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

Abigail Gullo: Leading Lady of Libation

by Blair Loup

Abigail Gullo, bartender at Compère Lapin in New Orleans
Photo courtesy of Compère Lapin

It seems everyone who winds up in Louisiana has a story, and the story of bartender Abigail Gullo’s journey to Nina Compton’s Compère Lapin is one of a New Yorker born to live in Louisiana.

Daughter to a pair of writers, Abigail always felt like an old soul. Growing up around movies like "The Thin Man," where martinis and cocktail hours were a main component of society at the time, turned Abigail into a “girl with moxy.”

“My parents are big drinkers, and like the good New Yorkers they are, they didn’t take me seriously until I had a cocktail published in the New York Times," Abigail said.

Having grown up in a time when as a child she made Manhattans for her grandfather, she felt like she grew up in a bubble.

“When I turned 21, I realized that time had passed. No one made those drinks anymore. You were hard-pressed to find anything other than Angostura bitters," she said.

While studying theater at George Mason University in Virginia, she and her friends took road trips to New Orleans, where she quenched her thirst for rye whiskey.

After she graduated, she moved to New York, where she became "one of those very strange New York actors who didn't work in a restaurant."

She taught early childhood development in the mornings, worked as a nanny in the afternoons, and took to the off-Broadway stage at night.

In her off hours, Abigail still made time to chase the cocktail culture of the city around in places like the Rainbow Room and Windows of the World. It wasn’t until she learned about Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans that she got serious about her craft.

Fascinated with the cocktail culture of New Orleans since her late teens/early twenties, Abigail found herself intoxicated by spirits in New Orleans. She moved to New Orleans and began a true bartending career. Older than her most of her counterparts, Abigail explained she took her job very seriously.

“When you dedicate your life to service and hospitality, you want to go to a city and a culture that supports that,” she said.

To her, New Orleans was the obvious choice.

While there is more support for craft cocktails in the industry, she also sees room for support for female bartenders saying.

“It’s never-ending," she said. "Women may be known as bartenders, but men are 'mixologists.' I feel like I’ve missed out on a few jobs because I don’t have a mustache.”

Bartending requires thick skin and a sunny disposition, both qualities Abigail attributes to her theater background.

She looks forward to clocking in every shift, and she thrives on the challenges of the job.

As someone who spends much of her time working in the Compère Lapin bar (the restaurant was built around the bar), Abigail has nothing but kind words for Nina Compton and the bar's stellar cocktail program.

"I am just blown away by the professionalism, determination, and how much fun it is," she said. "A lot of hours of our lives are spent here, and I believe that translates to the guests."

She may be a New Orleans transplant, but Abigail Gullo embodies all the qualities of a true Louisiana native. Cheers!

Bite and Booze Bonus: Abigail started a blog when she lived in New York City that logged all of her cocktail adventures and it contains countless tasty recipes: RyeGirlinNYC

This post is part of a monthly series spotlighting Louisiana women in the business of booze. Previous features include:

Natalie Parbhoo: Duchess of Distribution

Lindsay Nations: Baroness of Beer

Dori Murvin: Sorceress of Service

Nora McGunnigle: Headmistress of Hops

Myrna Arroyo: Vino Valedictorian

Brandi Lauck: Warden of Whiskey

Cari Caramonta: Mother of Malts

Erin White: Priestess of Pairing

Beth Donner: Dame of Distilling

Halston McMullan: Hustler of Houston Hops

Libby Landry: Governess of Grapes

TCB Sour at Compère Lapin: Whisk(e)y Wednesday presented by Lock & Key

by Sydney "Brown Nose" Blanchard

The award-winning mixologists at Compère Lapin, Top Chef Nina Compton's new restaurant, are slinging their latest creation in honor of National Bourbon Heritage Month.

Enter the TCB Sour, the restaurant's iteration of a whiskey sour made with bourbon, lemon, orgeat cherry, and byrrh (a wine-based digestif).

I'm not a huge fan of the whiskey sour normally, but I think the sweetness of the orgeat cherry (an almond-based syrup) and the byrrh would convince me otherwise. 

Check out the recipe below, and definitely head to Compère Lapin if you haven't already!

TCB Sour at Compère Lapin in the Old No. 77 Hotel & Chandlery on Tchoupitoulas in New Orleans

TCB Sour

2 ounce bourbon
1 ounce lemon
½ orgeat
¾ Byrrh
½ ounce egg white

Shake and serve on the rocks with an orange peel.