese, oyster, greens, and jus only helped add to the party.   

As the Finale to the evening we had a lovely piece of birthday cake and a glass of sparkling wine.  The cake was no ordinary birthday cake though.  The chocolate ganache sat atop salted caramel and underneath some Chantilly cream and fresh berries.  The cake had aspects of dense and fluffy.  It was decadent and flavorful.  The berries, cream, and chocolate all worked together in harmony but were then brought to another dimension by the salted caramel at the bottom.  The cake provided an excellent ending to a magical meal.  Happy anniversary to Beausoleil.  I hope you have many more to come as you continue to make your mark on the Baton Rouge restaurant landscape!