Looking Back: Hot Chicken on a Tin Roof

by Marit Schroeder, intern

My first event as a Bite and Booze intern was Hot Chicken on a Tin Roof, and it was such a fun night! I wasn’t entirely sure about the amount of people that were going to show up and how the whole night would go down, but we had such a good time and it was a great start to my internship.

We did recipe testing at the #officehouse for about a week beforehand, so I got to try a bunch of spicy chicken recipes with different blends. I don’t usually get my lunch cooked fresh from a chef so I was living the high life. Some of the recipes were killer fire and some missed a key spice, but the final recipe was the perfect mix.

Hot Chicken Drumsticks

On the day of the event, we spent all day prepping food and getting stuff over to Tin Roof Brewing. It was also my first time in a brewery, and all the equipment was super cool to check out. (P.S., head over any time their taproom is open and take a free brewery tour.) I even got to try most of their beers that night and came away with a few favorites.

When the event started, I was pretty blown away with the nearly 400 people that showed up, and 20% of the food and beer proceeds went towards flood relief for the Great Baton Rouge Food Bank. We teamed up with some of the folks over at Roux 61. They helped us source food donations and came out to help cook the chicken and keep it rolling out all night. It was cool to see all the people that came out to Tin Roof and help serve food. I might’ve have dropped a few servings, it’s fine. My parents showed up to the event, too, just to make fun of me a bit while working, but they bought some trays of food so I’ll allow it.

Hot Chicken Plate complete with Mac and Cheese and Greens.

The event lasted for about 4 hours, and there was a steady stream of people coming and going all night. We served up hot or mild chicken, greens, mac and cheese and a dessert option of homemade banana pudding. The mac and cheese was definitely my favorite, and I loved the leftovers we got to take home after the event was over.

Overall, the event was a success and I’m still working here long enough after to tell my tale!

Corks & Cleaver Shows Off on the Mississippi Gulf Coast

by Jay Ducote

Chef David Dickensauge used to be a fixture in the Baton Rouge food scene, running the kitchen at Bin 77 with a creative and ever-changing menu as well as participating in numerous charity events by serving up inspired dishes to the crowds. When I got word that he'd be leaving Bin 77 to head to the Mississippi Gulf Coast, I knew it would be the capital city's loss and the coast's gain. 

I recently got a chance to check out his first restaurant in Gulfport, MS, Corks & Cleaver. With only a quick glance of the menu, you can evidently see his flair and flavor profile. A friend and I decided to feast on a sampling of small plates along with a bottle of wine, after all, corks is in the name. 

Coffee Braised Veal Cheeks, Truffled Popcorn Grits, Fermented Greens, Sweet Corn Pudding, Parsnip Volutte

Tender, and packed with flavor, the coffee braised veal cheeks fell apart at the prodding of a fork. That bitterness of the coffee offset the sweetness of the corn while the dish got an acidic bite from the fermented greens. The only thing I would have liked to add to this dish would be a crunch textural element. The grits, greens, corn pudding and veal all had a soft and smooth texture and could have used a snap but the flavors were on point.

Creole Devils on Horseback: Bacon wrapped Boudin and Andouille stuffed Medjool Dates with Piquillo-Tomato Sauce

A staple of Chef Dickensauge's arsenal is the Creole Devils on Horseback. He's made these before, he'll make them again and I'll be happy to eat them every time. Boudin and andouille get stuffed in a sweet Medjool date, then all of that is wrapped in bacon and plated atop a piquillo pepper and tomato sauce. The dish is smoky, porky, sweet, spicy and tangy. I need more.

Duck Confit Beignets, Bok Choy Kimchi, Smoked Date Marmalade, Cayenne Powdered Sugar

We opted for the duck confit beignets as our final small plate, because duck. These crispy, fluffy orbs of fried dough came stuffed with savory duck confit and bok choy kimchi. It's an interesting flavor combination to be sure, but one that works on multiple levels. The tartness from kimchi is just enough to counter the richness from the duck and dough, while the cayenne powdered sugar left just the right amount of sweet and spice.

David Dickensauge's Tres Leches Cake with Blueberries and Blackberries

We had to have something for dessert and our server suggested the tres leches cake. I'm not normally a fan of tres leches as sometimes the textures just don't agree with me, but we were assured that this tres leches cake would live up to the hype.

Earlier this year I had hands down the best panna cotta of my life, and now I can also say that this year I've tried my favorite tres leches cake ever. What Chef David Dickensauge and his team really nailed is the texture. Instead of being a soggy mess, the moist cake held up to the milk and the flavors hit all the right notes.

Hopefully I'll get a chance to get back to Corks & Cleaver at some point. I'm also really excited about Chef David's new seafood restaurant, Brackish. Check it out if you're ever on the Mississippi Gulf Coast!

Fullness Farm, Uprooted

by Sydney Blanchard

Each month, our Uprooted series will highlight local chefs, restaurants, organizations, and farmers who are spearheading the farm-to-table and local foodways movements in South Louisiana.

An often unmentioned but important catalyst of the farm-to-table movement is what you might call a Walden-esque fantasy of escapism. Thoreau’s famous escape to Walden Pond at the end of the 19th century represents the fear and anxiety of a world reacting to the growing pains of the Industrial Revolution.

More than a century and a half has passed since the original publishing of Walden, and now more than ever before, technology sprints ahead of us at breakneck speeds. And, in theory, it breeds in us all the desire to return to our roots to escape it all. It’s sort of a romanticism of nature, a romanticism of the primal.

For most of us, this Walden Pond fantasy will never be more than that, just a fleeting daydream while stuck in traffic or on hold with the internet service provider.

For others, like Allison and Grant Guidroz, they made their dreams a reality.

These Baton Rouge natives started Fullness Organic Farm within the last year, and they’ve been able to turn their little half-acre of greens into a lucrative income stream. 

Look at these gorgeous leafy greens out at Fullness Farm off of Nicholson Drive in Baton Rouge

Both Allison and Grant graduated from LSU in 2011 with degrees in psychology and agricultural business, respectively. After college, the couple began working with Slow Food Baton Rouge and Americorps, through which they were able to to live and work on Inglewood Farms in Alexandria, Louisiana, and another farm in Arkansas, learning what it takes to run an organic farm.

Allison and Grant Guidroz, owners of Fullness Farm, are proud of their carrot babies

“We looked at it kind of like getting our graduate degree [in organic farming],” Allison said.

Before finding his calling in organic farming, Grant had briefly majored in finance in college.

“I figured I wanted to make a lot of money and not work hard, and I thought that would make me happy,” he said. “But it turns out, maybe working really hard and not making a lot of money but doing something that I love is what will make me happy.”

Allison and Grant are the picture of happiness. They live in what used to be a caretaker’s house on their land. The house, built in the 1940s, had been abandoned and was covered in mold, but the couple remodeled it, and their cozy little cottage acts as Fullness Farm headquarters for the Guidrozes and their dog, Tippy Toes.

Allison and Grant’s half-acre of land bears gorgeous greens. They mainly focus on growing baby greens, but they also grow spinach, three kinds of kale, mustard greens, radishes, turnips, arugula, French sorrel, broccoli, carrots and more.

Generally, they harvest and deliver to local restaurants on Fridays and sell the rest of their product at the Red Stick Farmer’s Market on Saturday mornings.

The only organic growers at the market, the Guidrozes decided to do make Fullness Farm their full-time gig after their first go at the farmer’s market.

For Grant, it’s not about producing huge volumes of produce. A huge motivator is producing the best tasting, most nutrient rich foods possible. 

According to research conducted over the last 15 years, certain plant species have been found to contain more phytonutrients than others. Phytonutrients are compounds linked to reduced risk of cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and dementia.

For example, a Peruvian purple potato has 28 times the cancer-fighting benefits than russet potatoes. One species of apple has 100 times more phytonutrients than the Golden Delicious variety found at most grocery stores.

“I want to grow seriously good food,” he said.

Tri-color carrots at Fullness Farm

For Allison, it’s the same.

“We like to eat good stuff,” she said. “That was a big thing for me.”

Their return to Baton Rouge was no accident. The Guidrozes wanted to come home to utilize their resources, and say that the little strip of land off of Nicholson they dubbed Fullness Farm wouldn’t have been possible without their local connections.

“We really knew we wanted to be back home, doing it here, growing it for our friends and family,” Allison said. “I grew up with my parents cooking. I like to cook, and I really like good food. And man, this food tastes awesome.”

To try some of the awesome-tasting food coming out of Fullness Farm, look for them at the Red Stick Farmer’s Market on Saturday mornings or grab some of their green goodies from Indie Plate.

Read more Uprooted here:

Nino's Italian, Uprooted

Indie Plate, Uprooted

Red Stick Farmers Market, Uprooted

Iverstine Family Farms, Uprooted

Murder Point Oysters, Uprooted

Southern Foodways Alliance, Uprooted

Month of Salads: Barefoot's at the Hilton Sandestin

Blackened Grouper Salad at Barefoot's

by Jay D. Ducote

Sometimes I just need to eat a salad, and thus, two years ago I created the Month of Salads on Bite and Booze. The idea is two-fold: first, I need to eat more salads and this seemed like a good way to trick myself into feasting like a rabbit. Secondly, salads CAN be good, and we here at Bite and Booze need to focus a little more on them. So now every August on the blog that's what we do.

Recently on a trip to Destin for the Beer Industry League of Louisiana's annual convention, I enjoyed several meals with beach views at Barefoot's, a poolside bar and grill at the Hilton Sandestin. For one of those meals, as the Month of Salads is designed to encourage me to do, I ordered a salad.

I went with a blackened grouper salad, served with an adequately spiced fish over a bed of organic mixed greens with spiced pecans, roma tomatoes, carrot strings, and a citrus vinaigrette. The tartness from the lemon added a nice balance to the blackening spices on the fish. The rest of the salad did its job as the pecans added a delightful textural balance. And the other good news: I felt pretty light and chipper for the rest of my day at the beach!

A Little Soul in the Old Heart of Baton Rouge: Dominique's Stockyard Café

by Blair "B-Rex" Loup

Many argue that Baton Rouge struggles to find a food identity, but sometimes, what I love most about our culinary culture is the variety. I hail from Sulphur, Louisiana which is home to mostly chain restaurants, mediocre Tex-Mex, and simple Americana, so moving to Baton Rouge for school became a gastronomic awakening.

Baton Rouge does a handful of things really well, and soul food is absolutely one of them.

I’ve always been an adventurous eater and made a conscientious effort to seek out hidden gem eateries to which the average college student might not venture. However, Dominique’s Stockyard Café is something I didn’t find until under the seasoned wing of Jay Ducote.

Pulling up to the Stockyard Café, I don’t know why, but I wasn’t expecting it to be an actual stockyard. Already charmed by the exterior, I entered into the café to the smell of one of the greatest things on the planet: lunch.

I am very into mac n’ cheese always, but I’ve found that soul food places tend to make theirs with spaghetti noodles. It’s not the worst idea I’ve ever heard. A bite of that with the gravied up meatloaf punched a one-way ticket to nap city.

Meat Loaf over Rice & Gravy with Mac n' Cheese and Cornbread

Meanwhile, Jay had a rib in one hand, fried okra in another, and a goofy grin on his face. Sides of flavor bursting cornbread dressing and gravy, hearty greens, and a few strips of delectably crispy fried catfish decorated the table. Pair everything with the smiling faces of people cooking good food, and each bite becomes more heavenly than the last.

Cornbread Dressing with Gravy, Fried Okra, and Greens

Crispy Fried Catfish and a plethora of more delicious sides at Stockyard Café

If you find yourself near the Old Mississippi River Bridge craving cozy home cooking at a decent price, Stockyard is a great place to stop in. And, you can actually see old Stockyard while you're there!

Jazz Feast: The Food Festival within a Festival

by Blair "B-Rex" Loup

Squeal BBQ's Smoky Bacon Greens and Jazz Fest favorite Fried Green Tomatoes

Though the Jazz Fest line-up changes every year, there are a couple of things that typically remain consistent: the crowds and the food vendors. It’s been a long-running joke that a food vendor has to die before another new vendor gets the chance to dish out grub to hungry music fans.

Blair Loup and her brother Jake at Jazz Fest waiting to see Hozier play.

As it turns out, this year a handful of food vendors chose to retire, bringing a few new bites to the food market. I dragged my older brother Jake to the festival opening day to help me eat…and to see the devastatingly beautiful Hozier play.

We enjoyed some of the classics: fried green tomatoes, cochon de lait po-boy, sweet potato turnover, etc. But the smoky bacon greens from new food vendor Squeal landed at the top of our list.

There are a lot of classic Jazz Fest foods, and while we didn’t get the chance to eat all of them, I finally tried one of the most famous of Jazz Fest bites for the first time. I have been a fest goer for a little over half a decade and had never tried crawfish bread. After one bite, I’d be willing to get a heart tattooed on my shoulder with crawfish bread inscribed at its center. Below are a handful of the foods and beverages I saw and had the pleasure of ingesting:

Rose mint tea at Jazz Fest is one of those things I can't live without. It's herbaceous and sweetened with local honey. It's the bee knees, and if you haven't tried it you need to reevaluate your life choices.

Rose Mint Tea

While fried chicken and jambalaya aren't hard to come by in Louisiana, there are a lot of festival attendees from out of state. While we take it for granted, the food at Jazz Fest is an all new discovery for those who come from all over the country. I saw people chomping down on this crispy fried chicken all day and smiling ear to ear.

Classic Fried Chicken and Jambalaya

The cochon de lait po-boy is a must-have at Jazz Fest. This hefty fellow is packed with succulent pork that's perfect if you're planning on indulging in a few beers or daiquiris between shows...or throughout the day.

Cochon de Lait Po-Boy

Thanks to the festival gods, we find ourselves in the midst of crawfish season during Jazz Fest. There's no smell as tantalizing as a fresh pot of boiled crawfish. It's not a five pound tray of crawfish, but it's enough to get a taste. As previously mentioned, boiled crawfish is a delicacy to all, but curiously pursued by those who travel to the fest... hopefully with elastic in their waistbands. 

Boiled Crawfish

I noticed a man walking by with what looked like the ultimate trio of deliciousness. A crispy fried oyster po-boy accompanied by fluffy, savory crawfish beignets drowned in a cream sauce would be a sin to enjoy even if you stopped there. However, to also wash them down with a sweet blackberry cobbler... I love Louisiana.

From left to right: Fried Oyster Po-Boy, Blackberry Cobbler, and Crawfish Beignets

Squeal BBQ stepped up to the plate to replace a former BBQ vendor at the fest. The line outside their booth seemed constant throughout the day. Hopefully they'll be back next year slinging more of their tasty 'que to fest goers!

BBQ Chicken Sandwich (left) and BBQ Brisket Sandwich (right) from Squeal BBQ

Finally, after 24 years of searching, I found love. I don't know what I expected, but the crawfish bread at Jazz Fest lived up to every bit of hype I've ever heard. A religious experience within itself, crawfish bread is cheesy, spicy, buttery, and all I want until the end of time.

Crawfish Bread

Bite and Booze Bonus: Don't skip on the sweets. Most of the bands I go to see at Jazz Fest perform on the Gentily Stage. Along the way, a small booth laid tucked away from the crowd serving up some of the most delicious Macaroons I've tasted. Also, on your way to the market (heading from the Acura Stage to the Gentily Stage side) stop and grab a sweet potato turnover!

Sylvia's: Soul Food in NYC

Fried Chicken and Ribs Combo at Sylvia's in Harlem

During my most recent trip to NYC, I experienced by The Bronx and Harlem for the first time.  I recommend both areas to anybody who is trying to soak up some true culture while in the Big Apple.  Much like New Orleans where I advise visitors to get out of the French Quarter for at least a little while, when in New York you truly must escape from lower Manhattan at some point.

Harlem lays claim to one of the most popular soul food restaurants in New York: Sylvia's.  With national acclaim and quite a bit of press to back it up, the Queen of Soul Food is definitely on the map as a restaurant.  I decided that I ought to sample a few things while sitting in the breezy curbside dining area, so I ordered the Bar-B-Que Ribs and Fried Chicken Combo ($18.95).

The chicken leg quarter had a crispy crust but lacked significant flavor.  The ribs had been oven-roasted in a "barbecue" sauce that tasted more like sweet and sour to me.  While both items were quite tasty, they didn't really compare to soul food from the South.  I know many Louisiana kitchens where I would have gotten three times the food for the same price, and it would have all been amazing.  The greens and mac and cheese tasted fairly authentic and I enjoyed them with the meats.  I washed my meal down with a highly drinkable Sugar Hill Golden Ale from the Harlem Brewing Company.  In the end, Sylvia's presented edible food with a southern soul feel, but didn't live up to my lofty expectations.  It happens.  I'm yet to find a New York style pizza in the South that lives up to what you can actually find in NYC!

YTAC's Kiss My Grits Gulf Coast Throwdown

Last Thursday evening I had the extreme pleasure of judging the YTAC (Young Texans Against Cancer) Kiss My Grits Gulf Coast Throwdown in Houston, TX.  Sara Jackson recruited me to come serve as a judge and represent Louisiana on the grits judging panel.  I was joined by Houston Texans's Quarterback Matt Schaub, the Food Editor of the Houston Chronicle, Greg Morago, and Sarah Rufca from Houston's Culture Map. The star-studded panel knew we'd be eating some good food, but nothing could prepare us for the constant flow of gastronomic grits glory that was about to unfold.

Jay Ducote and Matt Schaub prepare to gorge on some grits

My mom also came to the event to support the cause and sample a few grits.  Some of Houston's best chefs were there to try their hand at grits cooking in order win foodie trips to New Orleans and Dallas.  But most of all, the event raised $45,000 to benefit cancer awareness and Houston area cancer centers.  Oh, and Saint Arnold brought some local beer, which is always nice!  Now, on to the food!

Dish number one came from Chef Jeramie Robison of Zimm’s Little Deck and Restaurant Cinq.  Chef Robison featured jalapeño grits underneath a seared Gulf grouper filet and a poached quail egg.  I loved the southwestern flavor of the grits that also had cilantro in them.  The crispy exterior of the grouper added a great contrast to the egg and grits as well.  Plus, he served the dish with a smoked lime margarita.  Extra points there!

The first attempt at Shrimp and Grits came from Chef Chris Shepard of Catalan and Underbelly.  The dish featured a pair of cold cocktail style shrimp with a fried ball made out of blue corn grits and pork served over a parsnip puree.  The grit and pork ball ended up being rather similar to a Cajun boudin ball.  It also had a little sweetness from a syrup in it that worked really well.

Chef Randy Evans of Haven presented the judges with a duo of Grits Congee.  Congee is a porridge traditionally made out of rice in many Asian countries.  To step outside the box and use grits to make congee certainly showed a little creativity.  Chef Evans had two types of congee for us to try: Louisiana crawfish and Texas pork.  Each bowl also included a touch of chili oil as well as an assortment of additions that were served on the side including homemade cracklins!  This dish certainly got extra points for being inventive as well as delicious.

Another fascinating dish came from Chef Jamie Zelko of Zelko Bistro.  Chef Zelko used all sorts of local ingredients to create her seemingly simple yet surprisingly complex dish of sausage, grits, and greens.  The sausage had a wonderful flavor and everything on the plate came out very delicious.  At the bottom of the leaf bowl there was also an agave nectar that took everything up even another notch on the taste bud chart.

The second shrimp and grits plate we were served came from Chef Elouise Adams of Ouisie’s Table.  The shrimp were warm and had great flavor after being cooked down in white wine and lemon juice.  I also really liked the mushrooms and other flavors in the grits.  Everything tasted fine and well prepared, but the other judges and I had a hard time finding the creativity in this dish like we found in some of the others.

Speaking of creativity and interesting dishes, Chef Jason Gould of Cyclone Anaya’s and Quench presented us with this masterpiece on a plate.  The dish featured a bacon, herb, and cheese fried grit cake stuffed with braised pork served over fresh arugula and julienned apples that had been tossed in a little apple cider vinegar.  On the side came a little cold corn mustard to add some extra flavor.  The grit cake highlighted the dish while the greens, fruit, and mustard all kept the dish light and refreshing.  This was one of my favorites for sure.

Chef Mark Holley from Pesce took us for another trip around the world with his gnocchi grits and charcuterie plate.  It also featured a bouillabaisse reduction and everything being cooked down in fennel.  The gnocchi style grits brought a great texture that certainly made the dish unique.  The sausage and greens were salty and delicious.  I found that everything on the plate had a consistent salty flavor.  While it tasted good, there was nothing else there to balance out the dish.  Still, bravo to Chef Holley, because this dish was good!

Next up were the Kimchi Grits from Chef Seth Siegel-Gardner of Kata Robata.  Served with some sake and Asahi beer from Japan, this dish was already off to a good start.  The kimchi flavor in the grits left them tasting a little sweet and tart at the same time.  Atop the grits was a pickled lamb wonton and some flowery greens that provided more than just eye appeal.  The dish had superb balance and creativity, and tasted phenomenal.

Chef Randy Rucker of Bootsie’s Heritage Cafe took the biggest risk of the evening by serving his version of breakfast in a cup.  Chef Rucker used instant grits to go along with his scrambled egg mousse, fried honeycomb cow stomach, and maple syrup.  The bowl did have excellent, classic breakfast flavors.  Unfortunately, I felt like the texture of the instant grits wasn't ideal for this dish, especially when paired with the scrambled egg mousse of the same consistency.  The fried tripe, however, tasted amazing!

The final dish of the evening came from Chef Jonathan Jones of Beaver’s.  The dish, in his words, represented Texas on a plate.  His grits were unique in that they were baked in the oven low and slow with mixture of eggs, local sheep's milk feta and all sorts of goodies.  The grits ended up acting almost like a cake.  Chef JJ baked them until a crust formed on the top to provide some extra texture.  In addition to the unique take on grits, the plate also had some Texas-style pork shoulder grillades, mushrooms and pearl onions.  The dish as a whole was every bit as interesting as it was delicious.  The only complaint I had was that the pork didn't quite end up being as tender as I would have liked.  All we had were forks and we we almost needed a knife to cut the grillades.  Still, Chef JJ presented an excellent final dish of the contest, and I knew that the judging would be close!

I know my buddy Alvin Schultz, who writes the blog Eat. Drink. Experience., cast his vote for Chef JJ's baked grits and grillades.  My mom dropped her voting beads for Chef Jason Gould's grit cake.  For me, the top point earner was Chef Siegel-Gardner's Kimchi Grits with 35/40.  Next was a tie between Chef Gould and Chef Evans with 34 points each.  Several others were close with 32 or 33 points.  The top two in audience votes and judges points were announced:

People's Choice:
1. Chef Jason Gould's grit cake over greens with corn mustard
2. Chef Mark Holley's grit gnocchi and charcuterie

Judges results:
1. Chef Seth Siegel-Gardner
2. Tie: Chef Jeramie Robison and Chef Randy Rucker

A huge thanks to all the chefs who participated, all of YTAC board members and volunteers for putting on such a great and well-attended charity event, and especially to Sara Jackson for inviting me to be one of the judges for such an amazing culinary contest for a cause!