Pico's: A Houston "Mex-Mex" Institution

by Blair Loup

Since establishing Pico’s in 1984, it has become a shining beacon of “Mex-Mex” cuisine in the holy land of Tex-Mex. The Richards family treats their customers like relatives. When you enter the sprawling restaurant you can hear fresh margaritas shaking, smell the hand-pressed tortillas on the flat top and see the genuine smile across the faces of their employees. You can’t have a bad time at Pico’s; they simply won’t allow it.

It’s a large restaurant, but don’t let that fool you. Chef, and owner, Arnaldo Richard has his hand in every dish. The attention to detail that goes in to the flavor built on each plate is extremely authentic. If you’re looking for true Mexican cuisine in the Houston area, you need not look any further.

The depth of flavor isn’t just in the food though. Arnaldo’s daughter Monica Richards is at the helm of their fantastic tequila program. Even the most baseline of margaritas at Pico’s is top-notch. Whether you’re looking to demolish a couple of shakers of their house margaritas or taste from some of Monica’s select barrels, she has taken the time to curate a truly special tequila experience for their guests. The tequila selection alone is a worth the trip.

Jay, Chef Aimee and I have had the pleasure of dining with Monica and visiting with Arnaldo on a couple of occasions and each trip has only made our hearts grow fonder. Here are a few of the best bites and sips we had the last time we were there:

Ontiones Carlos Slim is one dish that I think speaks to the attention to detail and flavor building Arnaldo's cooking is centered around. With this take on Oysters Rockefeller, Arnaldo uses an intricate blend of celery leaf, tarragon, chervil, parsley, herb saint, spinach, collard greens and purslane and tops each bite with cotija and parmesan cheeses.

Ontiones Carlos Slim

These mussels are sautéed in a white wine and crema sauce with Spanish chorizo and topped with micro cilantro. After we got a hold of their bolilla (similar to French bread) these babies didn't last long. The creaminess of the sauce combined with the flavor of the mussels and the little kick and umami from the chorizo made each one more poppable than the last.

Mejillones a la Gallega

I'm not going to lie. I think about this next dish all the time. In a section on their menu called Al Ajillo you can find some of the tastiest dishes in the whole joint. Ajillo is a condiment in Mexican cuisine that is made by infusing olive oil with dried chilis and fresh sliced garlic for a minimum of 72 hours. It's even more amazing than it sounds. They sauté different types of seafood in this delectable concoction, but my favorite version is the octopus. So tender, it feels like you're biting into a cloud that's soaked in garlic/chile olive oil; insane.

Pulpo Al Ajillo

Mole holds a very special place in my heart. There's a lot that goes into each mole, but you can always be sure of one thing when it comes to this comforting dish: whoever took the time to make it, undoubtedly stirred in a lot of love. In this case Arnaldo moved me to feelings. The duck fell apart in the rich, decadent mole and the tostones hit the hearty, but sweet notes. I would order this dish again and again.  

Until next time, Pico's! If you're ever in the Houston area, Pico's is a must. Keep a look out for some of their phenomenal tequila dinners as well! 

Still thinking about our fun night tasting delicious tequilas with Monica from the legendary @picosrestaurant last night! #tequila #houston #mexmex

A post shared by Bite & Booze (@biteandbooze) on Jun 13, 2017 at 9:16am PDT

Insta-Worthy Cocktails in Baton Rouge and New Orleans

by Sydney Blanchard

I don't know about y'all, but any time I go out and order a cocktail, I feel compelled to photograph it and post it on Instagram. There's just something so fun and novel about ordering a pretty cocktail. And if it tastes great? Even better.

Louisiana (New Orleans, specifically) is the birthplace of the cocktail, and what better way to celebrate local cocktail culture than to make a not-so-comprehensive list of some of the most photo-worthy cocktails we've had in the Baton Rouge/New Orleans area?

Without further adieu...here's our list! What would you include?

Grapefruit Margarita at Jolie Pearl Oyster Bar

A little sweet, a little tart, and adorably pink, the grapefruit margarita at Jolie Pearl is perfect for pairing with oysters. 

Vodka Freeze at Bistro Byronz

This snow-white, boozy vodka freeze is a Bistro Byronz favorite.Topped with a cherry and a lime slice, it's also a guaranteed like-generator on Instagram. 

Blueberry Hill at Olive or Twist

You can't get an ugly cocktail at Olive or Twist. This muddled blueberry cocktail bursts with berry flavor and color, making it perfectly photogenic.

Sweet-T-Sway at Lock & Key Whiskey Bar

As gorgeous as it is delicious, Lock & Key's picture perfect Sweet-T-Sway combines sweet tea, pomegranate liqueur, muddled mint and hand-crushed ice. 

Jalapeño Pineapple Cilantro Margarita at Araña

Visually stunning chunky pineapple and bright green jalapeño bits make this margarita at Araña pop (and will make all your followers envious).

Damn Thistle at Sac-A-Lait

Sweet, syrupy, and adorned with an edible hibiscus flower, the picturesque Damn Thistle at Sac-A-Lait features Donner-Peltier's Oryza Vodka and tastes like a dream.

Araña: The Only Spider I Welcome

by Blair "B-Rex" Loup

Generally speaking, New Orleans is a fantastic destination for food. This is not news. There’s so much for your palate to experience, yet so little time.

In the same streets you taste dishes that are new, inventive, and inspiring, you can experience meals that are so old they practically birthed the crescent city. In a place that is so uniquely Louisiana, some of the meals I’ve enjoyed most recently in New Orleans are based around lime, cotiga cheese, and cilantro.

Araña is everything I want in a Mexican restaurant. Their presentation is beautiful, the flavors are on fleek, and it’s simply built for a good time.

When I dine out, I consider three criteria: atmosphere, drinks, and apps & ‘sserts (because you can’t have one without the other).

If a restaurant pulls off all of these elements successfully, they can have my money.

Atmosphere: check.

I prefer when a restaurant is cozy (not too cramped, but not a cave), the design is well thought out, and the seating allows for natural lighting (because I take pictures of everything I ingest). So many restaurants get things wrong: uncomfortable seating, bad lighting, canned, adult-contemporary music playing in the background.

But Araña is a place I could sit and sip for hours.

Drinks: check.

I tried three drinks that were on totally different levels.

First, the Jalapeño Pineapple Cilantro Margarita: the depth of flavor gave me life. The grilled pineapple has a sultry sweetness from caramelizing on the grill, the fresh jalapeño adds just enough back heat, and I live my life thinking that cilantro improves most things. We’ll call this one a win.

The Jalapeño Pineapple Cilantro Margarita

Next up, the Romera Fresca. This puppy is packed with savory, tart confusion in a great way. Juniper-infused tequila hit with a zing of small batch tonic and finished off with a house-made rosemary syrup can grace my glass any day. Another point to Gryffindor. 

The Romera Fresca: Juniper-Infused Tequila,  Small Batch Tonic, and House Made Rosemary Syrup

I’m not into things that are super sweet, so dessert drinks aren’t my jam. I thought it couldn’t be done, but Araña said, “Here’s our frozen, drunken Horchata. Enjoy.”

Enjoy, I did, and to that I say winner winner, chicken dinner. 

Drunken Horchata

Bite and Booze Bonus: If you’re into tequila, Araña has something for you. Joining the Araña Tequilla Society is free. With each tequila you taste, you take another (somewhat more inebriated) step towards rewards ranging from t-shirts to free tequila flights to a free bottle of expensive tequila. Worried about keeping up with your passport? Don’t be—Araña holds on to it for you. They’ve thought of everything!

Apps, shareables, and ‘sserts: Check. 

Apps and ‘sserts is Blair-speak for appetizers and dessert. If I’m meeting up with my friends, I’m all about grabbing apps and ‘sserts. While there are some stellar sandwiches and entrées, if you share more, you taste more. It’s science.

Here’s the lineup:

Atop a velvety bed of milky oaxaca cheese lies a spicy blanket of house-made chorizo just waiting to be spread on warm corn tortillas and drizzled with a magically bold red sauce. Don’t think, just order it. 

Queso Fundido: House-Made Chorizo, Grilled Oaxaca Cheese, and Corn Tortillas

Tacos are the most delicious way to get your fix without feeling too full, and Araña has some great options. I’m a sucker for tacos Al Pastor: I'm into the savory and sweet juicy pork and succulent pineapple chunks.

Tacos Al Pastor: Shaved Pork, Grilled Pineapple, Cilantro, and Onion

I’m pretty sure “Your Body is a Wonderland” by John Mayer was written about the Torta Ahogana.

Slow roasted pork on bolillo bread, black bean purée, avocado, crema, cotiga cheese, and cumin pickled onion come together under a waterfall of spicy chili dipping salsa and make for a mountain of flavor.

Mind you, this is literally a quarter of the sandwich that’s on the menu so it’s certifiably shareable. 

Torta Ahogada: Slow Roasted Pork on Bolillo Bread, Black Bean Purée, Avocado, Crema, Cotiga Cheese, Cumin Pickled Onion, Spicy Chili Dipping Salsa

The art of the classic fajita has been lost, and Araña has found it in the form of their Poc Chuc.

Smoked pork loin, escabecbe (pickled veggies), crisp red cabbage, and a pork-fried onion poblano sauce were meant to live inside of that corn tortilla, y’all. Pair that with a flight of tequila and I’m in.

Poc Chuc: Smoked Pork Loin, Escabeche, Red Cabbage, Pork Fried Onion Poblano Sauce, and Corn Tortilla

Bite and Booze Bonus: Araña also has brunch (word on the street is that it’s killer). 

Desserts are tricky with me. I can't get more than a bite or two in to a super sweet dessert, but I could get after this Trés Leches cake with fresh berries all day. A little sweet, a little creamy, and totally traditional, it’s definitely worth the caloric sacrifice.

Trés Leches Cake

I know there's a mess of restaurants to try out in New Orleans, but Araña has something special going on that's worth your money.

Between Two Shells: Raw Gulf Oysters topped with Cucumber Mignonette and Fresh Grapefruit Margaritas

by Blair "B-Rex" Loup

The Fresh Grapefruit Margarita and Cucumber Mignonette at Jolie Pearl Oyster Bar

If you've stepped outside lately, you may have noticed it’s hot out. This time of year presents me with an unsolvable problem: when I get out of my car, my glasses fog up because I’m blasting the air conditioning, then my vision gets hit with 90% humidity. It’s my cross to bear, and the only respite is a fresh-squeezed margarita from Jolie Pearl.

Aside from serving fresh oysters from all over, they freshly squeeze all of the juices for their mixed drinks. When the heat gets unbearable, I hop on that citrusy-drink-and-ice-cold-seafood train.

I highly recommend dropping everything and grabbing a few grapefruit margaritas, a dozen raw Gulf oysters, and top them with Jolie Pearl's flavor-packed cucumber mignonette.

This pairing tastes like summer.

One second I’m downtown, and one bite later,  I’m by a pool with attractive people fanning me and pouring grapefruit margaritas down my throat. The sweet and spicy cucumber mignonette paired with the cool creaminess of the oyster matches up perfectly with the tangy citrus of the grapefruit and that element only tequila can bring.

It’s summer, y’all, and it’s hot outside, so treat yo self and head over to Jolie Pearl Oyster Bar. They can get your life right.

Below some of the other pairings we suggest at Jolie Pearl:

Raw Gulf Oysters and Fresh Margaritas
Oysters Rockefeller and the Louisiana Mule

Between Two Shells: Raw Gulf Oysters and Fresh Margaritas

by Blair Loup aka BRFluff

A Raw Gulf Oyster paired with a Fresh Margarita at Jolie Pearl

I remember as a child growing up in Southwest Louisiana, all of the men in my family gathered around a table slurping oysters out of shells at crawfish boils and fish fries. When my dad handed me my first Gulf oyster he encouraged me to try it without crackers and cocktail sauce. I looked at this slimy thing with a few drops of Tabasco and a squeeze of lemon cautiously, then knocked it back in true YOLO fashion (sorry not sorry). I’ve been a sucker for raw oysters ever since. When Jolie Pearl Oyster Bar opened up in downtown Baton Rouge I was excited to taste oysters from other areas for the first time.

Jolie Pearl offers a wide range of raw, baked, and chargrilled oysters and we at Bite and Booze have made it our self-serving mission to pair each of these with a delicious craft beer, wine, or one of Jolie Pearl’s stellar cocktails.

While I enjoy trying different types of oysters, the Gulf oyster tastes nostalgic to me for obvious reasons. It’s creamy, briny, and slightly murky (which is where the flavor comes from); add to that a little pop from a spicy horseradish sauce and you’ve got yourself a bite of Louisiana. Most of the time I would pair this with a beer, but I couldn’t pass up the fresh margarita. This version is made with freshly squeezed lemon, lime, and orange juices in addition to a little agave nectar. There’s something about the taste of fresh citrus and tequila with a sugar/salt rim paired with a freshly shucked Gulf oyster that makes me feel like I’m in one of those wind machines with money flying all around.

It’s a good time at Jolie Pearl Oyster Bar. There’s a vinyl happy hour (because yas) Monday-Friday from 4-7pm, and live music most Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights.

We’ve only shucked the surface with these pairings, so check back here every month for more Bite and Booze pairings from Jolie Pearl Oyster Bar!

The Happiest of Happy Hours at Johnny Sánchez

– Sydney "Brown Nose" Blanchard

A couple of weeks ago, Blair and I took a little road trip to New Orleans to interview the Headmistress of Hops herself, Nora McGunnigle. We made it to the city sooner than expected, and to kill some time we figured we'd stop in somewhere and take advantage of some Happy Hour deals.

That's when we stumbled upon Johnny Sánchez. The restaurant, situated in the CBD, resulted from the combined efforts of Chefs Aarón Sánchez and John Besh. Together, the two established a Mexican-style taqueria utilizing the amazing local ingredients available in New Orleans. 

Johnny Sánchez has a super cool interior. Find them at 930 Poydras Street in New Orleans. 

With a focus on local ingredients and the super cool atmosphere, it's no surprise it was a hit with us. 

The moment we were seated, we were brought a green, chunky salsa and a dark red, thinner salsa. For optimum dipping, we were brought tortilla and plantain chips. I'd never tried dipping plantain chips into anything, and after that fateful day, my eyes have been opened. Blair and I couldn't agree on which of the salsas we preferred. Luckily, our waitress kept bringing us refills of each as we decided on our drinks.

Johnny Sánchez has crazy Happy Hour deals. From Sunday to Friday between 3 pm and 6 pm, draft beer, house wine and well mixed drinks are half off. Their house made margarita pitchers are half off. And their street tacos are only five bucks.

Blair and I opted for the 'ritas, made with Agavales blanco, lime, triple sec, and agave and rimmed with salt.

Before we decided on a more substantial meal, we got hit with the best guacamole either of us had ever had. It was made with avocado, pico de gallo, lime and cilantro, which is pretty standard, but it was topped with radish shavings. We couldn't get enough. 

Can't get enough of this guac. 

As for the street tacos, we ordered one of each. You know, for science. 

The Pork Carnitas taco is filled with slow-cooked pork, chipotle, and raw onion. As a pork fan, this was one of my favorites. The combination of the pork flavors with crunchy onion does me in every time. 

The Pork Carnitas street taco

The Al Pastor, with chargrilled pork, achiote, and grilled pineapple was a close second. I'll put grilled pineapple on anything. The acidity of the grilled pineapple complemented the pork really well. 

The Al Pastor street taco

The Papas con Rajas were a happy surprise. I didn't have much faith in a taco filled with Yukon gold potatoes, grilled poblano peppers and onions, and chihuahua, but I clearly underestimated my love for carb-based tacos.

The Papas con Rajas street taco

It has been well-documented that Blair loves beef tongue. The Lengua was right up her alley: slow-cooked beef tongue, Valentina hot sauce, and white onion. It's almost like this taco was made with Blair in mind. Valentina is her hot sauce of choice at home. 

The Lengua street taco

Last, but definitely not least, the Chorizo y Camote, with Mexican chorizo, crispy sweet potatoes, and pickled red onion. These might have been my favorite. They reminded me of the authentic street tacos I had in Austin. Once you try the pink pickled onion, there's no going back. I have dreams about these tacos. 

The Chorizo y Camote street taco

By this point, we'd finished our 'ritas. Blair ordered a beer, and I ordered a wine, and we continued munching and talking happily until we left the CBD to meet Nora at Avenue Pub on St. Charles.

If you want to get in on one of the happiest hours I've experienced, check out Johnny Sánchez.

El Scotcho: Whisk(e)y Wednesday presented by Lock & Key

El Scotcho at Lock & Key

Sometimes a whisky cocktail just hits the spot. Case and point - the entire cocktail menu at Lock & Key. The cocktails are divided into two sections: those who already love whiskey and want to taste it upfront and often... and those who have doubts about all forms of whisky and whiskey and might need some proverbial training wheels to get started on their brown liquor indulgence. One of those whiskey doubters cocktails is called El Scotcho. It is essentially a house made margarita that uses a peated, blended Scotch Whisky instead of tequila. Before you start crying foul, just think about a lot of the similarities between Scotch and tequila, especially good Scotch and good tequila. There is an earthy, smoky, characteristic to both liquors that actually shares more in common than one might think. So to make a margarita out of Scotch, while a little out of left field, most definitely works in this case.

El Scotcho takes Black Grouse peated blended Scotch and combines it with a little lemon, lime, Cointreau, agave nectar, a few dashes of Mexican mole bitters, and topped with ginger beer. The result is a refreshing and delicious whisky based cocktail that both whisky lovers and those trying to cut their teeth on the spirit can both enjoy!


Whisk(e)y Wednesday is a blog post series on Bite and Booze sponsored by the Lock & Key Whiskey Bar. Lock & Key has one of Baton Rouge's best selections of bourbon, Scotch, Irish, and other whisk(e)ys available for on premise consumption. This WW feature was scored by Jay Ducote and Blair Loup from Bite and Booze, Arthur Lauck from Lock & Key, and Jeremy Spikes. Scores are marked for Nose, Taste, Finish, and Balance and Complexity using our own proprietary scoring system. Marks are then added and averaged, leaving us with a final score out of a 100 point scale. Our scale should be looked at on the full range of 0-100 rather than an academic range where 70 is passing and anything less is failing. A 50 should be considered a very mediocre whisk(e)y (though not undrinkable) while anything below 20 is absolute horse piss and anything above 80 is rather extraordinary and anything above 90 is world class.

Yamazaki Sidecar at Nobu: Whisk(e)y Wednesday presented by Calandro's Supermarket

Yamazaki Sidecar and Mia Margarita from Nobu in Malibu

While in Los Angeles a few weeks ago I had the opportunity to dine around a few different parts of town. My friend Shelly and I somehow got reservations at Nobu in Malibu, so we drove from Hollywood to the beach in order to get a taste of the acclaimed restaurant. With a Ferrari a few Bentleys in the parking lot, we made our way in and ordered a couple cocktails to enjoy while overlooking the Pacific Ocean before dinner.

In honor of Whisk(e)y Wednesday, I decided to share our cocktails with you here. I, of course, ordered a whisky drink. The Yamazaki Sidecar featured an ice sphere and Yamazaki 12 year single malt Japanese Whisky. I've actually reviewed the whisky before on a Whisk(e)y Wednesday post if you want to read about it. The sidecar also contained Gran Torres Orange Liqueur and yuzu juice from the Japanese fruit. The beverage treated me well as the cool breeze blew in from the ocean and the sound of crashing waves set our ambiance.

Shelly had a Mia Margarita. While not a whisk(e)y drink, I still thought I should mention it. Corralejo Anejo tequila, passion fruit, shichimi, and lime juice filled the glass. The flavor packed punch from the shichimi spice mix combined with a quality aged tequila made this an excellent margarita. Dinner at Nobu impressed even more than the starter cocktails. It was a little dark in the restaurant and my pictures can't do the food justice. We did a 12 course tasting menu that I'm still thinking about weeks later. Nobu is a beautiful restaurant with rockin' menu and some great cocktails, that's for sure.

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.

Hotel Indigo Hosts Local Bloggers and Food Writers

Last week I had the pleasure of being invited to a blogger and food writer dinner at Baton Rouge's Hotel Indigo.  The boutique hotel sits on the corner of Lafayette and Convention downtown and features 93 stellar guest rooms.  The entire hotel is filled with amazing photographic prints of scenes from around the Red Stick which gives the space a great local feel.  Next to the lobby on the first floor sits the King Bar & Bistro, named after the old hotel that previously occupied the site in the first half of last century.  The space opens as a coffee shop and for breakfast daily at 6 am then transitions to lunch and to dinner without ever closing.  Perhaps most exciting is the happy hour with tapas from 4-7 pm on Monday through Friday.  I might have to go check that out soon... plus I can bring a laptop and get some work done with the free wireless internet throughout the hotel.

A Teddy Bear Margarita came out as the "prelude" for our dinner at Hotel Indigo.  The beverage consisted of tequila, passion fruit puree, Cointreau, Grand Marinier, and lime juice.  I love a flavorful margarita that never touches high-fructose corn syrup loaded premade mixes!  The Teddy Bear did well to whet my appetite.  The name came from a quote from an early drinker of the cocktail.  This margarita is said to "wrap its arms around you" and squeeze a little like a Teddy Bear if you've had a couple!

The great servers at the King Bar & Bistro placed the "beginning" course in front of everyone at our table.  The Capital City Seafood Gumbo came with rice, Creole mustard potato salad and some garlic bread.  The rich and flavorful roux and broth tasted great as I consumed everything down to the final morsel on my plate.

A Ponchatoula Strawberry Salad was served as our "fresh" course.  The strawberries are buried underneath the fresh spinach in the picture above, but they were actually quite plentiful.  Along with the crumbled cheese and toasted pecans, this salad combined a great mix of flavors and textures.

Along with the salad came a classic cocktail called a French 75.  Very simple in ingredients, the cocktail packs quite a punch to go along with a tremendous flavor and refreshment factor.  The French 75 is a mixture of gin, lemon juice and champagne.  I enjoyed this version so much that I might have to add these to my regular imbibing schedule!

For the night's "main event" we were greeted with Tin Roof BBQ Shrimp served over creamy grits, some garlic bread spears and a side of marinated peppers.  The New Orleans style barbecue shrimp's flavor exploded in my mouth with the addition of Baton Rouge's local brew in the sauce.  One great aspect of all Hotel Indigo properties is that they are required to take on the characteristic of their surroundings.  The hotel has a uniquely Baton Rouge feel complete with two beer taps in the bar that pour nothing but the local Tin Roof Beer.  Being an advocate for both eating and drinking locally, I loved it!

Only to out do themselves, our "finale" tugged at my soul.  I'm a firm believer that every great meal should end with dessert and this one sure worked!  River Road Dark Roast and New Orleans Praline Liqueur accented a stunning slice of Bourbon Pecan Pie.  I could have eaten two or three slices had they been placed in front of me.  I enjoyed the entire meal and am very glad that I got to participate in the "Locals Know Best - Dish on the Dish" series.

  

El Xuco Xicana en Houston, TX

Summertime in South Louisiana isn't much different than summer in Houston.  Heat.  Humidity.  Afternoon thunderstorms.  Desperation for football season to get here.  The biggest distinction, from best I can tell, is the quality of the Mexican food.  For some reason it seems that authentic, delicious Mexican cuisine has trouble traveling an extra 300 miles to Baton Rouge.  Not one to worry too much, I easily solve the problem by feasting on frijoles whenever I'm in the "Bayou City" of the state to our West.

El Xuco Xicana's Milletes topped with Fried Eggs

A recent trip found me setting up a visit to Chef Jonathan Jones's El Xuco Xicana.  Chef JJ, who came to fame under his Beaver's name, recently took over the kitchen at the establishment formerly known as El Patio.  Wanting to revamp the cuisine to reflect that of authentic interior Mexican superiority with a Texan twist, Chef JJ started massacring the menu and putting his flair all over it.  His "Comida Texano" menu made my mouth water before I could even order the signature blue margarita that reflected back to the El Patio days.

The Famous Blue Curacao Margarita from El Patio

I was joined by an excellent cast of characters for an early afternoon Sunday brunch.  We had my dear friend Amanda, high school pal Chad and his wife Ashley, Alvin and Jason from MasterChef on FOX along with Jason's bad ass lady friend, Sara Jackson and a friend of hers who are working on some food based television productions with kids in the Houston area, and a fella named Jay, who on Twitter goes by @GunsandTacos (clearly fits in well with my @BiteandBooze mentality), with his wife.  We gathered and ordered drinks.  Soon enough, Chef JJ's right hand man at XX, Chef Kenny Pullin, came out to the table to greet our crew and drop off our first round of grub.

Battered Stuffed Toast at El Xuco Xicana

The Milletes made me happy to be alive.  Proclaimed on the menu to be a "REAL Mexican brunch food," the milletes featured bolillo bread toasted and topped with refried black beans, queso Chihuahua and chorizo.  Then I had the option to add a fried egg on each half of the open-faced sandwich.  As you can see, I couldn't resist!  The milletes combined classic flavors into a brunch dish that I'd eat over and over again.  Then came the battered stuffed toast.  Dear Lord.  Heaven.  And Hell.  In every bite.  The dish is constructed by stuffing Texas toast with Dulce de Leche, coating that in a Grand Marnier cinnamon batter, dropping it in a deep fryer, then topping the sandwich with ancho-maple syrup, sauteed apples, and Chantilly cream.  Each bite let me know I was alive while assuredly slowly killing me.  I didn't mind.  I took another bite.  It tasted that damn orgasmic.  

El Xuco Xicana Mojito 

Ceviche at El Xuco Xicana

The beverages at El Xuco Xicana also provided plenty of punch.  Chef JJ warned me about the strong margaritas.  After I began with the blue margarita I noticed the rest of the table drinking amazing mojitos.  I needed to try one for myself.  It did a splendid job of being thirst quenching and intoxicating.  Meanwhile, Chef Pullin brought out the signature ceviche.  One thing that I like about the menu is that it warns the diner that the ceviche changes depending on the freshness of the seafood and availability of produce.  There is no set recipe, but rather a rotating and seasonal ceviche.  Ours had a gulf drum marinated in loads of citrus.  I thought I tasted lime, lemon, and the something a little different like a grapefruit.  It also had jalapenos, watermelon radishes and avocado.  The bottom line is that the concoction used fresh ingredients and tasted equally refreshing on a hot day.  The blending of sweet, sour and spice worked magnificently.

El XX Hot Wangs

The feast concluded for me with the El XX Hot Wangs.  The wings were fried naked then tossed in a special blend that includes Jalisco Chili de Arbol vinegar hot sauce, toasted sesame, cilantro and queso fresco.  They were served with "cucumber and jicima con chili y limon".  The "wangs" were certainly different than a traditional Buffalo style hot wing with celery and bleu cheese.  That being said, I loved them!  I thought the twists were pretty ingenious and I'm a sucker for an inventive wing.  Bravo, El Xuco Xicana.

I essentially got a full meal by sampling an assortment of brunch and appetizer selections.  Truth be told, that is one of my favorite ways to experience a restaurant.  Sometimes the most creative dishes are appetizers and daily specials.  The food at El Xuco Xicano was worthy of any trip to Houston.  I have no doubt that I'll be back when I get a Mexican craving that my local establishments can't handle!