Burgers with Chuck: The Burger Pizza at Rotolo's Craft & Crust

by Chuck P

Ok everyone settle down. I know what you’re saying after reading that title. A hamburger pizza doesn’t qualify as a “burger” Chuck. You’re probably thinking I’ve lost my damn mind. Well folks, let me tell you about the Burger Pizza at the new Rotolo’s Craft & Crust.

First off let’s make it very clear. This is not your standard hamburger pizza by any means. This incredible concoction created by Mitch Rotolo Jr. is a pie straight out of my dreams. A perfect vision of combining two of my favorite foods into one gloriously delicious meal. Like, seriously. Looking at that picture has me craving one right now!

Let’s talk toppings. It’s pretty much everything you’d throw onto a standard burger. It’s got a mustard base, ground beef, grilled onions, mozzarella and is topped off with pickles and french fries-- French fries, people! I mean come on man! If that’s not a straight up burger pizza then I don’t know what is.

Taste-wise, it is completely spot on. Imagine it as if you’d taken the top bun off of your burger and ate it that way. Granted, no one really does that, I’m just trying to make a comparison. If I had one recommendation I would do like a Thousand Island dressing drizzle on it which would give it almost a Big Mac kinda feel or maybe even a garlic aioli or any type of sauce you’d normally add to your burger. And also bacon... LOTS OF BACON.

This was a trial run that our Bite & Booze team got to try , so it’s not available to the masses just yet. We were told that it would either be added to the menu full time soon or served as a special once they were completely satisfied with their final recipe.

Make sure you’re following Rotolo’s Craft & Crust on Facebook and Instagram to find out when the Burger Pizza will be available as well all future specialty pies to come.

Dog Hunt: In Search of the Best Hot Dogs Around pt. 2

by Sydney Blanchard

Hot dog heaven

The saying goes, "if you love something, let it go." I love hot dogs, but to be honest, I can't let them go. I won't let them go.

Continuing my never ending quest to find the best hot dog in Baton Rouge, I recently forced strongly encouraged Team Bite and Booze to venture to Barcadia to try their latest addition to the menu: gourmet hot dogs.

After the disappointment of Frankie's, my expectations were low. I was ready to accept that I'd just need to make the drive to Dat Dog whenever I had a hot dog hankering. But after ordering and trying literally every gourmet dog on Barcadia's menu, I'm happy to report that I was pleasantly surprised with the quality of these dogs.

Da Dog, in all its glory

Da Dog was one of my favorites because of its simplicity: good sausage, great bun, simple toppings. It really lets the ingredients speak for themselves. This smoked crawfish sausage is topped with diced onion, house relish and mustard. Nothing fancy, but it gets the job done.

Hawaiian Dog with jalapeño and cilantro

The Hawaiian Dog is a true blessing to one's tastebuds. You can't go wrong with smoked alligator and pork sausage, and this dog is topped with pineapple salsa, jalapeños, cilantro and Sriracha. There's a lot going on here, and the way the flavors play with each other reminds me a lot of some of Dat Dog's best creations.

Coney Island dog, smothered with chili and cheese

The Coney Island's flavor profile isn't particularly inspiring, but it's a classic: smoked duck and pork sausage topped with house chili, grated cheddar cheese, diced onion, bacon bits and mustard. Let me reiterate how perfect this bun is.

Pizza Dog, because why not?

The Pizza Dog was my least favorite of all the dogs, probably because I'm not the biggest Italian sausage fan. Smothered in marinara, mozzarella, sautéed peppers and onions, I can see this being a crossover favorite among pizza and hot dog lovers (like myself).

Tijuana Dog, with jalapeño and cilantro crema

The Tijuana Dog was definitely my favorite. When it comes to hot dogs, I'm of the opinion that a spicy pork sausage is always the way to go. This one's topped with bacon, grilled jalapeño, salsa and cilantro crema. It's like a taco had a baby with a hot dog and this is the result.

Barcadia's gourmet dogs beat Frankie's by a long shot, but I'm not sure they're quite at Dat Dog level. Perhaps in the future they'll add some crazy sauces or let you build your own, which to me is a huge part of hot dog enjoyment.

Not Just a Food Blogger: Other Places to Read Jay's Writing

by Sydney Blanchard

Sure, Jay started writing about food right here on Bite and Booze, but you may not know he's been pretty widely published in a number of magazines and on a number of websites. With all the cooking events and media stuff Jay does these days, it's easy to forget he got into the culinary world by writing about it.

Jay has built a career on celebrating Southern food and beverage culture. Here are a few of my favorite pieces Jay has authored over the years.

Have Your King Cake and Eat It Too

"It is almost impossible to ignore the doughy, cinnamon-y smell emanating from Calandro’s Supermarket’s bakery this time of year. The smell, to those familiar with it, signals the start of the most important time of year on any Louisiana native’s social calendar: Carnival Season, and with it, Mardi Gras."

Cajun Crawfish Bread

"Louisiana seasons are not defined by the weather or whether leaves are on trees. They are rooted in our culture and the events that celebrate our joy of life."

Cajun vs. Creole

"So if you’re versed on Louisiana history and culture, then all you really need to know is that Creole cuisine uses tomatoes and proper Cajun food does not. You can stop reading now. That’s how you tell a Cajun vs. Creole gumbo or jambalaya."

Fried With That

"Whether loaded with cheesy goodness or served with a slathering of curries, a good French fry can give even the mighty burger a run for its money."

Louisiana Breweries

"In Baton Rouge, Louisiana’s capital city, Tin Roof Brewing Company is producing beverages out of malts and hops that make people smile. Only a block away from the Mighty Mississippi, Tin Roof crafts beers worthy of the name."

Southern Hospitality

"Baton Rouge has the appeal of a sultry Southern town combined with a dash of Cajun, a pinch of Creole and a heaping spoonful of charm."

My First Thoughts on Crispy Catch

by Jay D. Ducote

First things first: I enjoyed the food. No, it didn't stand out as revolutionary, inventive, or inspired. Then again, I don't believe anybody ever said that it would be. Crispy Catch is what it is – a place to get fried catfish fingers, fries, hushpuppies (or as they call them, corn bobbers), and boudin balls akin to Tony's Seafood, which are some of the most snackable and magical boudin balls in the world. They finished second in our ranking of Baton Rouge balls. The restaurant itself is a new fast-casual concept seeking to bring the flavors of Louisiana to a hungry audience.

Immediately upon walking up to the restaurant that has been built out of the old, iconic Kean's Dry Cleaning building near the Perkins Road overpass, you get the sense that they are going for something bigger than just one location. The branding screams corporate, like they've already designed their logo and color palate to expand to numerous locations. It may work. There is clear evidence of utilizing a Raising Cane's model, which certainly paid dividends for them.

Catfish Fingers at the new Crispy Catch on Perkins

Like Cane's, which started at the nearby North Gates of LSU, Crispy Catch offers a welcoming environment and a simple menu. There are four main combinations to order with different amounts of fried catfish and extras. They also offer fish tacos, which I definitely want to try but haven't yet. I opted for the Surf & Turf combo – the meal that came with boudin balls in addition to the catfish, fries, cole slaw, and hush puppies. The total for the entire plate and a drink came out to just over $13.

Based on the way the combo came out on a plate with fries and catfish fingers, I couldn't help but to think of Cane's and their chicken fingers with crinkle cut fries. They even had their signature "Reel Sauce," a remoulade style sauce very similar to Cane's Sauce. All in all, the fries weren't all that much to speak of, though they were fries, and certainly not bad. They were plentiful and thin cut, but not to the point of being shoestring.The cole slaw offered very little to my taste buds, though I suppose a little tang to go with all the fried food isn't bad.

Compared to Cane's (not they have to be compared to Cane's, but they brought the compare and contrast on themselves), I noticed the absence of fresh squeezed lemonade and really good sweet tea. The beverage options were pretty much limited to a Coca-Cola lineup of fountain drinks, which I feel can be improved upon. If you want to be a local joint, bring in a cooler with some Swamp Pop and other regional beverages. If the idea is to build something that can be scaled to many locations, and you're copying Cane's anyway, don't underestimate the value of the beverages.

Another thing that makes Crispy Catch fast-casual but not necessarily "fast food" is that there is no drive through. Nothing wrong with that, though the convenience sales to night-owls in the overpass area could be a good business model. That being said, as of now the hours at Crispy Catch don't go into the late night market anyway.

The star of the show definitely proved to be the fried fish, with a nod to the boudin balls as well. At the end of the day, a place is judged on what they truly claim to be good at, and at Crispy Catch that's the USA farm raised catfish fingers. The don't do any whole filets of catfish. They don't fry shrimp or any other Louisiana seafood. The star of their limited menu is the catfish, and it lived up to expectations. The slender strips of catfish are marinated and battered in seasoned flour. It is a departure from the more common cornmeal style fish fry base around here, but I didn't mind. The catfish indeed had plenty of crispiness. The reel sauce and the house tartar sauce were both great dips for the catfish.

I also can't complain about the hush puppies or boudin balls. I'd even go back for the boudin balls. They really are very similar to Tony's, which again, is good in my book. In fairness, the owners of Crispy Catch are tied to the family that owns Tony's, though they no long share any stock in the famous seafood market. Still, I can see why if they wanted to put boudin balls on the menu that they'd go with a replica of the Italian-inspired boudin ball.

I can see myself going back to Crispy Catch, but I don't know how often. The very limited menu will make it hard to go often. And the fact that they aren't as convenient nor do they have all the intangibles as Cane's means they won't really get the quick-meal-on-my-way-home kind of business. And as much as I've compared Crispy Catch to Raising Cane's, it is missing perhaps the most important element: the "One Love" motto and attitude. I didn't feel it. I just had a decent fried catfish platter, but nothing else about the experience would make me identify with the brand. Perhaps in time they'll find their own motto.

Is it time to give Walk-On's another try?

Walk-On's Tuna Tini

Like most Baton Rougeans around my age (31), my first memories of Walk-On's weren't pleasant.  They were unfairly compared to The Chimes before they even opened their doors, but once they did, nothing worked.  One time, at a business meeting while in grad school at LSU, I ordered some sort of stuffed shrimp dish.  It seemed like nothing more than prepackaged, frozen and battered morsels that I could likely find at Sam's Club imported from India and served over a mound of soggy waffle fries.  My friend Caroline, a grad school acquaintance, decided to take her family to Walk-On's after her graduation.  I felt embarrassed for her.  And sad for her family that they had come in from Tennessee expecting amazing Louisiana cuisine only to get stuck in the basement of culinary despair that was Walk-On's.

Spinach and Artichoke Dip

A funny thing happened though.  Walk-On's had great success.  The company grew.  They served their unimaginative food and sold a lot of beer.  Their location clearly worked for a college area sports bar.  And the owners, Jack Warner and Brandon Landry, knew that the food left more than a little to be desired.  They sought to improve it.  Several times they revamped the menu.  Several times they brought in consultants to work on the food aspect of the business.  Quality improved, but consistency floundered.  People would come in one week and eat an excellent crawfish etoufee dish, then they'd be back the next week and want to throw it against the wall American Beauty style.

When the company decided to expand into Lafayette, they knew the food had to be better.  After all, Lafayette is the Cajun capital of Louisiana, and they couldn't afford to open up there and have the same start they did in Baton Rouge.  The Lafayette Walk-On's got a new menu.  While certainly not totally different, it featured new dishes, revamped entrees, and more attention to finer details.  Despite their reputation in Baton Rouge of having food more along the caliber of a Chili's, Lafayette embraced Walk-On's from the beginning.  The sports bar provided at least adequate food to go with the adult beverages, and truly all accounts that I heard about the restaurant were that the food impressed.  I questioned if it was the same Walk-On's.  In many ways, the answer was no.

Abitarita with Abita Strawberry

When Last In Concepts, the parent company that manages Walk-On's, Schlittz and Giggles, Happy's, and Roux House, decided to make a move into New Orleans, they knew the Walk-On's brand would work perfectly right outside the Superdome.  Again, to enter a market like New Orleans, one of the greatest food cities on the planet, they knew the menu needed some upgrades.  People told them that they'd never make it in the Big Easy.  People claimed their food just didn't have the fortitude to survive.  But last year ESPN named them the number one sports bar in America.  That title got bestowed upon the New Orleans location, and people like me, people who celebrate the food and beverage culture of Baton Rouge, were left scratching our collective heads.

Not only had Walk-On's always been a place that I wasn't proud of, but I nearly felt embarrassed about calling it a Baton Rouge restaurant.  We're better than that.  Or I'd like to think so.  So how could it be doing so well in Lafayette and New Orleans?  How could this restaurant that I don't care to patronize be winning awards in other cities?  Of all Baton Rouge restaurants to expand out of BR and successfully integrate into our cultural neighbors, how did Walk-On's do it?  What am I missing?

Truth be told, I've never been to the one in Lafayette.  I've stepped foot in the New Orleans location, but that's about it.  I think I drank a beer and left, not wanting to eat anything from Walk-On's in a city like New Orleans.  So I don't know how to compare those locations to the Burbank and Coursey spots.  However, after the revamped Lafayette and New Orleans menus, the two locations in Baton Rouge are now, as of March 2013, fully on board with the upgrades.  For the first time, all four Walk-On's have the same menu, and I set out to see if it really improved.

Duck and Andouille Gumbo

Joined by an esteemed group of colleagues, I recently sat down with Jack Warner, Brandon Landry, and Scott Taylor, one of the engineers of the redesigned menu.  We got started with a smorgasbord of appetizers which proved that Walk-On's isn't playing anymore.  The Tuna Tini highlights something a little different for them.  Sushi grade ahi tuna gets dusted with blackening seasoning and seared on the outside while left raw on the inside.  The Tuna Tini is rimmed with tuna squares and filled with a tropical slaw that boasts mango and avocado.  The Spinach and Artichoke dip, their number one selling appetizer, is creamy and delicious.  It might not be perfect for everyone, but those who love it will keep coming back for it.  We also had the improved cheese fries with the crispy waffle fry base and loaded with cheese, banana peppers, and true chunks of bacon as opposed to the bacon bits they started off with a decade ago.  Their Boom Boom Shrimp is an obvious and calculated play on Bone Fish Grill's Bang Bang Shrimp.  I don't mind that.  Inspiration comes from everywhere.  What I do like is Walk-On's commitment to now using all Louisiana seafood.  The boneless wings in the sweet and spicy BBQ sauce were pretty spot on, as far as boneless wings go.  Perhaps the real winner of the show was the blackened alligator.  MattyC, one of my fellow diners, claimed that it may have been the single best piece of alligator that he's ever tried.  The 100% tail meat chunks most certainly satisfied everyone at the table.

Cajundilla with Red Beans and Rice

A round of Duck and Andouille Gumbos came out to the table and we were all told that we had to try it.  It looked dark and rich and smelled incredible.  After one taste I knew that they had put some work into this gumbo.  In fact, Jack told me that the inspiration came from a particular New Orleans restaurant.  The duck meat is most certainly present, though I would have liked to find a tad more andouille.  Still, the complex smoky flavors and rich nuttiness of the roux all came through into a pretty stellar bowl of gumbo.  We also tried the Cajundillas, a name that they have trademarked, which are like quesadillas but filled with chicken, andouille, boudin, onions, and cheese.  That dish got served with a side of red beans and rice.  I was asked to guess where the inspiration for the beans came from, and with one look I knew the answer had to be Popeye's.  And I, of course, picked correctly.  That dish, with the uniqueness of the Cajundillas and the pretty satisfactory interpretation of the Popeye's staple, could be one of my go-to orders on the menu while watching a game.

Selection of Salads at Walk-On's

Jack and Brandon told me a story about how when they started the restaurant, they didn't even want salads on the menu.  They wanted a sports bar, and they felt there was no room on the menu for food that their actual food eats.  Well, times have clearly changed, and salads are now important to them.  We sampled four of their salads including the chicken and berry, tuna, shrimp, and cobb.  Each salad had its unique flair.  They've all morphed from the original Walk-On's salads with iceberg and dressing.  Now there are decent lettuce mixes and fresh ingredients.  The chicken and berry salad really impressed Gabby from Brew Ha Ha who joined the eating adventure.  It is proof that you can go to Walk-On's and eat reasonably healthy despite the south Louisiana sports bar vibe.

Burgers and Waffle Fries

We also got our hands on several of the burgers at Walk-On's.  The beef and buns have changed over the years, and now they seem pretty proud of the burgers they are putting out.  The new bun is a sweeter almost Hawaiian style bread this is pretty popular with burgers these days.  I like it, so I didn't complain.  Their stuffed burger, which has been around since the beginning, and the barbeque burger were both nice.  I wouldn't start putting them on the list for the best burger in town, but if I really craved a burger and wanted to hang out at Walk-On's, I wouldn't shy away from it like I used to.  Plus, the waffle fries are a great touch!  There were several entrees that we tasted as well including the Catfish Atchafalaya both blackened and fried, each topped with crawfish etoufee and fried crawfish tails.  There were a couple other sandwiches on the menu like the Blackjack Chicken, a Thin Fried Catfish Poboy, and the Ahi Tuna Wrap, which featured everything in the salad but in wrap form.

We capped off the evening with one of the most amazing ideas I've ever heard of in all my culinary experiences.  Krispy Kreme... Bread Pudding.  That's right.  Krispy Kreme Doughnuts turned into a bread pudding.  No, it can't be good for you.  And yes, it is a little on the sweet side.  Okay, a lot.  But damn.  Damn!  It is delicious.  And to me, it is nostalgic.  I remember as a kid stopping at Tony's Seafood on Plank Road for boudin balls then swinging into Krispy Kreme when the Hot Now sign flashed red neon into the night sky.  This.  This Krispy Kreme Bread Pudding.  This is something that Walk-On's could be known for. This could be a signature dish featured on traveling food TV shows.  This shows the forward thinking of a national food trend that's happening with collaboration between brands, to be proud of and show off a product that paved the way.  Krispy Kreme Bread Pudding.  Yes, indeed.

Krispy Kreme Bread Pudding at Walk-On's

The overall meal at Walk-On's truly impressed.  There are undoubtedly significant upgrades to the menu compared to the last few years and especially if you date back to when they first opened.  I'm most impressed with the assortment of appetizers.  True to the small plate or tapas trend, you can now go to Walk-On's with a group, watch a game, order a bunch of appetizers to share, and have a few cold beers.  Speaking of beers, I'd love to help them out with that.  They had no IPA on tap, not even the Juke Joint IPA from Tin Roof which is brewed literally right down the street from them.  Still, the food can actually draw people in now.  And even if you are not ready to be drawn in yet, I at least admit that I'll no longer shy away from Walk-On's as a venue to watch a big game or hang out with some buddies.  I also respect Jack and Brandon for recognizing that they had a problem and wanting to do something about it.  Growth has meant change for the company, and that change for the better is now in their two Baton Rouge restaurants.  I'm not saying it is fine dining by any means, but if you're looking for a casual, family friendly restaurant or a local sports bar, it is time to give Walk-On's another shot.

Bite and Booze Investigates: The McRib

While I'm certainly no advocate of National chain fast food dining, there is something to say about their marketing and ability to set trends which create frenzies. There is perhaps no better example than the McRib at McDonald's. The processed pork patty slathered in sauce makes its appearances for limited times only, seeming sporadic at best. Still, each time it comes back, the crowd of hungry Americans goes wild. So what is it about the McRib? I had to find out!

Alright, I've actually had a McRib before. Several in fact. And I'm not afraid to admit it. I don't get worked up about it, and I'm not proud of it, but I'm no stranger. However, I can't recall having one in the past four or five years, so when I landed at the BWI airport and had two (that turned into nine because of storms) hour layover before my next flight to the Big Apple, I thought it couldn't hurt to revisit the pinnacle of limited-time-only foods.

McRibs are to the Nation what King Cakes and Crawfish are to South Louisiana. The "seasonality" of them only increases the demand. When they are barren from the golden arches menu board people go hungry. When they appear again, people rejoice. I ordered mine, as you could probably guess, without pickles. Unfortunately due to the high traffic at the airport I had to wait 10 extra minutes for fries, during which time my McRib must have sat lifelessly under a heat lamp. The normally moist and tender pork patty was shriveled and dry. The only saving grace was the tangy barbeque sauce that covered the form-molded rib-shaped puck.

Perhaps I'll eat a McRib again in four or five years. Until then, I think I can avoid McDonald's altogether. Still, at times, research is necessary!

Jay vs The OMG Burger

At least I had the balls to take on this challenge.  I knew it would be a nearly impossible feat.  Still, with eight other competitors by my side, I took on the OMG Challenge at Uncle E's Wings and Things.  I could tell you all about it, explain my thoughts and emotions, and carry on about the good... and the bad.  But really, I think you'll get more out of this video.  Words don't do it justice.

You can also see me on the news!  Check out this coverage from WAFB about the OMG Challenge!

"Eat St." is Coming to Baton Rouge to Film for the Cooking Channel and Canada's Food Network!

Eat St., the popular television program on America's Cooking Channel and Canada's Food Network, will be coming to Baton Rouge this week for three days of filming and production with some of our favorite trucks!  The program travels around North America in search of the most inventive chefs in mobile kitchens.  The street food trend has been booming in cities such as New York, Los Angeles, and Austin, and now it is Baton Rouge's turn to get recognized for our "Food Truck Revolution."  This is a great opportunity for our city to showcase some of our local cuisine to an international audience!

The production schedule is as follows:

Thursday, May 12: Curbside Truck

Curbside is Baton Rouge's burger truck.  However, these aren't just any burgers and fries.  Curbside grinds all their own meat, blanches their own "frites", uses local produce and fresh, locally baked buns.  Their serving trays are made from recycled product and their cups are made from plants, not plastic.  Oh, and get the pork belly preserves if you can!  A couple weeks ago Curbside featured my homemade boudin on a burger and topped that with some fresh cracklins!  The Bite and Boudin burger was a huge hit!  Curbside will be stationed on Spanish Town Road in front of the State Capitol from 11-3 on Thursday, so go grab a burger and smile for the cameras!

Friday, May 13: GOyaya's Crepes

GOyaya's is a mobile crepe kitchen serving up fresh savory and sweet creations all around Baton Rouge.  They are truly one of Baton Rouge's most unique mobile food vendors and their crepes are always impressive.  Last week I had a "Chicken Mole" crepe and it blew me away.  It featured shredded chicken in a Mexican mole sauce that took seven hours to make!  The mole had some sweetness from blueberries, the richness from the Mexican chocolate, and a little nuttiness as well.  Topped off with some sour cream and avocado, this is one crepe I'd go back from again and again!  GOyaya's will be stationed downtown for lunch on Friday with the film crews.  Track them down and get your 15 minutes... or seconds... of fame!

Saturday, May 14: Taco de Paco

Photo Courtesy of Taco de Paco

Taco de Paco roams around the streets of Baton Rouge slinging deLiciousness in tortilla sized packages.  They have gotten more and more creative with their offerings and some of the tacos that they'll be serving on Saturday for lunch at the Neuromedical Center in Perkins Rowe look amazing.  Last week they came up with The Emilio: Roasted Duck glazed with Louisiana Sugar Cane, topped with Sweet Potato Hash, and finished off with homemade Peach Preserves.  deLightful!  I'll be out there on Saturday after the Bite and Booze Radio Show presented by Calandro's Supermarket celebrates American Craft Beer Week from 10-11 AM.  Come find me and feast for the Eat St. camera crews!

Photo Courtesy of Taco de Paco

Surf and Turf Poboy at NOLA's Parkway Bakery

An ode to a great sandwich... and I do love sandwiches!

There are classics and then there are, well, true classics.  Some people say the roast beef  and ham poboy with "debris" at Mother's is a New Orleans classic.  In some senses, maybe it is.  However, for my mouth and money, I won't go there.  I'll go to the Parkway Bakery in Mid City.  My good buddy Brandon Brown had been telling me about Parkway for years but I hadn't taken the journey over to Bayou St. John to check it out.  But then I did.  And I ate.  And I told my soul that I'd be back.

The order at Parkway Bakery is simple: Large Surf and Turf Poboy and a side of sweet potato fries.  The New Orleans sandwich features classic French bread, slow cooked roast beef, golden fried shrimp, and Parkway's roast beef gravy.  Obviously you don't order a poboy in New Orleans without lettuce, tomato and mayo as well.  I haven't ever been told to get anything else at Parkway... though I think more than 10 people have indepently suggested the Surf and Turf.  There were only a few variations.  Andrew Rose said to get an extra side of the roast beef gravy for dipping.  Noted, sir.  Matthew Colosino of LunchBoxFab likes to get his Surf and Turf as a shrimp poboy with the gravy on the side.  Close enough.  I suppose.

I went to Parkway, finally, with Jeremy Wells and his family.  It was after we competed in the New Orleans Food Experiment, yet we still found a way to be hungry.  It's a good thing.  That sandwich, the Large Surf and Turf Poboy at Parkway Bakery, is what dreams are made of.  Beef.  Shrimp.  Gravy.  Sandwich.  Simple.  Messy.  Amazing.  I need another.  My stomach grumbles at the thought of it.  My soul yearns for another bite.  I polished off the whole thing.  I could have eaten more... and been miserable.  The most amazingly awesome miserable imaginable.  The crunch of the French bread made with New Orleans water.  The textures and flavors of melted beef and fried shrimp smothered in gravy.  The lettuce and tomato and mayo to make the sandwich complete.  I'll have another.  Very soon.

And yes, the sweet potato fries were good.  Get them.  Some of the best I've ever had.  Hands down.

Double Double Animal Style at In-N-Out Burger

Double Double Animal Style

Sure, it may be a little cliche... and yes, I should be above fast food (or at least writing about large fast food chains) most of the time, but how can I resist a blog post about the Double Double "Animal Style" at In-N-Out Burger?  We don't have this chain where I'm from in Louisiana.  And it isn't everywhere that you can order something "animal style."  When out west and in need of a quick bite, In-N-Out it is!

In-N-Out is a regional (California, Arizona, Nevada, and Utah) burger joint that prides itself on fresh ingredients and quality products.  They serve burgers, fries, shakes, and drinks, and are well known for doing so.  The Double Double is a two-patty two-cheese burger served with lettuce, tomato, onions, and mustard.  All In-N-Out burgers also come dressed with a special sauce that is similar to a thousand island dressing.  However, that's not exactly what I ordered.  In-N-Out also has a not-so-secret lingo and menu that offers customers a way to act like they are in the loop when they order.  I got my Double Double "Animal Style" which meant that they would grill my onions, add more sauce, and throw on some pickles.  Damn.  Pickles.  I asked that they hold those.  So basically I got some grilled onions.  I'm okay with that.

The burger itself was certainly better than par compared to similar fast service restaurants.  I'd eat that before the competition most of the competition any day.  I'd put the burger in the same category as Five Guys... which didn't impress me that much because you have to go in and its a little overpriced.  In-N-Out was inexpensive and delicious.   I'll take that every time.  Maybe it should remind me What-a-burger, of which we only have one of in Baton Rouge but I remember them fondly from the Houston area. The grilled onions were money and the sauce added just enough kick to make the burger stand out.  The fries I had were forgettable.  I ate them all but they could have been a little crispier.  They weren't bad, but I wouldn't brag about them either.  Still, when in the far Southwestern USA and in need of quality, affordable fast food, give it a try!

The Bullfrog Brewery in Williamsport, PA

Williamsport, PA's Bullfrog Brewery

I thoroughly enjoyed my weekend in Williamsport, PA in large part because Caroline knows me so well.  The planned activities for the weekend: pretty much nothing.  The suggested activities for the weekend: find cultural, local, and authentic restaurants and bars at which to eat and drink, then do so.  Oh, and play with Lola (Caroline's enormous and fantastic puppy) while we rubbed our bellies to recover from all the eating and drinking.  How could it get much better?  After all, it was pretty darn cold outside!  One of our first stops in Williamsport came at the Bullfrog Brewery.  This brewpub in downtown had plenty of character, so we went in, grabbed a seat, and ordered a couple pints.

Brew Kettles and Fermenting Tanks at the Bullfrog Brewery

I began with an Amarillo-ville American Wheat, one of the specialty brews on the menu.  It had a great hops flavor without being overpowering.  I'd certainly suggest it to those who are intimidated by pale ales and want to get their toes wet with hops before jumping in.  From there the logical decision was to order a sampler of various Bullfrog beers.

Beer Sampler at the Bullfrog Brewhouse and Eatery

Like a lot of craft breweries, I generally preferred the beers more as I moved down the line from light to dark.  Particularly of note from Bullfrog were the Apricot Wheat and the Pumpkin Stout.  The Apricot Wheat had a fruity nose that went away slightly upon taste.  I liked that the apricot flavor did not overshadow the beer and make it taste like juice.  Bravo.  The Pumpkin Stout had similar characteristics in that the pumpkin and pumpkin spices did just enough to let you know this was no ordinary stout, but they let the craft beer do most of the talking on my taste buds.

Bullfrog Bruschetta

While quenching our thirst with refreshing brews, it dawned on Caroline and I that we should probably eat as well.  We started things off with an order of the Bullfrog Bruschetta.  The dish consisted of diced tomatoes, feta cheese, kalamata olives, sun-dried tomatoes, fresh basil, garlic, olive oil and cracked pepper. After placing the spread on some sliced focaccia bread I flew the plane to the hanger, so to speak.  The bruschetta actually impressed me a fair amount.  Light, refreshing, fresh, and pretty delicious.

The Pittsburger

Still, I couldn't resist going from that reasonably healthy bruschetta to a greasy, beefy burger.  The Pittsburger caught my eye since I did happen to be in Pennsylvanian at the time.  This contribution to the burgering world combined bacon, provolone, grilled onions, grilled mushrooms, lettuce, tomato, and cole slaw.  Added to that were some pretty fantastic garlic fries.  I'm not a huge cole slaw fan, but it actually worked on the burger.  The beef had plenty of juice while all the other toppings were piled high enough to fall off the bun at times.  Despite being rather tricky to eat, the Pittsburger got my approval.  Then I washed it down with more beer.

Appalachian Brewing Company, Harrisburg, PA

Volks Weizenbock from Appalachian Brewing

On the drive from Baltimore to Williamsport with Caroline, we stopped in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania to grab a couple beers at the Appalachian Brewing Company.  The brewpub is one of the largest in the country so stopping by just made sense.  I began with a pint of one of their specialty brews, the Volks Weizenbock.  The beer had a strong alcohol content but remained considerably drinkable from start to finish.

We soon ordered a couple appetizers that reminded me of typical northern food.  I already realized that I missed Louisiana cooking.  We ordered a round of Canadian Poutine as well as some "Craisy" Baked Bree.  The poutine is apparently a version of cheese fries that are made with steak fries, cheddar cheese curds, and brown gravy.  I'm all about giving things a try but these just weren't really very appetizing at all.  The bree tasted alright as it came with walnuts, craisins, and some ginger infused honey.  However, they served it with plain white toast... quite a disappointed accessory to such a flavorful spread.  I'm glad we just got some appetizers and beer, because I have a feeling a full meal would have been even more disappointing.

Oh well... I wasn't there for the food!  Time for more beer.  Naturally, since this was my first time at the brewery, I ordered the sample.  Delicious!  Now this was a good choice.  The Jolly Scot Scottish Ale easily rose to the top of my favorite list, followed by the Susquehanna Stout.  All of the beers were certainly drinkable in my book so taking them down didn't prove to be much of a problem!  Cheers!!

Beer Sampler at the Appalachian Brewing Company