Lake Charles is the Perfect Weekend Getaway for Food Lovers, and Here's Why

by Sydney Blanchard

Admittedly, Lake Charles isn't always the first place that comes to mind when I dream up day trips or weekend excursions, but after a recent stay in the Boudin Capital of Louisiana, it's safe to say I've converted.

Below, you'll find a list of a few of my favorite things to do while in Lake Charles. You'll see how easy it is to fall in love with Southwest Louisiana food, culture, and fun!

Brunch at Jack Daniel's Bar & Grill at L'Auberge 

Fried grit cake topped with steak topped with an egg at Jack Daniel's Bar & Grill

You'd be doing yourself a disservice by staying anywhere other than L'Auberge Lake Charles. The resort is not only the epitome of luxury, but it's also home to some great restaurants. Noted Chef Lyle Broussard heads the kitchen at the Jack Daniel's Bar & Grill on the property, and their brunch items alone are worth the trip to Lake Charles. This is one of the great examples of the great food coming out of the younger culinary scene in Lake Charles. Pro-tip: Order the Whiskey Milk Punch. You won't regret it.

Try Acadian Coffee Roasters

Not-yet-roasted coffee beans at Acadian Coffee Roasters

Your post-brunch plans should definitely include coffee, especially if you brunched properly with the Milk Punch! Acadian Coffee Roasters in Lake Charles is a relatively new operation. The proprietors, both named Nancy, pride themselves on their single origin, organic coffee beans and delicious flavored coffees. It's all about supporting locals! P.S. I highly recommend their Amaretto flavored coffee. It's amazing!

Explore the Creole Nature Trail

Perfect day for exploring the Creole Nature Trail

The Creole Nature Trail is the best way to walk off that ridiculously delicious brunch. It's the picture perfect place to explore the beaches, wildlife, marshes, and fishing of Southwest Louisiana. A guided tour is also an option. Watch out for alligators (seriously)!

Snack Along the Boudin Trail

Smoked boudin from Rabideaux's Sausage Kitchen

Southwest Louisiana is the boudin capital of the world, so even if you've had boudin before, you'd be remiss to skip out on exploring the boudin trail! I'd recommend stopping by Rabideaux's Sausage Kitchen or anywhere on this list. Smoked by the link or fried up in a ball, boudin is a must-try in Lake Charles.

Tour Bayou Rum Distillery

Bayou Rum's Satsuma Rum Liqueur at their distillery in Lake Charles

In 2013, Bayou Rum sought to continue the long-lost tradition of Louisiana rum. It makes sense, right? Sugar plantations in South Louisiana before the Civil War often built distilleries adjacent to the main house. Learn more about the history and process of rum making on one of their distillery tours (and don't pass up the rum tasting bar). Bayou Rum has one of the coolest distillery tours around, and you can grab their rum and some branded swag in their immense gift shop afterward.

Cocktails & Small Plates at Restaurant Calla

Blue crab beignets at Restaurant Calla

One of the newer restaurants on the Lake Charles food scene, Restaurant Calla offers "creative, seasonal, and sustainable" dishes in the budding Southwest Louisiana culinary scene. Chef David Sorrells has a unique vision for modern Louisiana cuisine, and he carries it out well at Calla. The restaurant is gorgeous, but don't let that fool you: the menu is straight-forward and lacks pretension. Grab a drink off of their list of fun cocktails and split a couple of small plates with the table. But save room for dinner!

Dine at La Truffe Sauvage

Life-altering saffron risotto topped with fish at La Truffe Sauvage

Since 1998, Chefs Mohamed Chettouh and Arthur Durham's La Truffe Sauvage has been putting Lake Charles on the culinary map. Their take on fine French dining is something special that shouldn't be missed. Here you can read my detailed write-up of the meal I had there. I'll just say that their selection of wines is noteworthy, and the saffron risotto I had there was life-altering.

Where are your go-to spots in Lake Charles?

The 10 Best Bites of Food I Ate in 2014

I've had the chance to travel fairly extensively around Louisiana and across the country this year, and along the way I've tasted some extraordinary dishes. I wanted to end the year with a bang by sharing the ten best bites of food to come across my taste buds this year. It proved to be no easy task, but each of these culinary creations struck a chord within me. Each picture brings back fond memories similar to those you'd feel when reconnecting with an old friend. These dishes trigger automatic salivation, instant warmth, and big smiles. While to some this may sound dramatic, those who've experienced such a dish will understand completely. In descending order, I give you my ten favorite dishes of 2014.

1) The Black Drum at Village Café in Lafayette

While filming at Village Café for Louisiana Culinary Trails, I had the pleasure of trying Chef Jeremy Conner's stuffed fish: Louisiana black drum stuffed with lump crab meat and pan seared served over squash and topped with a lemon crab butter sauce. I can taste this dish all over again each time I look at this picture. It was one of the most perfectly cooked pieces of Gulf seafood I've ever had, and that's even after waiting for the cameras to stop rolling before taking a bite. The velvety butter sauce had a citrus tang that complimented the sweetness of the crab and mild flavors of the Black Drum. This dish, which is always on the menu in some form, represents Gulf fish the the way it is meant to be eaten and most certainly is a must try.

The Black Drum at Village Café in Lafayette

2) The Oyster Stuffed Quail over Pumpkin Purée at Le Foret in New Orleans

I had the opportunity to dine at Le Foret in New Orleans a couple of times this year. Each trip provided exceptional bites. The plating and flavor profiles of Chef Brandon Felder's dishes are off the charts. Packed with Gulf oysters and set atop a beautiful artwork of pumpkin puree and other delicious sauces, this quail dish was so quintessentially Fall I could hear leaves crisping under my every step.

The Oyster Stuffed Quail over Pumpkin Purée at Le Foret in New Orleans

3) The Chicken Curry at Dang's Vietnamese Restaurant in Baton Rouge

Over the course of several weeks, my Chief Confusion Coordinator, Blair Loup, and I visited the Vietnamese restaurants of Baton Rouge for a pho round-up post. In doing so, we stumbled upon a surprising and incredibly delicious bowl of chicken curry at Dang's Vietnamese Restaurant. In addition to having the best pho in town, they also have this golden beauty. Curry isn't something you see often in Vietnamese cuisine and while it caught me off guard to find it on their specials menu in the first place, the bowl of chicken curry with layers of citrus and coconut flavors served with rice noodles is something I will order time and time again.

The Chicken Curry at Dang's Vietnamese Restaurant in Baton Rouge

4) The Japanese Kobe Beef at Ember Wine Bar & Grille in Lake Charles

I've never had steak like this before, and that's saying something. A few other steaks were in the running for my favorite chunk of beef this year. The bone-in ribeye from Doe's Eat Place in Baton Rouge, the classic Florentine porterhouse from Carnevino in Las Vegas, and the New York Strip from 33 Steak in New Orleans all placed highly on my beef-o-meter, but this beauty from Ember at the L'Auberge in Lake Charles, Louisiana wins the blue ribbon. The beauty of being based out of a casino is to be able to play within your food service outlets, and Chef Mark Chapman knows exactly what kind of fun to have. He imports this authentic Japanese Kobe Beef and sells it for $30/ounce with a minimum order of four ounces. For you people who struggle with math, that means that the cheapest you can get a taste of this steak butter is $120, and that's still not quite the size of a respectable petite filet. But damn is it worth it! The marbling in the beef is unlike any I've seen in person. Seared to a glorious rare temperature, the shingled beef is as close as you could imagine to a breathtaking bite of beef bacon packed with umami.

The Japanese Kobe Beef at Ember Wine Bar & Grille in Lake Charles

5) The Crispy Pig Ear Salad at Sojourn in New Orleans

Sojourn chef Jeff Williams invited me via Twitter to attend his first tasting menu pop-up dinner in New Orleans. The courses were some of the more inspired dishes upon which I have feasted. As I'm sure you know, I'm not much of a salad guy, but Chef Jeff's crispy pig ear salad is something I could eat on a daily basis. Crisp, local greens sprinkled with strips of crunchy and salty pig ear and sweet baby carrots were brightened with a peppery horseradish vinaigrette and balanced brilliantly with grated egg yolk. The flavors erupted upon my taste buds in ways that very few salads ever have, making my only complaint to be that I haven't had it since that night.

Sojourn's Crispy Pig Ear Salad in New Orleans

6) The Tuna and Grapefruit at Lucy B. Goode in Gulf Shores, Alabama

On a media trip to Gulf Shores and Orange Beach this past summer I had the pleasure of dining at Lucy B Goode. In an area ruled by tasty but all-too-often deep fried Gulf seafood, Lucy B Goode boasts contemporary dishes featuring locally sourced ingredients from area farms. Chef Randall Baldwin started us out with an off-menu appetizer which included only a few simple ingredients. Slices of fresh tuna and ripe grapefruit were adorned with celery leaves for a sharp contrast to the sweet juiciness of the dish which he finished with sea salt, cracked black pepper, and a light drizzling of sesame oil. The subtle flavors of the tuna and grapefruit fused together like the crescendo in a lovely score.

Tiled Fresh Tuna and Grapefruit Slices with Celery Stems at Lucy B. Goode in Gulf Shores

7) The Barbecue Spare Ribs at Arthur Bryant's in Kansas City, Missouri

A month before I launched Jay D's Louisiana Barbecue Sauce I found myself on a bachelor party adventure for my brother Eric. We just so happened to trek to the barbecue mecca that is Kansas City where I set my sights on the legendary smoked meats institution called Arthur Bryant's. Our hungover bachelor party gang showed up ready to devour some Que, so after ordering heaping portions of nearly everything on the menu, we sat down to chow down on heavenly swine and bovine. The pork spare ribs were of worthwhile wonder as if the pit-masters had wept tears of deliciousness over these bones. Few ribs have boasted the superior texture and flavor of these magically smoked morsels of pig.

Pork Spare Ribs at Arthur Bryant's in Kansas City

8) The Homemade Poptart at Magpie Cafe in Baton Rouge

All hail the Magpie poptart. Every kid who grew up in the 90's knows the Kelloggs version all too well. Frosted Brown Sugar Cinnamon could do me no wrong. Naturally, when I heard that Magpie Café  made a homemade rendition of the poptart, I knew I had to try it. They're typically made on Saturday mornings, but every now and then you can find the folks over at Magpie sneaking it into their weekday breakfast offerings. You may be saying, "Jay, a poptart? Really? With all of the wonderful things you've had to eat how did this make the list?" Well, I'll enlighten you. Not only is Magpie's version on the poptart euphorically delectable, it also gets bonus points on principle. The nostalgia it represents creates an experience that is at once memorable and triumphant above the original. Plus, the fact that someone thought up an idea like making a badass version of the poptart deserves recognition.

A Blueberry Poptart at Magpie Café in Baton Rouge

9) The Pork Belly Ramen at Bread and Circus Provisions in Lafayette

Lafayette has always had some amazing food, but right now their food scene seems to be exponentially exploding. Getting to experience some of the state's creations through filming the Louisiana Culinary Trails has been some of the most fun I've had this year. Shortly after visiting Village Café, we hopped over to Bread & Circus Provisions to see what Chef Manny Augello had going on in his kitchen. I sampled several of Chef's dishes, but this Pork Belly Ramen stole my heart. Legitimate ramen is hard to come by in Louisiana and it's exciting to find it in places you wouldn't expect. The vegetation gave an earthy taste to the creamy broth and I firmly believe that pork belly makes most things better. You'll definitely want to stop by Bread & Circus if you're anywhere around Lafayette area... you won't be disappointed!

The Pork Belly Ramen at Bread & Circus Provisions in Lafayette

10) The Hog Bone from Bacon Rouge's Chef Alex Hamman at Hogs for the Cause in New Orleans

One of the more underrated bites I've had this year came from Chef Alex Hamman's Hog Bone. I have competed in an all pork cook-off by the name of Hogs for the Cause for the past couple of years. Not only have our numbers increased for team Bacon Rouge, but so has the talent. Pastry Chef Instructor for the Louisiana Culinary Institute Alex Hamman created the Hog Bone for the Porkpouri (wild card) category in the 2014 competition. Our entire team watched in a state of shock when it didn't place in the top 10 because the flavors were so beautifully layered and innovative. Chef made a homemade cheese cracker as the base for a slightly spicy tasso and cracklin dust base that was then coated in velvety chocolate. The hog bone had all of the elements: sweet, crunchy, smoky, porky, and spicy, and they were devoured in no time. Chef Alex displayed some extreme skill in this whimsical creation and I can't wait to see what he comes up with for the 2015 Hogs for the Cause (which you can buy tickets for now... make sure to list "Bacon Rouge" as the team who referred you)!

The Hog Bone: Tasso, Cracklin Dust, Homemade Cheese Cracker invented by Alex Hamman for Team Bacon Rouge

Louisiana Culinary Trails: Northshore Sampler

Jay Ducote and Chef John Besh at La Provence

The Louisiana Culinary Trails crew moved from New Orleans to Louisiana's Northshore in order to film our second video in the series. We crossed Lake Pontchartrain to shoot in Mandeville, Covington, and Slidell. We also ran into Chef John Besh at La Provence where he gave us a great interview to start the entire series, then cooked for us in the kitchen. We filmed some amazing seafood while on the Northshore and had interviews with Vanessa Gomes of Champagne Beverage, Tom Gregory from Go Coast: Louisiana, Chef Louie Finnan from Louie & the Redhead Lady, Vinnie LeDonne from Palmetto's on the Bayou, and Chef Erick Loos from La Provence. All in all, the Northshore really impressed and is definitely worthy of a visit!

Dan Jones films Chef John Besh creating one of his signature dishes

Vanessa Gomes discusses food on the Northshore as Jay Ducote, Dan Jones, Jordan Lewis, and Fred Mince produce

Dock & Dine: Bite and Booze does Orange Beach Brunch at Fisher's Dockside

Fisher's Upstairs

Fisher's Upstairs

There are plenty of places to get great Gulf seafood in the resort destination of Gulf Shore and Orange Beach, but Fisher's is stepping things up a notch. Their downstairs oyster bar is great for families, large groups, and anyone looking to have a few good bites and a good time. Fisher's Upstairs is a completely different feel. It's fine dining, but Chef Bill Briand says you should feel just as comfortable in shorts and flip flops as you feel in a button up and tie. The attention to detail in the atmosphere is absolutely impeccable and I can't wait to experience a dinner upstairs. It will happen for sure, but for now I'll settle for brunch at the dock. I know, life is hard.

A couple of $3 mimosas, a bushwhacker, and some delectable dishes from Chef Bill and I was set for the trip back home on a Sunday afternoon. We started out with a tour of the upstairs restaurant and then he treated us to some excellent Gulf smoked tuna dip and deliciously fried crab claws.

The fried crab claws and smoked tuna dip at Fisher's Brunch

Creamy, crispy, and fresh all at the same time... that's what to love about a friend oyster. Gulf oysters are one of my favorite things to eat. While I typically favor them raw, when they are masterfully fried it is hard to go wrong. The Fried Oysters Benedict featured some of the succulent fried oysters with wilted spinach, poached eggs, and hollandaise. This sort of brunch dish can set any Sunday morning right!

Fried Gulf Oysters Benedict

Grits and grillades are a hearty Southern brunch favorite. The pan fried veal covered in a thick gravy over creamy grits is an automatic score in my book any day. The gravy really may have been the star of this dish. As great as the grits and veal were, the rustic brown goodness tied it all together.

Grits and Grillades

Fisher's smoked brisket hash brings another comfort dish to the table which can do no wrong. Served in a cast-iron skillet, the brisket is smoked in house then cooked down with some peppers, onions, and home potatoes before getting topped off with sunny side up eggs. This dish is like a hug for your hungover soul.

Smoked Brisket Hash

Fisher's makes me happy to eat bread pudding again. Okay, I'm usually pretty happy to eat bread pudding. But in Louisiana you can barely go out to eat without seeing it on a dessert menu. While bread pudding typically boasts delicious sweetness, it rarely presents something new and refreshing. But not here. Fisher's bread pudding is light and creamy. The toasted coconut brightens the entire dish. You will definitely want to save room for this on your trip!

Toasted Coconut Bread Pudding

Touring Lake Charles by Sight and by Stomach

The Southwest Louisiana city of Lake Charles is underrated. Living in Baton Rouge, I spend a lot of time touting the capital city as a worthwhile stop between Lafayette and New Orleans, and better yet as a true destination of its own. But in all my talk about Baton Rouge, Lafayette, and the Big Easy, often forgotten are other parts of Louisiana which possess plenty of culture of their own. On  recent press trip to Lake Charles I got to experience the city through culinary lenses. On the night of our arrival we had dinner at Ember Grille and Wine Bar at the L'Auberge Casino. The following day we got a tour of the city complete with food stops, a horse-drawn carriage historical tour, more food, and some wildlife refuges. Here's a recap of the gastronomic adventure!

Our first stop was for boudin and cracklins at Guillory's Famous Foods. The boudin pictured below is the smoked version which I very much enjoyed. They also have a regular (steamed or boiled instead of smoked) boudin. Boudin is a pork and rice mixture that typically contains liver as well. It is seasoned with all sorts of spices then stuffed into sausage casing. If you are an unfortunate soul who has never had boudin before, it is worth a trip to Louisiana on its own.

Boudin at Guillory's Famous Foods in Lake Charles

In many ways tough, I prefer the cracklin over the boudin, if ever I were in the unfortunate predicament of having to choose. The cracklin is a perfect mixture of pork skin, fat, and muscle tissue that is fried once to soften it up and cook it through then fried a second time to make it extra crispy and crunch and, well, cracklin-y. Guillory's had regular and spicy cracklins for the eating enjoyment of our group. I also learned something at Guillory's Famous Foods that I'll never forget. Especially at breakfast time, one of the best combinations in the world is to dip your cracklin in Louisiana cane syrup. Seriously... do it.

Cracklin at Guillory's Famous Foods in Lake Charles

After a breakfast of champions, our group arrived in historic downtown Lake Charles for a historical tour of the city. Aboard a horse-drawn carriage we learned about Lake Charles architecture, lumber barons, haunted houses, and people who mess up historic properties. I hope I'm never one of those guys! Our tour ended at an old schoolhouse building that now serves as office space for a lot of different companies and public officials. Inside the building is the Lake Charles Mardi Gras Museum. I took a seat on the throne for good measure. The museum shows off a plethora of elaborate Mardi Gras costumes and includes its history outside of New Orleans. We also got to decorate our own King Cakes. While this was nothing new to me, I did enjoy having a taste of King Cake in the fall!

Lunch brought us to the unassuming but blissfully local Seafood Palace. There we were treated to a smorgasbord of seafood delights that filled our bellies and warmed our souls. The boiled crabs looked amazing as they adorned our table upon arrival. I do love a good boiled crab!

Boiled Crabs at Seafood Palace

There were several people at the table who had never eaten alligator before so I took the liberty of ordering an appetizer of fried alligator bites for the group. They were as good as any fried alligator I've had before, which is definitely saying something. Some say alligator tastes like chicken. I say it tastes more like frog legs. Though, most people say frog legs taste like chicken, so I guess it all does to a degree!

Fried Alligator at Seafood Palace in Lake Charles

I ordered the shrimp and oyster combo platter which comes with fries. Why not just fry everything, right? They were all delicious. I couldn't quite finish it all after everything else I ate, and knowing what would be in store for dinner, but it was too good to not try my hardest! 

Fried Shrimp and Oyster Combo at Seafood Palace

After lunch we took off in the bus to several National Wildlife Refuges including Cameron Prairie where we spotted quite a few alligators getting some sun like this guy featured below. I would have liked him more had be been in my belly! After the sight-seeing we were back to L'Auberge to rest and get cleaned up for dinner at La Truffe Sauvage... a dinner so amazing that it'll have to wait for its own blog post in the upcoming week!

An alligator in the sun at the Cameron Prairie National Wildlife Refuge

225: Into the Mix Episode 3 - Juban's Creole Restaurant

Serving up 30 years of fine Creole dining tradition, Juban's has been a mainstay in the Baton Rouge dining scene for three decades. I met new Executive Chef Joey Daigle at the bar then joined him in the kitchen to watch the production of their famous dish, the Hallelujah Crab. After getting hungry in the back of the house, I take a seat in the wine room where Chef Joey sends out a smorgasbord of delightful dishes which I wash down with a glass of Juban's honey bourbon!  

In case you missed them:
225: Into the Mix Episode 1 - Mason's Grill
225: Into the Mix Episode 2 - Magpie Cafe

225: Into the Mix is a project from 225 Magazine's Dine Newsletter, tommysTV, and Bite and Booze. I'd like to especially thank Manda Fine Meats and the Paretti Family of Dealerships for their sponsorship of the series that helped make everything happen.

Hosted by Jay Ducote
Produced by Jay Ducote and Tommy Talley
Director of Photography: Dan Jones
Editor: Josh Carley
Audio: Michael Lane
Graphics by Elbow|Room
Production Assistant: Dustin Davis

"Month of Salads" Post I: Niche's Citrus Marinated Crab Salad

I announced a little while back on Facebook that August would be a "Month of Salads" on Bite and Booze. Mostly this is because I need to eat more salads. Also, I am certainly willing to admit that my lack of attention to salads as a whole is exclusionary to people who generally like rabbit food. I kid. Kind of. So during the month of August I'll try to post about at least a solid handful of salads in addition to my normal radio show posts on Tuesdays and Whisk(e)y Wednesdays. If you have salads to suggest, I'd love to hear them. I have the whole month to truly make an effort to try more salads around Baton Rouge and anywhere else I end up!

Citrus Marinated Crab Salad at Niche

New Executive Chef Sean Rivera took over the kitchen at Niche this summer and despite a small amount of negative feedback from people who want the same old same old, the transition has been a huge hit for the eatery on Siegen Lane and for all of that side of Baton Rouge. The new menu has shifted the focus of Niche to be more chef centered with daily specials and a carefully crafted menu. Among my favorite menu items that I've tried so far is the citrus marinated crab salad. A heaping pile of Louisiana lump crab meat is tossed in a citrus dressing and plated atop a nest of grilled asparagus before being topped with fire roasted red peppers and ringed with balsamic. The $16 price tag might seem a little intimidating for a salad, but for the amount of crab meat that is piled on the plate, it is worth it. You can also easily approach the dish as a shareable appetizer instead of an entree salad. Dishes like this will make my month of salads a lot easier to swallow. Maybe I can get used to it!

Heading to NYC: Ruffino's James Beard Preview Dinner

Katherine Lagow and I at the James Beard Preview Dinner

Chef Peter Sclafani, Ruffin Rodrigue, and everyone at Ruffino's have earned my round of applause.  Chef Peter has been selected to cook at the James Beard House in New York City, and I had a lucky spot at the 'Central Park' table at Ruffino's for the preview dinner.  “Cooking at the Beard House has been on my bucket list ever since I donned my first chef’s hat,” said Sclafani, Co-Owner and Executive Chef at Ruffino’s. “I am truly humbled that they have asked me to cook there, and I am exceedingly proud to represent Baton Rouge and Louisiana on the most prestigious stage in the American culinary landscape.”  The dinner in NYC will be this Saturday, April 6, 2013.  Chef Sclafini's take on 'French Creole meets Italian' is a winner, and I'm certain that it will please the palate of all who have the fortunate ticket to the amazing dinner.  Here's a little of what they're in for as Ruffino's brings Louisiana up north!

Hors D'oeuvres: Grits and Grillades

The hors d'oeuvres were served with a little bubbly to get the night started.  The Mionetto Prosecco NV got everyone's palates ready for the onslaught of Louisiana-inspired goodies.  Shrimp corndogs with honey mustard, crawfish arancini, charbroiled oysters, and a corn and crab shooter rounded out a bevy of seafood small bites.  All were fantastic.  The grits and grillades, pictured above in the Asian spoon, were right on the money.  I could have eaten a dozen of them!

Crab Cheesecake

For the first sit down course, Chef Peter pulled out one of his classic dishes: crab cheesecake.  The cheesecake is loaded with Louisiana crab meat and plated with all sorts of delicious sauces and crumbles.  I'm embarrassed to say that I hadn't ever had his signature crab cheesecake before.  Next time I'm there, I'll be looking out for it as an appetizer!

Heirloom Tomato "Caprese" Salad

Chef Peter is bringing a new twist to his award winning caprese salad course with him to New York.  The dish, which features heirloom tomatoes, burrata cheese, and balsamic caviar, will now also feature some foie gras mousse as well.  The foie gras is inside the burrata cheese, and when all mixed together, provides and excellent additional flavor to the exquisite tomatoes and the novelty of the sphere-ified 25-year-old balsamic vinegar.

Braised Mississippi Rabbit with Gnocchi

The third course of the dinner service brought on a locally inspired dish with plenty of Italian flare.  The braised rabbit is cooked down with plenty of aromatic vegetables until it is tender and rich with flavor.  The gnocchi, a popular Italian potato pasta, are fluffy and soak up plenty stock.  This is a comfort dish that I could eat a whole bowl of as a meal, but it worked even better as a course in this delightful dinner.

Head-to-Toe Pork

The James Beard preview dinner's main entree consisted of pork two ways.  Pork cheeks, one of the most succulent cuts of pork in existence, were served with Benton's bacon jam along side a butternut squash puree.  Also joining the plate were a pair of pork trotter tortellini.  The pork trotters are from the feet of the pig, and also provide good eating when cooked the right way.  Everything on this plate worked the right way.  From the tenderness of the pork to the flavor combinations with the bacon and butternut squash, I couldn't get enough.  Really.  I had to steal some off of the plate next to me!

Chicory Cafe Au Lait Panna Cotta with Chocolate Chip Beignets

Naturally, the Creole-Italian dessert featured coffee.  The delicious chicory panna cotta played with me senses and the bitterness of the coffee danced with the creaminess and sweetness of the gelatin-based dessert.  The beignets, when dipped in the chocolate sauce, added a nice change of texture to the dish.  I definitely left satisfied and filled to the brim.  Those folks in New York are in for a treat!

Driven by its mission “to celebrate, nurture and preserve America’s diverse culinary heritage and future,” the James Beard Foundation is dedicated to exploring the way food enriches our lives. The Foundation maintains the historic James Beard House in New York City’s Greenwich Village as a “performance space” for visiting chefs. A cookbook author and teacher, James Beard was a champion of American cuisine who helped educate and mentor generations of professional chefs and food enthusiasts.

“I couldn’t be more thrilled for Peter, and for our restaurant, to be invited to the Beard House,” said Ruffino’s co-owner Ruffin Rodrigue, who manages the front of the house and operations for the restaurant. “This is truly an amazing honor, and you can bet Peter will be pulling out all the stops to make April 6th a night that New York City won’t soon forget!”  I agree with Ruffin.  If he can pull off the dinner in NYC like he did for us at the preview dinner on his home turf, he'll be making Baton Rouge and all of Louisiana proud, that's for sure.

2012 Chefs to Watch Dinner with Louisiana Cookin' Magazine

Every year, Louisiana Cookin' Magazine names five up and coming Louisiana chefs as their Chefs to Watch.  The chefs then create a five course menu that is cooked up at the Chefs to Watch dinner in New Orleans to benefit Cafe Reconcile.  Fortunately for me, I got to attend this year's event to see what sort of wizardry the chefs could cook up.  Unfortunately for me, I showed up "slightly late" and did not receive any of the pre-dinner cocktails or passed hors d'oeuvres.  This is the second year that that's happened to me.  I understand keeping a tight schedule with so much going on, but this time I was really bummed.  I actually arrived right on time, and plenty of people were still up an mingling.  Oh well... with a five course dinner awaiting all paired with wine from Republic, I knew I wouldn't leave hungry or entirely sober.

Shrimp and Andouille Beignets with Crawfish Corn Maque Choux

Chef Zac Watters, executive chef of Zachary's in Mandeville, presented the initial dish to the crowd of over 400 people at Harrah's.  His shrimp and andouille beignets were set atop crawfish corn maque choux to provide a duo of classic Louisiana flavors.  He then added a little ravigote sauce with onion, lemon, dijon mustard, and more to give the dish a little pizzaz.  The dish got the entire meal off to a great start.  The beignets were unique and rather tasty and the corn carried enough pop to whet the palate for the wine and more great grub.

Smoked Tomato Soup with White Wine Crab and Creme Fraiche

Chef Ryan Andre from Le Creole in Baton Rouge ladled up the next dish for the hungry guests.  His smoked tomato soup with white wine crab and creme fraiche proved to be a real hit at my table.  Garnished with a little basil-infused olive oil, the orange tinted soup had a rich smokey flavor from the tomatoes that paired extremely well with the extra sweet crab that had been sauteed in butter and white wine.

Goat Cheese and Blueberry Salad with Pistachios and Blueberry-Vodka Vinaigrette

The salad course came from Chef Lindsay Mason of Cristiano Ristorante in Houma.  His goat cheese and blueberry salad also contained a blueberry-vodka vinaigrette which had me rather intrigued.  Chef reduced the vodka and burnt off the alcohol before adding it to the blender with blueberries, dijon mustard, and garlic, then he drizzled in olive oil while pureeing the dressing.  I could have used a good bit more on my salad, but I liked the thought of it nevertheless.

Zapp's-Crusted Cobia with Garden Vegetable Hash and Smoked Tomato Butter Sauce

Smoked tomatoes showed up once again in our main course of the evening.  This time they were used in a butter sauce surrounding a gorgeous piece of fish topped with a Louisiana shrimp by Chef Brad McGehee of Ye Olde College Inn in New Orleans.  The cobia, a rather fishy fish, was coated in a mixture of Zapp's Crawtators and crumbled andouille.  After baking in the overn the fish were plated with a vegetable hash of Brussels sprouts, tomatoes, potatoes, mushrooms, corn, and more.  The delicious butter sauce also contained a hint of booze in the form of Herbsaint.  I thought the overall dish was pretty nice and perhaps one of my favorite preparations of cobia that I've had.

Toasted Grits Waffle with Buttermilk Ice Cream and Bacon Caramel Sauce

Chef Manny Augello from Jolie's Bistro in Lafayette presented the dessert with his take on a breakfasty "Bacon and Waffle."  The grits in the waffle batter provided a unique flavor and texture to the base of the dessert.  However, it was the buttermilk ice cream that stole the show.  Along with the bacon caramel sauce, the ice cream had a magically satisfying flavor and texture to round out the stellar meal.

My compliments to all the chefs who prepared the meal as well as everyone else who helped them out in the kitchen.  Also congrats to the chefs and to Louisiana Cookin' for putting on such a great dinner for a wonderful cause.  Not only does the Chefs to Watch dinner serve as a tremendous way to recognize young culinary talent in our state, but it also provides much needed resources to Cafe Reconcile so that they can provide job training and education in the culinary arts to at-risk populations in New Orleans.

An Ode to Crabs

Crabs are one of the most delicious critters on earth.  Their sweet and delicate meat is often imitated, but that stuff is for the birds.  I'll take my crab meat in lump form or boiled freshly for me in the shell.  I have fond memories of crabs including catching them at the beach and winning an eating competition in Alaska.  You really just can't go wrong with crabs!

Blue Crabs Ready to be Boiled

Of course, every region has their own way of preparing crabs.  In Louisiana the preferred method for cooking them whole is to boil them in a spicy bath much like we do with our crawfish.  In places like Maryland and Delaware, crabs are steamed then doused on the outside with seasoning like Old Bay.  What's your favorite cooking method?

Steamed Crabs is Delaware

Alaskan King Crab Legs in the Kodiak Arrest Challenge

The Louisiana blue crab is one of the staples of our seafood industry.  I always enjoy crab cooked into many Cajun and Creole dishes.  Some noteworthy Baton Rouge crab dishes are the Crab and Brie Soup at Mansur's, the superb Crab Cake at Le Creole, and of course Juban's Hallelujah Crab.  What are your favorite crab dishes?  If I haven't had it then I'll make sure to add it to my list.  Just leave a comment on the post and let me know where to go crabbing!

Here I am showing a northerner how to eat a Louisiana Blue Crab at Susie's Seafood in Morgan City.