Scary Good: L'Auberge Baton Rouge's 18 Steak Stalks Our Taste Buds

by Blair "B-Rex" Loup

Gulf Shrimp Mousse with Choupique Caviar
paired with the Hall Sauvignon Blanc

Maybe it’s just me, but every time I drive onto the L’Auberge Baton Rouge property, I feel extravagant. I’ve visited L’Auberge for a few drinks in Edge with live music, hung out at the rooftop pool during the summer at their Sunset Society events, attended grandiose events like Fête Rouge, and I’ve even tried my hand at gambling (not my forte). However, some of my favorite experiences have revolved around nothing more than a good meal. With wine, of course.

18 Steak has been hosting wine dinners regularly for the past few months and they’ve been delightful. In March, the lovely Julie Collins, PR professional extraordinaire at L'Auberge, invited Jay and me to experience their Hall Family Wine Dinner. The evening kicked off with a stellar glass of Hall’s Sauvignon Blanc and three different passed hors d’oeuvres: Gulf Shrimp Mousse with Choupique Caviar, Spicy Hummus and Toast, and Local Tuna Tartar. Incidentally, a bottle of the citrusy Sauvignon Blanc sat on our table for me to take home. They know how to take care of you over at L’Auberge.

If you know anything about my food loves, you know I absolutely adore most vegetables that many people hate. Beets are my number one favorite vegetable and Brussels sprouts run a close second. When I looked at the menu on our table, I got the feeling Executive Chef, Jared Tees and Pastry Chef Arlety Estevez had my apartment bugged.

First up: baby beet salad with frisée, salata ricotta, and Meyer lemon paired with the Walt La Brisa Sonoma Chardonnay 2012. Many people don’t like beets because they “taste like dirt” which is a valid deduction, but I love the earthiness of the beets with the sharp spiciness of the frisée. The chardonnay was funky and fresh all at the same time, which paired perfectly with the salad. I only wish they had given me all of the beets.

Baby Beet Salad with Frisée, Salata Ricotta, and Meyer Lemon
Paired with the Walt La Brisa Sonoma Chardonnay 2012

Next we tried some Louisiana roasted oysters casino with bacon, Parmesan, and Pernod paired with the Walt Blue Jay Anderson Valley Pinot Noir 2012. I found this pinot to be bolder than most on the nose followed with floral notes including some heavier dry, dark fruit flavors. The oysters were sharp and earthy, so these flavors worked well together.

Louisiana Roasted Oysters Casino with bacon, Parmesan, and Pernod
Paired with the Walt Blue Jay Anderson Valley Pinot Noir 2012

The main course is further evidence that L’Auberge is stalking my tastebuds: kumquat braised short ribs and foie gras with baby root vegetables and spaetzel paired with the Hall Jack’s Masterpiece Cabernet Sauvignon 2012 (this wine is only available at the winery). I am an absolute sucker for root vegetables. I’m also that person who looks beyond the process and loves foie gras, and braised short ribs are my jam. Needless to say, I enjoyed this course tremendously. The kumquat didn’t quite come across in the short ribs, but the dish, in harmony with the earthy and bold cabernet, still lived up to the hype I gave it in my head.

Kumquat Braised Short Ribs and Foie Gras with Baby Root Vegetables and Spatzel
Paired with the Hall Jack's Masterpiece Cabernet Sauvignon 2012

Here’s where things get tricky. I don’t super enjoy desserts that are overly sweet unless they’re loaded with chocolate, but for the past two wine dinners at L’Auberge, Pastry Chef Arlety Estevez has given me desserts that are so delightfully toned down and delicious. Paired with the Hall Napa Cabernet Sauvignon 2012, the plum almond tart with cinnamon gelato and orange blossom caramel made all the sense in the world. Lightly sweet and slightly fruity, the heavy tannins of the cabernet set all of the flavors off like land mines in my mouth.

Plum Almond Tart, Cinnamon Gelato, and Orange Blossom Caramel
Paired with the Hall Napa Cabernet Sauvignon 2012

I look forward to another delectable dining experience at 18 Steak this Wednesday at their Heaven Hill Bourbon Dinner! Make your reservations for it today and be on the lookout for more wine dinners and other events at L’Auberge; they’re always up to something!

Vino and Venison: Taking a bite out of the monthly wine dinners at L'Auberge Baton Rouge's 18 Steak

by Sydney "Brown Nose" Blanchard

If you haven't gotten a chance to check out 18 Steak at L'Auberge yet, you're missing out. The decor is totally luxe and over-the-top: quilted leather booths, dark interior lighting, chandeliers hanging from the ceiling.

It looks like somewhere The Godfather would bring someone he was either trying to kill or impress. And it's awesome.

Recently we had the opportunity to try one of 18 Steak's monthly wine dinners. The restaurant has been offering multiple course dinners paired with a variety of wines, and when L'Auberge Public Relations Manager Julie Collins got in touch with us about attending a dinner, we couldn't very well pass it up.

The dinner started with a cocktail hour where we sipped on champagne and admired the decor. We snacked on some passed hors d'oeuvres while Blair and Julie rekindled their friendship by nerding out over Harry Potter (you may have read about these two gals gushing over HP before in Put it all on 18 Steak).

Poppin' champagne like we won the championship game.

First course: oysters on the half shell

Once we were seated, the serious eating began.

Our first course consisted of a variety of raw oysters served on the half shell and paired with a lovely chardonnay, the William Fevre Champs Royaux 2013. One of the oysters, the table favorite, was a rare find from Japan. It was topped with a lemon-y granita and had a really unique flavor, different for those of us who are used to Gulf oysters.

Next, we were brought a duck confit salad served with fresh Louisiana strawberries. I wasn't a huge fan of how stem-y the greens were, but the confit made up for it. The strawberry sauce added an unexpected sweetness to the salad which went along nicely with the duck as well as the paired wine, the Bouchard Pere et Fils Beaune Reserve Bougogne Rouge 2011.

Second course: duck confit salad

Around this point, we were all two glasses in (well, three if you count the champagne at the bar). The previous courses had definitely whet our appetites, but we anxiously awaited the main course while juggling our multiple wine glasses.

When it was finally brought out, it took all our efforts to keep our jaws from hitting the floor. We were served a medium rare venison chop. Porcini crusted and topped with micro-greens, the venison laid in a red pool of cherry reduction. Cutting into it was like cutting into a stick of softened butter, and the texture was the same upon eating a bite. This dish paired elegantly with the Bouchard Pere et Fils Beune Savigny-les-Beaune 2012.

Main Course: Procini Crusted Venison Chop
with Cherry Reduction

The main course was Blair's favorite, but I enjoyed the dessert course most of all.

We were brought a beautiful little log of chocolate cake topped with a hazelnut creme and poached pears sprinkled with cinnamon. Chocolate syrup was dotted on the plate along with a dollop of pear jelly. This final course was served with the Bouchard Pere et Fils Beaune Gevery Chambertin 2012.

Blair goes to a lot of these dinners, so she's a seasoned professional. She was very happy with the amount of food we were served. Normally, she said, each course is a huge portion of food. At the end of the 18 Steak dinner, we were able to move and weren't feeling the 'itis.

Dessert: Chocolate cake with hazelnut creme and poached pears

Blair and I both appreciated that the wines weren't super heavy. Each glass paired nicely with each course, and at the end of the dinner we were each given a bottle of Pinot Noir to bring home.

If any of this sounds interesting to you, you're in luck! 18 Steak will be hosting another wine dinner featuring Hall Family Vineyards on March 25 for only $99 per person. And Julie told us to keep our eyes peeled for another dinner in April. More information can be found here.








If the wine dinner is a little out of your price range (normally, it is for me), Julie gave us the down-low on a great promotion starting this week in Bon Temps Buffet at L'Auberge. They're calling it Fisherman's Keep, and for $25 you can eat all the snow crab clusters, sautéed scallops, fried shrimp, boiled shrimp, stuffed crabs, barbecue shrimp, stuffed flounder and crawfish you can get your paws on until April 4. Julie suggests heading there Wednesday for dinner and hitting up Blitz Bingo at Edge afterward. Click here for the menu. 

Cultivar Wine Club: The kind of cult you want to join

Pouring the Cultivar Wines
2012 Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon

Recently, team Bite and Booze joined the Cultivar Wine Club. This winery out of Napa Valley will send their club shipment to your doorstep quarterly. This month I received two of Cultivar's new releases: the 2012 Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon and 2013 Oak Knoll Chardonnay. Use code CultivarWineBiteAndBooze for 10% off your purchase on cultivarwine.com.

Sous Vide Duck Legs over Sweet Potato,
Roasted Brussels Sprout, and Andouille Hash

The Howell Mountain Cabernet was overwhelmingly delectable. I could drink this wine on a regular basis. With a dark fruit nose, the flavor profile touches earthy and smoky notes. The Howell Mountain paired perfectly the sous vide duck legs over sweet potato, roasted Brussels sprouts, and Andouille hash I prepared for a private dinner recently.

Cultivar Wines 2013 Oak Knoll Chardonnay

Blackened Catfish over Smoked Gouda Grits topped with
Pickled Jalapeño Relis

The Oak Knoll Chardonnay, while aged in French oak barrels, turned out to be less oaky than I anticipated. It hits notes that I would usually look for in a Sauvignon Blanc: pear, citrus, and grass. I’d pair this wine with something the blackened catfish dish I prepared the other night. The catfish blackened in butter and laid on a bed of smoked gouda grits brought out the oaky notes of the Chardonnay. To kick the acid profile of the wine back up, I topped the fish with a pickled jalapeño relish.