Anyone who knows me understands that I have a very unhealthy relationship with an iconic American classic: the hamburger. My love affair with the mother of all sandwiches knows no bounds. I’m always on the hunt for the perfect burger locally and whenever we travel.
On our recent trip to New York we made a pit stop in Washington, DC to visit Jay’s fellow Food Network Star cast mate Alex McCoy at his pop-up restaurant, Alfie’s. I was told Alex would be cooking us up one of his signature burgers called The OG.
After meeting Alex and his staff we made our way to the bar for an adult beverage. I noticed one of my favorites on the craft beer menu, the Bell’s Brewery Two Hearted Ale, and immediately ordered a pint. I’m very happy that Bell’s is now distributed in Louisiana because their IPA is one of my all time favorites. It’s got nice pine and grapefruit notes in the aroma with a little hop bomb and solid malt backbone. I was almost halfway through my pint when Alex walked up to our table with one of the most beautiful burgers I’ve ever laid eyes on.
The OG Burger with house-made pickles, grilled red onion and arugula.
I mean, look at that thing! It’s a work of art! It was almost too pretty to eat...almost.
This is easily one of the best burgers I’ve had in my lifetime, seriously. Normally I don’t like any “salad” on my burger. I want to get to the nitty gritty of the burger without the healthy obstacles getting my way, but this time I made an exception. The house made pickles, red onion and arugula completely added to the awesomeness of the burger. The meat was incredibly juicy and seasoned to perfection. The toasted bun was a soft, buttery and a little sweet which I totally loved.
There is nothing I could find wrong with this burger. Usually, imperfections stick out on a burger like a sore thumb. Whether it’s the patty, bread or toppings, you’ll notice them either visually right away or with that first bite. But this one, THIS burger right here, had nary a flaw to be found. From the first bite to the last, it was perfection.
If you're like me, you're always behind in watching your programs. I'm a couple episodes behind in Game of Thrones (shoot me, I know), and I haven't listened to the last few installments of This American Life.
I just never seem to have the time or make the time to watch/listen to my favorite shows as they're airing. But there's no shame in that!
If you consistently miss our Bite and Booze Radio Show on Talk 107.3, no worries! We upload short, condensed clips of the show to Soundcloud every week.
Below you'll find some of our most played shows you might have missed.
Over the last two weeks, Blair and Sydney have each posted about the five best things they ate in 2015. As my turn came, I wrestled with all the memories of great tasting food throughout the year. I analyzed, reminisced, and salivated over pictures of scrumptious treats from many months ago. This year has been an excellent one, and there's no doubt that I've eaten way too much good food for it be easy to narrow my list down to just five. But I've done it.
These are the five dishes I ate this year which will live the longest in my mind. I'll remember them a decade from now and will want to taste them again. I'll remember the mark that they left on me. Each one represents the absolute best version of that particular dish I've ever tasted, and that's saying a lot considering this list contains barbecue, chicken wings, steak, and apple fritters!
Apple Fritter at Nola Doughnuts Portland, OR
Maple Glazed Doughnut on the left, Apple Fritter on the right
Nola Doughnuts owner Robert Herkes invited my buddy Eusebio Gongora to help him sell his doughnuts at a farmers market outside of Portland one Saturday when we were there for a guy's trip in late June. I'm truly glad I awoke from my slumber and tagged along. The doughnuts, made from croissant dough, were out of this world, but it was the apple fritter that really won me over. This, unquestionably, was the best apple fritter I've ever eaten. It calls out to me like the island from Lost. I have to go back.
Bacon Rouge's Pork Butt at Hogs for the Cause New Orleans, LA
The Bacon Rouge team celebrates the Pork Butt victory at Hogs for the Cause 2015
Somehow I don't have a good picture of the Bacon Rouge pork shoulder itself. It is the only box that we turned in (whole hog, ribs, and "porkpouri" were the others) from the annual Hogs for the Cause competition in New Orleans I didn't snap a picture of. Perhaps it was just too beautiful, and I couldn't wait one extra second before going to turn it in to the judges. However, I can say this... championships aren't a fluke. We won, and it was because we turned in the best pork butt I've ever tasted.
The texture of the Iverstine Family Farms smoked pig seemed perfect as it nearly melted as we pulled some and chopped other parts. It didn't need any sauce. It didn't need any extra seasoning. It just needed to be turned in. That's the only box of barbecue I've ever submitted to a competition where I truly felt like we had a chance of winning.
My Grilled Rib Eye with Pomegranate Molasses Chimichurri & Stewed Okra Los Angeles, CA
I'll always remember my time on Food Network Star. However, the food part of it can be a blur. We didn't get to feast on our own food and truly enjoy the spoils of our cooking very often. However, for the Fourth of July episode when they made us switch groceries and I got to cook the prime rib eyes Dom purchased, I was able to share that dish with the entire cast.
Of everything I cooked, this challenge may have put me in my element the most. I had a grill, a cast iron pot, and enough time to make it all happen. I redeemed myself on the okra, and I cooked what was probably the best steak I've ever seared. I had extreme confidence after that round of the competition, especially once Bobby Flay told me how fantastic the rib eye tasted. But, I, along with fellow contestants, already knew that.
Ike's Vietnamese Fish Sauce Chicken Wings at Pok Pok Portland, OR
Vietnamese Chicken Wings at Portland's Pok Pok
Chicken wings could be their own food group. I love them. There's just the right amount of barbarian style eating meat off the bone combined with a modern gastronomic flavor push that makes wings magical for me. And I've never had better wings, ever, than at Pok Pok in Portland, Oregon.
I didn't really want to put Portland on this list twice. I've traveled a lot this year, and including Portland twice kept me from including anything from Los Angeles, New York (including Blue Hill at Stone Barns as well as the Sac-A-Lait meal at the James Beard House), Las Vegas, New Orleans (aside from my team's previously mentioned winning pork shoulder) or Baton Rouge. Still, when looking back on the year, including all the great chicken wings I've had like the ones from Sway in Austin that would be the runner-up to Pok Pok, I just couldn't keep these babies off the list!
Franklin Barbecue Brisket Austin, TX
Lean and Fatty Brisket from Franklin Barbecue in Austin, TX
Sydney put the brisket that I cooked at the #GnarBQ on her top 5 list. While I'm honored, I also know she didn't eat the brisket at Franklin Barbecue like I did. Mine has nothing on this. No brisket I've ever tasted had anything on this. Yes, it was worth the four hour wait in line with my friends Zac and Andrew. No, you shouldn't waste space on anything other than the brisket. The glorious brisket.
Hey, you. Yeah, you there. We just want you to know, we see you. We know you've worked hard all year. You've put in the hours, you've sent all the emails, and you've attended to most of your responsibilities.
Despite long grocery store lines and children crying in restaurants, you've managed to stay on Santa's naughty list.
And for that, we salute you.
Here, check out these videos. You deserve a little break. Let's be real, you're running on empty from now until the end of the year anyway.
Free Booze Friday
In which Jay gets puppets drunk and they all argue about booze
Louisiana Culinary Trails
In which important food people talk about delicious Louisiana cuisine
Food Network Star Finale
In which Jay gets a little emotional at the Food Network Star finale party
I'm Not Trying to be an Underwear Model
In which Jay tries to get fit
Raising Cane's Store #94 Grand Opening
In which a young Jay hangs out with Todd Graves and former Mayor-President Kip Holden
Jay tells his story to the camera on episode 1 of Food Network Star
Food Network Star has consumed my entire 2015, but I'm not upset about it. From the casting process to filming the show in Los Angeles to going to NYC to film my pilot, then of course watching the show and doing more media interviews than I had ever done in my life, the experience couldn't have been more overwhelming. But then again, I was ready for it.
I went into this competition knowing that I could be really good at it. I wanted to prove that I had what it takes. I've been fortunate enough to spend the majority of the last 6 years (ever since I launched this website in September 2009) building the skillset required to compete on Food Network Star. I didn't know that right away, but for the last couple years I've been eyeing this show, thinking that I could be really good at it. I write about Louisiana culture on my own blog and in other publications, I've hosted and produced the Bite and Booze Radio Show since April 2011, and I've definitely been working on my cooking even though I've never worked in a restaurant. Add to that the TV and production experience that I have through working with tommysTV and many other TV shows like Masterchef and Cutthroat Kitchen, and I really felt equipped for this next challenge.
The Cast of Food Network Star Season 11 all together in a contestant holding room with Robert from wardrobe and PA Goldfish
From the very beginning I knew that this would the most intense and challenging adventure that I had ever been through. It is a mental game. You have to be your own harshest critic and biggest cheerleader. You have to be your own coach and guidance counselor.
Alex, Dom, Jay, Arnold and Eddie Food Network Star 11 Final Five
The cast and crew couldn't have been better. If it looked on TV like we were all cheering for each other, that's because we genuinely were. We each wanted to win, but we wanted to beat everyone else at their best, not because they screwed up. Food Network and their team of casting and production companies put together an outstanding group of people, and it helped me relax and have fun.
Speaking of having fun, that was one of the keys to the entire process for me. I took the competition very seriously. I went to set each day as if it was my job. But I also realized that if this is my job, I better be having fun or it isn't worth doing. So I made sure to put a smile on my face and have fun even when I had no clue what would come next, or I felt particularly stressed or nervous. No matter what, I still had a good time, and the people around me helped with that.
Throughout the competition I remained very proud of what I was able to accomplish. I'm proud of how I represented Baton Rouge and all of Louisiana. While we were filming I knew I had been performing well. In fact, the judges never put me on the bottom. Not once was I up for elimination, and I knew that. Still, living in the moment, I didn't realize exactly how well I was doing.
Jay, Eddie and Dom drink some sparkling wine to celebrate being the top 3 and would get to film pilots on Food Network Star!
I had four goals for myself on the show, four milestones that I wanted to reach. The first one was simple: don't be the first contestant eliminated. That's always a big hurdle because everything is new and you don't have much time to get your message across. Next, I wanted to get into the top 6... the halfway point. After I made it there, I knew I shouldn't slow down. My third goal was to be in the top 3 and get to film a pilot for my own Food Network Show. When Bob Tuschman from the Network told me how consistently I had performed all season and that they wanted to see a pilot from me, it really hit home. That's pretty much as far as I could take it that was still in my control. The final goal, of course, was to win the show. All I could do was film my pilot to the best of my ability, then wait and see.
Unfortunately, in the end, I did not win. The first thing I did on that day, and the first thing that I'll do right now is congratulate Eddie Jackson on his performance and victory. I knew from episode one that Eddie would be my toughest competitor. He had the that athlete look in his eye like he knew how to be a winner. He had been training for this too. We took very different paths to get there, standing it that room on the Food Network Star Finale, but when his picture popped up, I felt happy for him. Of course the disappointment sunk in for me as well. I knew how well I had done. I heard the judges and mentors have nothing but praise for me. But in the end, on that day, it just wasn't meant to be.
The good news is that this should be a launching pad for whatever is next. I've said "just the beginning" before, but truly the beginning came at deer camps with my dad and LSU tailgate parties with the best group of friends a guy could ask for. Starting the blog and growing Bite and Booze into a culinary media conglomerate was the beginning. My Food Network Star journey represents the turning of a page and the start of a new chapter. I have plenty to focus on with the blog and radio show. I have my Jay D's Louisiana Barbecue Sauce on the market and a BBQ dry rub and Louisiana Molasses Mustard to follow very soon. And of course, I'm waiting for that next big opportunity. It'll come. I just need to be patient... but also keep working my butt off.
Thanks to everyone for all the support throughout the entire journey. Thanks to my team, Blair Loup and Sydney Blanchard, for having my back to whole time. I could write a long list of thank yous, but you know who you are. Thanks to all my family, friends and fans that supported me along the way. Thanks to everyone who showed up at a viewing party, posted on social media, or gave me hug. I really appreciate it.
Time to catch you up to speed just in case you're lagging behind somehow. I'm going to be on the upcoming season of Food Network Star, the network's largest competition reality show. As one of twelve finalists, I'll be competing in various cooking and presentation challenges in an effort to win my own show on Food Network!
This is how Food Network introduced me on Twitter:
The premiere party for the Season 11 of Food Network Star will take place at the Jolie Pearl Oyster Bar and North Boulevard Town Square on Sunday, June 7th from 5-9 PM. Bonnie & Clyde will be playing from 6-7:45. We'll have drink specials from the Donner-Peltier Distillery as well plenty of oysters and other grub that you can order. Bring picnic blankets or bag chairs and watch the show in Town Square or come early and get a seat inside Jolie Pearl! I hope to see a lot of you there! Go ahead and set your DVR's and calendar reminders now as well!
