How Emeril Lagasse Throws a Party: An Insider’s Preview of Louisiana’s Biggest Boudin Bash

by Babes & Beignets

Baton Rouge listen up! It’s Babes and Beignets here – your festival aficionados and lovers of all things New Orleans. But of course, we love you too, BR! That’s why we’re here to tell you about our favorite can’t-miss fall fest coming up Nov. 3 in NOLA.

If you’ve ever wondered how Chef Emeril Lagasse throws a party, now’s your chance to find out. Celebrity chef and renowned culinary personality Emeril Lagasse puts on the biggest and booziest bash at his 7th annual Boudin, Bourbon & Beer event in New Orleans on November 3.

Yes, you read that right! Three of the South’s favorite food groups: boudin, bourbon and beer are all coming together at Champions Square, along with 65 chefs and four awesome musical acts to raise money for amazing charitable causes.

Wait, you get to party for a cause? Yes! – which is one of the many reasons we love this event so much.

Hosted by Chef Emeril’s non-profit organization, the Emeril Lagasse Foundation, Boudin, Bourbon & Beer has become one of the South's biggest outdoor food and music festivals. Cajun country’s favorite sausage – boudin – takes center stage along with top culinary talent to raise millions for children’s charities along the Gulf Coast that support culinary, nutrition and arts programs.

The all-inclusive event brings together the country’s best chefs, including Bite & Booze’s very own Jay Ducote, to create their own one-of-a-kind boudin-inspired dishes.

Pork Temple Carbonara, boudin burritos, chicken fried boudin, fois gras rice crispy treats, boudin dumplings, crawfish boudin corndogs, bacon bread pudding and even a whole hog are just a few of the 60+ creative dishes we heard will be on the menu this year.




Aside from all the boudin imaginable, $99 gets attendees 10+ open bars stocked with a variety of craft brews from Abita Beer, signature bourbon cocktails from Buffalo Trace, Nat Sherman cigar tastings and all-night musical entertainment by Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats, Langhorne Slim & the Law, Kristin Diable & the City and Silverado Pickups. Other goodies include Keurig coffee to keep the party going, photobooths and cool silent auction packages curated by some of NOLA’s best chefs.



If you think that’s the best $100 you’ll ever spend, we totally agree. These all-inclusive tickets can be purchased on Ticketmaster until the event sells-out -- which trust us, it will! Get your tickets soon and make your way to New Orleans on Friday, Nov. 3 and come party with us for a great cause at Champions Square!

Make sure you’re following @EmerilOrg on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook for more Boudin, Bourbon & Beer 2017 updates and teasers. See you there, Baton Rouge!

Tacos + Tequila: Taco 'Bout A Good Time

So, we are doing a thing. A very big thing. On a mission to bring the people of Baton Rouge a good time, Bite & Booze is teaming up with Brickyard South to throw a major party in the Capital City: TACOS + TEQUILA presented by Tequila Avion! The event will take place underneath the I-10 Mississippi River Bridge behind Brickyard South.

There are going to be ten taco vendors and at least seven tequila cocktail vendors, duking it out for the title of “The Best.” Restaurants like Magpie Cafe, The Overpass Merchant and Mestizo’s will be slinging some majorly creative tacos that we can’t wait to see. There will also be a few restaurants going the traditional route like Cocha and Mr. Taco. We are inviting judges from all over the country to see the best of the best talent here in BR. People like Rue Rusike and Cory Bahr from Food Network Star, Daniel Schumaker, the editor of Louisiana Cookin’ Magazine are all coming to the capital city this Friday.

Once the judging is over, attendees will have the chance to walk around from 7pm-10pm and sample and vote for their favorite chef-driven tacos featuring Hola Nola Foods tortillas and hand-crafted Tequila Avion cocktails while enjoying live music and other fun! That’s all the tacos you can eat and all the tequila you can drink people. Taco bout a good time!

So, what are you waiting for? Grab you tickets now and come hang out with us on Friday. We will see you there!

Feasting & Festing: A Look at the 2016 Baton Rouge Blues Fest

by Sydney Blanchard

A gorgeous day in #goBR at the Baton Rouge Blues Fest

I'll admit, I was pretty sleep on the Baton Rouge Blues Festival until last year. I think a combination of the festival's rebranding and Blair's involvement as the Food Chair put the festival on my radar, and I've got to say, for a free festival, the Blues Fest kills it.

In the last two years, the festival has hosted some incredible blues legends like Buddy Guy as well as up and coming local talent like Honeyvibe on multiple stages in downtown Baton Rouge. While music acts entertain all day, beer and food vendors keep festival goers hydrated and well-fed.

But don't think you're in for typical festival food. Fried foods and burgers abound, but this year's fest brought on some insanely delicious food vendors.

On Saturday, my girlfriend and I biked to the festival early, and I was ready to eat.

I started with this boudin stuffed pretzel roll from Rösch Bakehaus with a side of homemade mustard for dipping, and I think I might have been their first customer at the festival. For some reason, all the other booths had lines of people waiting to be served, but no one was in line for the pretzels.

Boudin stuffed pretzel bun from the Baton Rouge Blues Fest

I feel sorry for anyone who didn't try this pretzel bun. I love the sweet and doughy flavor of pretzels, and combined with boudin and mustard, this made for a heavenly bite and only set me back $5. Blair said business picked up for them once the word got out, and for good reason.

Ryan opted for a hot sausage dog from MRTN Ventures out of Mandeville. She and I both love specialty hot dogs (and Costco hotdogs), and this one surpassed her high hot dog standards.

Hot dog with toppings at the Baton Rouge Blues Fest

Next, I begged my friend Alex to let me snap a picture of her wood-fired personal pizza from Dat'z Italian. I didn't get to try the pizza much to my dismay, but it looked and smelled delicious, and pizza is definitely not typical festival fare. 

Wood-fired pizza from Dat'z Italian at the Baton Rouge Blues Fest

There's no better way to cool down this time of year than with a snowball from Cool Tiger Ice. One of my favorite snowball stands in town, these ladies make a mean summer treat. When I die, bury me with perfectly fine shaved ice and cover me with rainbow syrups, please. Gotta represent, even from the afterlife.

Rainbow snowball from Cool Tiger Ice at the Baton Rouge Blues Festival

There are just a few of some of the amazing food vendors who served up local flavor at this year's Baton Rouge Blues Fest. I wish I'd gotten the chance to try them all! I guess there's always next year.

Taking a Tour of Louisiana's Craft Beers at Zapp's International Beer Festival

– Sydney "Brown Nose" Blanchard

Needless to say, it was a pretty exciting day. Two thumbs up.

I don't claim to know too much about beer. As someone who turned 21 only a couple of years ago, the world of booze is still pretty new to me. My drink of choice tends to be whatever can get me intoxicated the fastest for the least amount of money.

Don't judge; I'm a college student.

But since I've been interning with Team Bite and Booze, I've learned that my Mic Ultra just isn't cutting it.

In order to further my education, Jay and Blair brought me to Zapp's International Beer Festival on Saturday to literally get a taste of the local craft brew scene.

My goals were simple: drink as much delicious beer as humanly possible in three short hours while staying sober enough to be able to recall and write about the experience later.

Despite the rain, the mud, and getting separated from the group for an hour, I managed to accomplish my goal.

Without further fanfare, here is my (amateur) list of stand-out beers at this weekend's Zapp's Beer Fest:

Blair and I were smart enough to wear sensible shoes...but we still got muddy.

Seven Sisters IPA by Old Rail Brewing Co

Out of Mandeville comes the Seven Sisters IPA. Caramel colored and served ice cold, this was my first beer of the event and one of the most memorable. Seven Sisters is pretty hoppy, which isn't usually my jam, but the sweet and malt flavors sold me.

Berry-ly Legal by LA Homebrew

Based in Baton Rouge, this home brew supply shop can set you up with your own at-home brewing system stat. Luckily for us Beer Fest attendees, they served up some creative home brews. The Berry-ly Legal is a raspberry honey wheat beer. Light in color and slightly syrupy, this brew is best in small doses. I'd take this over Abita Strawberry any day.

The Saison of Saint 14 by Bicycle Brew Club

This Baton Rouge club's brews were going fast. Before they ran out, I was able to sample their festival darling, the Saison of Saint 14. I wasn't a huge fan of this dark brew, but everyone else couldn't get enough. I'd give some tasting notes, but it was that unmemorable.

Stout Chocula by Redstick Brewmasters

This chocolate stout, brewed by Brad Bendily of Redstick Brewmasters, was one of my favorites. I'm a huge fan of chocolate beers, both to drink and to cook with. Stout Chocula was rich, creamy, and not overwhelmingly chocolatey.

Blonde Sugar Sex Magik by Tin Roof Brewing Company

It's no secret that we're pretty big fans of Tin Roof. Turnrow with a burger is as close to food heaven as I can get. But I wanted to try something different at the Tin Roof tent, so I opted for the Blonde Sugar Sex Magik. I'll admit I only picked it for its name, but I wasn't disappointed. Cool and crisp, this was a pretty standard blonde but with a hell of a kick at the end (re: chili pepper). It was more spicy than sexy or magical, but it was an interesting brew.

The Blue tasted like my childhood. 

Blue by SweetWater Brewing Company

I never thought I'd be writing this sentence, but Blue would make an amazing breakfast beer. This blueberry ale tasted exactly like the frozen Leggo blueberry pancakes of my childhood in the best way possible. It was more refreshing than sweet, which was a nice break from all the dessert beers I'd been drinking.

Revenge of the Quakers by LA Homebrew

I heard a group of beer aficionados singing the praises of this brew, so I trekked back through the mud to the LA Homebrew tent to see what all the fuss was about. The sign described this brew as a "chocolate vanilla coffee infused Bourbon oatmeal stout." That's a mouthful, but it perfectly described the layered flavors of the beer. The chocolate, coffee and oatmeal flavors stuck out the most to me.

Larry's Famous had some interesting concoctions. 

Vietnamese Iced Coffee Stout by Larry's Famous

At this point I was fairly intoxicated, rain-soaked, and caked in mud up to my knees. But I wasn't going to let a little rain keep me from trying this Vietnamese Iced Coffee Stout. I love Vietnamese iced coffee, so I knew I'd be into this stout. It tasted exactly as I imagined it would: a boozier version of my favorite caffeine fix.

Black IPA by Larry's Famous

IPA's really aren't my jam, but I'm learning I like the darker ones, and this Black IPA was no exception. One of the pourers at the tent recommended this one to me, and I had low expectations. It just sounded kind of boring. But the flavor was dark and rich, and I caught some hints of berry at the finish.

Lake Charles' Annual Rouge et Blanc Wine Festival

Jay gets ready to enjoy Rouge et Blanc in Lake Charles

Each fall Lake Charles plays host to a pretty phenomenal food and wine festival. Taking up a couple blocks in downtown by the courthouse and city hall, Rouge et Blanc celebrates food and wine, or maybe that should be wine and food, in Southwest Louisiana. The outdoor setting is great for such a big event. With plenty of room to move around and the region's most fantastic fall weather, Rouge et Blanc is most certainly worth seeking out. I got to attend the festival this past October on the heels of eating like a king at the L'Auberge Lake Charles, at different boudin and seafood houses, and at a special wine dinner at La Truffe Sauvage. Needless to say, it had been a good weekend. The festival itself worked kind of like Baton Rouge's Fete Rouge with different restaurants providing the food and plenty of wine being poured. But with the outdoor venue in the middle of town and street closures, the festival really comes alive.

Rouge et Blanc in downtown Lake Charles, Louisiana

With a glass of wine in hand I wandered around the grounds to find some interesting grub. It didn't take long to find what I was looking for. Botsky's Hotdogs came up with an awesome presentation of jackalope sausage on a toast point with a wedge of something pickled. Perhaps it was just a pickle. I don't fully recall. No matter what, I liked it, especially with the little bit of mustard they provided for dipping as well. Many other finds like this came at Rouge et Blanc. 

Jackalope Sausage from Botsky's at Rouge et Blanc in Lake Charles

Always with a glass of wine in hand, I worked my way from table to table tasting food and wine, then wine and food. I drank reds, I drank whites, and I drank some sparkling. I tried not to discriminate among grapes, growers, or regions. You know, for research. A great time was had at Rouge et Blanc and during my entire time in Lake Charles. I'll have to make sure I go back!

One of my favorite wine tables of the day at Rouge et Blanc

Bugs & Brew for Drew Crawfish Cook-off and Beer Festival

Now this is a Bite and Booze event that is not to be missed!

The Drew Rodrigue Foundation will be hosting the fourth annual Bugs & Brew for Drew Crawfish Cook-off and Beer Festival, which will take place at a new location on the banks of the Mississippi River at River City Plaza at Mardi Gras World in New Orleans on April 20, 2013 from 11:00 a.m–5:00 p.m. Featuring a crawfish competition, Louisiana beer garden, local music, and children’s entertainment, this family-friendly festival will benefit the Drew Rodrigue Foundation, a local non-profit which celebrates heroes in the face of adversity, in honor of Drew Rodrigue, a local football coach who battled against cancer.

“My husband Drew embraced life and believed that cancer would not win each day,” said Mary Kathryn Rodrigue, Chairman of the Board of the Drew Rodrigue Foundation. “This event is in homage to that passion for life, an opportunity for us to change the lives of others, while celebrating moments with friends and family.”

Proceeds from this event will support the Foundation’s many charitable projects. The Foundation’s mission is to change the lives of individuals who have stared their adversities in the face and have bravely decided to suit up and march onto the playing field of life and show others that giving up is not an option.

Growing rapidly in its first few years, the event will move from its original location at Jesuit High School
to the River City Plaza at Mardi Gras World in New Orleans, where over fifty teams from around the region will compete for the titles of “Best Crawfish” and “Best Lagniappe.” The festival will also feature local craft beer and a cask-aged beer garden, hosted by the recently formed Louisiana Craft Brewers Guild, with participation from all seven of Louisiana’s breweries: Abita, Bayou Teche, Chafunkta, Covington, NOLA, Parish, and Tin Roof. “The Louisiana Craft Brewers Guild is honored to be a part of Bugs & Brew in our inaugural year,” said Conrad Rolling, Executive Director of the Louisiana Craft Brewers Guild. “It’s a fantastic chance to celebrate the exceptional craft beer that Louisiana breweries are producing, while supporting a great cause.”

In addition to the crawfish boil-off and beer garden, Bugs & Brew will feature the musical talents of Papa Grows Funk, Honey Island Swamp Band, Johnny Sketch, and Stone Rabbits. Kids can enjoy face painting, and there will also be a raffle, with the opportunity to take home gift certificates to local restaurants, local artwork, vacation packages at hotels along the Gulf Coast, and more. Admission to the festival is FREE. Advance VIP tickets can be purchased online for $50 until April 15 at www.bugsandbrew.com, or after April 16, for $60. Also known as the Cajun Pass, this ticket allows you to eat and drink all day. Separate drink and food tickets will also be sold at the event. Enthusiast Members of the Louisiana Craft Brewers Guild receive a $10 discount.