Burgers With Chuck: Building Dreams at Burgersmith

by Chuck P

My love for crazy burger combinations isn’t a secret. Even though nothing beats a good ol’ fashioned classic burger, sometimes throwing on insane ingredients to create the ultimate Frankenstein of burger creations is just a fun and delicious thing to do.

On a recent trip to the OG Burgersmith in Lafayette, Jay and I were tasked with the challenge of each creating our own special burger for a social media video they were doing on Facebook. Jay and I are not known for turning down a food challenge, so we gladly accepted. But we’re not here to discuss Jay’s burger baby. I’m here to bring a completely absurd spectacle of gluttony, deliciousness and eventually, complete misery to life! *Thunder claps*

Ladies and gents, I give you the Chuck P Ballpark Burger:

Look at that beast of a sandwich. It’s beautiful and terrifying all at the same time. What would lead someone to even begin to imagine such a culinary artery clogger? Basically, I’m a glutton for punishment. I wonder what the kitchen staffs’ faces look like when my order comes in...

My burger is pretty easy to figure out. It’s everything you’d find at a baseball game piled on to one big monster of a burger. I started with the classic Smith patty and a slice of American cheese. From there, I added their signature hot dog cut right down the middle and placed on top. To top it off, I smothered it all with chili cheese fries and stuck it all in the middle of two pretzel buns. If only I could have added nachos somewhere on there...

Logistically, trying to eat this thing as a burger is a sloppy nightmare. It quickly turned into a fork and knife meal. As tasty as everything was, this eventually turned into one of my not so classic Chuck P creations. Even I have to admit defeat sometimes.

If you’re feeling adventurous then head over to Burgersmith and order this beast for yourself. Just remember to have a knife and fork at the ready...and napkins, lots of napkins.

Check out the mastermind behind the burgers in the podcast recorded at Burgersmith in Lafayette:

Jay D's Bites: Loaded Barbecue Cheese Fries

by Aimee Tortorich

We love these loaded cheese fries using our line of Jay D’s products. It’s the perfect snack to share with friends and with the Super Bowl coming up, this dish is a must-try We tossed the fries in Jay D’s rub to give a nice kick and added Louisiana barbecue ranch dressing to add a touch of sweetness and tang. While we used store bought fries to make this dish quick and easy, you could also make your own fries at home and use the same toppings.

Loaded Barbecue Cheese Fries

1 lb. frozen fries, cooked according to directions
1 Tbs Jay D’s Spicy and Sweet Rub
1 cup Monterey jack cheese, shredded
1 jalapeño pepper, sliced
1/4 cup Jay D’s Louisiana Barbecue Sauce
¼ cup ranch dressing
Green onions, for garnish

Preheat oven to desired temperature according to directions on back of fries package. Toss fries in a little olive oil and sprinkle with rub. While fries are baking, make the barbecue ranch sauce by combining Jay D’s Louisiana Barbecue Sauce and your ranch dressing of choice. 

 When fries are golden brown and delicious, put on a sheet pan and layer with cheese and jalapeño slices. Bake until cheese is melted and garnish with green onions. Lastly, finish with the barbecue ranch sauce and an extra drizzle of Jay D’s Louisiana Barbecue Sauce if you so choose. Enjoy!

Zorba's Bistro: It's All Greek to Me!

– Sydney "Brown Nose" Blanchard

When Zorba's Bistro reopened last year, many Baton Rougeans rejoiced. From 1984 to 2000, Zorba's had been a local favorite and one of the only Greek restaurants in the city to serve nothing but Greek food (as opposed to Greek and Lebanese fare).

I had never been to the original Zorba's, but recently when Blair asked me what I wanted for lunch, I suggested we check out the new Essen location. 

Zorba's new location on Essen Lane has a cheery outdoor area.

If the day hadn't been so rainy, I'd have insisted we sit outside. The new location has a lovely outdoor seating area, painted white with a vaulted overhead ceiling and patio umbrellas in shades of blue. 

The interior was just as nice. It was dimly lit with scenes of Greece and woven baskets lining the walls, and it offered us refuge from the rain.

Our waiter, a family member of the owners, helped us choose our appetizer and main course. He recommended we start with the Chef's choice, cheese saganaki, or Greek kasseri cheese flambéed at our table and drenched in lemon juice. I'm not one to get excited about squares of fried cheese, but this stuff was amazing; crunchy and lemony on the outside, warm and gooey on the inside. 

We didn't start the fire! Our waiter lit our cheese saganaki on fire.

As per our waiter's suggestion, Blair ordered the Big-Z Lamb Burger, a thick portion of seasoned lamb meat on a bun topped with arugula and sun-dried tomatoes and served with Zorba's house salad and feta cheese fries. The burger was gigantic and juicy, but Blair and I were blown away by the feta cheese fries. I kept stealing fries off her plate. They were insanely delicious. 

We live for these feta cheese fries. 

I ordered the combination souvlaki, which was a massive plate of beef, chicken and gyros served with rice pilaf, Zorba's house salad and grilled bell peppers. This was perfect for people like me who are trying to watch their carb intake. It can be really hard to cut back on carbs, but this colorful plate made it painless (minus the rice pilaf). 

Chicken, beef, and gyros combination souvlaki plate with rice pilaf, salad, and grilled veggies. 

We were stuffed to the gills, so we passed on dessert, but we swore we'd try the baklava the next time around. And there will be a next time. 

Seriously Playful Food: Bread & Circus Provisions is a Welcomed Wildcard in the Lafayette Culinary Scene

The Chop Block Melt on Rye: Pork Cheek Pastrami, Corned Beef & Smoked Beef Tongue,
Slaw, Swiss and Celery Salt Mayo. Pictured with a Swamp Pop Noble Cane Cola.

Bread and Circus Provisions started out providing different preserves and sauces at a farmers market in Lafayette, LA. After a successful Kickstarter campaign, they now grace a new brick and mortar location that packs a lot of character. The term Bread & Circus comes from a Roman method of politically appeasing the masses, not with good policy, but instead with distractions such as food or entertainment.

Co-Owner and Chef Manny Augello prepping for dinner service

Inside you'll find a hostess stand/bar combo, shelves of their homemade preserves and sauces as well ask books about Lafayette's culinary scene and dinner series, a fresh cooler full of local veggies, a fridge full of Swamp Pop and a dining room full of atmosphere.

Owners Manny Augello and Abi Falgout are dedicated to sharing their love of food with Acadiana and it doesn't just come through, it slaps you in the face. Their infectious personalities and passion for what they do make their slamming food monumental in this community. I had the fortune of stopping by Bread & Circus while filming the Louisiana Culinary Trails project for Louisiana Travel. The place filled up quickly for dinner service packed and the food was rolling. I can definitely say that if you're looking for great, local, modern and amazing cuisine and environment, you need to check out Bread & Circus.

Pictured at the top of the post is a hearty, but tastefully balanced lunch. The Chop Block Melt, composed with different cuts of meat such as Pork Cheek Pastrami, Corned Beef & Smoked Beef Tongue, that provide savory and salty elements while the sandwich finishes with a fresh slaw gives that crisp clean crunch.

If you're a big fan of Asian style soups this is the one for you. The Boneless Pork Rib Ramen has a broth that knocks your flavor socks off. Rich, but light at the same time; the savory tones from the pork spark up garlic spikes throughout sips. The udon noodles and sprouts absorb the flavor well while the pickled quail egg has a tiny kick that sends the dish over the top.

Boneless Pork Rib Ramen: Soy Braised, Miso Broth, Udon Noodles, Pickled Quail Egg and Sprouts.

If you aren't used to eating things like beef tongue and lamb heart, don't be freaked out. The Braised Heart Tacos are reminiscent beef fajitas with a stew meat-type texture and sautéed onions. The feta is saltier than a normal taco cheese and brightens up the dish. Add a few sprigs of fresh cilantro and a squeeze of lime and you've got a fiesta!

Braised Heart Taco: Slow Cooked Lamb Heart, Cilantro, Curtido, Lime, and Feta.
Pictured with a Parish Brewing Co. Canebrake.

Chef Manny Augello cares about his diners. To prove it he makes each batch of noodles for the House-Made Pasta Carbonara fresh to order. Some say that's crazy, I say it's genius...and delicious. Savory, cheesy, tangy. Get it and stick your head through the window to watch him make the pasta by hand, from scratch, and to order.

House-Made Pasta* Carbonara: Pork Cheek, Black Pepper Butter, Pea Shoots, Goat's Milk Cheddar, and Toasted Breadcrumbs. *Pasta Noodles made Fresh to order.

PCP Home Fries. Translation: cheese fries on steroids. Instead of the basic popular girl, bacon, Bread & Circus chose the sexy cool nerd with more substance: pork cheek pastrami. Topped with tangy swiss and a garlicky finish, these fries are more than satisfactory.

PCP Home Fries: Pork Cheek Pastrami, Garlic, Smoked Meat Gravy, and Melted Swiss.

Not your mom's charcuterie board, Bread & Circus keeps a well curated selection of cuts for their board lovers. The saltiness of the meats with the cream of the mozzarella provides your taste buds with balance... add stone ground mustard for a zingy surprise! 

B&C Charcuterie Board: Stone Ground Mustard, Fresh Mozzarella, Assorted cuts of Pork, and Salmon.

Crispy-tarty goodness, Fried Green Tomatoes at Bread & Circus Provisions is the best combination of this classic dish I've had in quite some time. The natural tanginess of the tomatoes and the smooth savory tasso tartar sauce sustains this perpetual mouth yin and yang...until it's gone.

Fried Green Tomatoes: Panko Crusted, Tasso Tartar Sauce, and Crab Claw Relish.

Don't be afraid of the rawness or the slightly-different-than-what-you're-used-to texture of the Lamb Tartar. The lamb is mixed with sweet red onions and spices that lend a hand to this creatively yet literally plated dish. Creaminess from the raw quail egg yolk acts as a thicker substance and tangy Tabasco house mayo kicks the flavors up another notch. Slap on some crunchy rye bread and it's a date. I love lamb.

Lamb Tartar: Raw Finely Diced Lamp, Tabasco House Mayo, Raw Quail Egg and Onion on Rye.

Random Bites and Boozes

Here are random and assorted Bites and Boozes that I've had over the past few months that didn't really fit in with a full blog post.  Enjoy, and have a great weekend!

Fuller's London Pride

Ribbit on a Stick - LSU Soccer

Blackened Drum with Crab Topping from Sammy's Grill

Apple Cider Moonshine From Rev

Spinach and Mushroom Stuffed Chicken Breast by Dana

Elk Burger with Cheddar at the Deer Camp

Boudin Shop and Country Store, Gotta Love Louisiana

Bonefish Grill: Lobster topped Mahi Mahi

Carrabas Beef Brasato: melt in your mouth good!

Hunter's Gumbo and Sweets

Jimmy Johns #9 Italian Sub, 10% off for saying Bite and Booze sent you, thanks for the promotion, Kyle

Wags on the Levee Shrimp and Andouille Stew

Waffle Cheese Fries from Walkons

Super Bowl at Cooter Brown's in Nola! WHO DAT??

Hey!  Anybody remember when the Saints won the Super Bowl?  Well I sure do, although I was pretty hammered when it happened!  It all started at Brandon's apartment in New Orleans where I had a shot of Wakey Whiskey with him before heading to Cooter Brown's with Brent and Daniel.  We were running a little late as we wanted to be there when the doors opened at 11 A.M., but luckily Andrew and Megan were there already to hold a spot down.  We arrived before noon and promptly began chanting Saints cheers and "Put on the game!"  Did I mention that this was about six hours before kickoff?

Cooter Brown's Tavern and Oyster Bar, New Orleans, La

While Brent dealt with his hangover and Daniel drank his water, Andrew and I began sharing pitchers of delicious brew.  I started things off with a pitcher of NOLA Blonde.  NOLA, which is synonymous with New Orleans, Louisiana, in this case stands for the New Orleans Lager and Ale Brewing Company.  NOLA Blonde is a pretty decent American blonde ale with some nice, citrusy hops.  We drank merrily as we downed the pitcher and went back for Andrew's selection.

NOLA Blonde

Before my beer-induced obnoxiousness got too out of control, I decided it would be a good idea to sample some raw oysters.  After all, Cooter Browns is an oyster bar, and I happened to be in New Orleans.  There isn't much better!  These salty, slick, fresh Gulf oysters made me extremely happy as I continued with my pregame preparations: more drinking, of course!

Raw Oysters at Cooter Brown's Tavern and Oyster Bar

The oysters were a true treat.  I mixed up some ketchup, horse radish, Crystal hot sauce, and worcestershire sauce to dip my oysters in.  After dipping them, I placed the mollusks on saltine crackers and then added a special treat.  I placed a few drops of Crown Royal to the oyster and then plunged the entire collection of flavors and textures into my mouth.  It was like heaven on my tongue!  It turns out that whiskey and horseradish are perfect compliments!  Who knew?!

Coonass Special and Cheese Fries

Needing to soak up a little beer for reasons that will soon be disclosed, I went to the food counter and picked out the most famous sandwich that Cooter Brown's offers: the Coonass Special!  This delightful poboy comes with Mrs. Wheat's meat pies, provolone cheese, and gravy, served on French bread.  Meat pies on a sandwich is a great idea, and gravy adds so much more!  Oh, and what's better than cheese fries to help absorb some liquor?

With a little food, Brent's spirits picked back up and he quickly joined Andrew and I in our inebriation.  The two of them had agreed on a menu of drinks to go through, and being a fan of drink menus, I decided to join in.  On the menu were shots of Jager, Patron, and Timberwolf, a glass of Crown and water, and chugging pints of Abita Andygator.  Rough, yes, to a normal man.

Abita Amber

Sticking with Louisiana beer, I had a pitcher of Abita Amber at some point.  I know that because I have a picture of it.  Also consumed before the Super Bowl was a pitcher of NOLA Hopitoulas.  This IPA is brewed with six malts and six hops, then is polished off with some additional dry hopping.  The name comes from a famous street in New Orleans called Tchoupitoulas, and clearly there is a reference to the amazing hops in the beer.  Hoptastic!  We were joined by Brandon, who had been studying since we left his apartment, Amanda, and Katie in time for more drinks... and then... hours later... THE GAME!

Oh yeah, remember when the Saints won the Super Bowl?!  Somehow I was still conscious for the entire game, and the after party!  Go me!  WHO DAT?!

Saints Superbowl Victory Celebration from Cottage Films on Vimeo.

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