Celebrating a SOUPer Holiday: National Homemade Soup Day

by Sarah Grimball, intern

If you’re anything like us, you believe that homemade soup is the epitome of comfort food. In honor of National Homemade Soup Day, we are taking a trip down memory lane to revisit some of the best soups we’ve made and have been served throughout the years.

Whether made by our own hand or by the hands of chefs we love, these soups have taken us to taste bud heaven:

Smoked Creole Tomato Soup

Momofuku Ramen from Momofuku Noodle Bar

Squash Curry

It's a chicken curry and @supreme_rice Jasmine rice kind of day! What kind of recipes have you made with Jasmine rice? #tastelouisiana #eatlocal #curry #foodpics

A photo posted by Bite & Booze (@biteandbooze) on Jan 4, 2017 at 9:57am PST

Pho from Dang's

Gumbo

Working on a chicken and sausage gumbo with @slapyamama and @supreme_rice for @ron.aguirre_otr and company at the @tommy.talley residence. Happy rainy new year!

A photo posted by Bite & Booze (@biteandbooze) on Jan 2, 2017 at 5:48pm PST

Sancocho in Santo Domingo

Best Bites of 2016: Blair's Picks

by Blair Loup

I had the best of intentions for 2016. Full of existential expectations in my 25th year, I dubbed this the “Year of Blair." Well, if you know me, you know how that turned out. The year was filled with peaks and valleys, but I feel very fortunate to say that the majority of the peaks came from the opportunities afforded to me as a member of the Bite and Booze team.

On top of taking an epic road trip of a lifetime to the James Beard House in New York and their Chefs & Champagne event in the Hamptons, I took a lovely solo vacation to Georgia and we’re getting amped up for the opening of Gov’t Taco in the summer of 2017.

As per usual at this fantastic place of work, I did plenty of traveling this year and consequently ate a ton of amazing things. While this year-end post is one of my favorites to write, it’s also the most torturous. Here are the best things I ate this year:

Smoked Tomato Soup with Basil Oil

Pop-up at Tin Roof Brewing in Baton Rouge, LA

Smoked Tomato Soup with Basil Oil

I know…surprising that something as simple as a bowl of soup can make the list, but on this chilly January night at Tin Roof, this soup was ON TIME. Executive Chef at soon-to-be open Kahlurah St. Grill Kelley McCann and Masterchef Season 6 contestant and owner of Robear Ln. opening in White Star Market, Jesse Romero stole my heart with this one.

The soup’s consistency blew me away. It wasn’t too creamy, but just super velvety. The smoke flavor peeked through at all the right moments and the basil oil set it over the edge. It was a damn good bowl of soup.

Orange Zest and Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta

Lunchbox on 10th in McCallen, TX

Orange Zest and Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta

I’m not one for sweets unless there’s chocolate involved, but this Panna Cotta had me dumbfounded. I had and still haven’t had another Panna Cotta this perfect in my life. Oftentimes I find them to be too firm or so loose they’re breaking on the plate into a pile of mush, but this one retained its structure and melted in my mouth.

Aside form the exquisite technical execution, the flavors were bright and perfectly balanced.

Chargrilled Oysters

Sac-a-Lait in New Orleans, LA

Chargrilled Oysters with a Green Garlic House-Pickled Jalapeño and Bacon Butter

I feel like almost all chargrilled oysters are delicious, but these were different somehow. I will jump at any chance to dine at the beautiful, always stellar Sac-a-Lait. I have an enormous respect for Chefs Sam & Cody Carroll as friends and the utmost regard for them as some of the best chefs in the south. If you have not been, you must go, like, now.

Instead of the traditional garlic butter, the cook their oysters with a green garlic house-pickled jalapeño and bacon butter. I think the street name for it is crack.

Plated in a terra cotta plant saucer and river stones, the presentation fits the restaurant like a glove. Doing everything right always, that’s Sac-a-Lait.

Beet Sorbet

SALT New American Table in McAllen, TX

Beet Sorbet

I love beets. They are so precious to me. I don’t know where it came from, but they are hands down my number one favorite. Having that said, I’ve had beets in about as many ways Bubba says you can cook shrimp, but it wasn’t until this year that I tasted a beet sorbet.

Several who read this will automatically turn your nose up at thinking about beets as a dessert, but you’re wrong.

This sorbet was a beet swan song. A gracious balance of sweetness while maintaining the full flavor characteristics of the beet is tricky, but they did it!

Som Tam Paa

Alfie’s in Washington, D.C.

Papaya Salad with Fried Chilis and Lime

We had the pleasure of stopping by to visit Jay’s Food Network Star cast mate Alex McCoy at his pop-up restaurant, Alfie’s. As you might recall, Alex has an affinity for Asian and, more specifically, Thai cuisine. 

After mingling with the staff for a bit, Alex piled the dishes on one after one. It’s always special to be able to taste the love, and in Alex’s case, the authenticity and honor in his food. I could tell that he could back up every bit of his passion with dishes that showcase a culture.

Being the heat freak I am, this papaya salad rocked my world. Tart, refreshing and spicy as all Hell, this textural wonderland keeps you coming back for more heat every three seconds.

Open-Faced Tamale

Araña in New Orleans, LA

Open-Faced Tamale

Araña is easily one of my favorite places to eat in New Orleans. Chef Richard is a magician with sauces and plates up some creative, re-imagined classics while still holding down the fort of some Mexican favorites.

This open–faced tamale is a fried rectangular prism of grits (instead of traditional tamale masa) dredged in a mildly spicy, insanely flavorful sauce and topped with tender chicken tinga, brightly pickled onions and queso fresco. Boom baby!

A shot of whiskey soaking with the fat of a 2 year cured ham, a drop of Poirier Cane Syrup and a bite of 2 year ham

Acre in Auburn, AL

2 Year Ham, Whiskey soaked with 2 Year Ham Fat and Poirier Cane Syrup

With a constant rain of accolades, Acre has become one of the top farm-to-table restaurants in the country.

Chef David Bancroft grows a lot of produce on site and throughout the parking lot of Acre. We were happy to stop by on our way back from New York for an incredible meal. Chef David wanted to “bring us back home” with some southern decadence and they took care of us big time.

While everything we had blew us away, I know Chef David’s charcuterie is a passion project of his. He treated us to some of his 2 year cured ham and brought out a special mason jar of whiskey that had been soaking with the trimmings of that ham. A shot of pig fat whiskey, a drop of Poirier Can Syrup and a bite of ham and we felt right at home.

Chilled Spicy Noodles

Momofuku Noodle Bar in New York City, NY

Chilled Spicy Noodles with Thai Basil, Cashews, and Sichuan Sausage

David Chang means a lot to me. When I first got the job at Bite and Booze, I had no clue what I was in for. Like most freshly graduated 22 years olds, I knew that I had a job, but didn’t exactly know what I was doing with myself. I immediately started watching every beer and food related shows on Netflix imaginable (which in 2013 wasn’t many). I stumbled across season 1 of ‘Mind of a Chef’ and my world turned upside down. David Chang was the point person for most of that season and drove me to submerse myself in the culinary world.

Jay brought me to Momofuku Noodle Bar when we went to NYC for Sam & Cody Carroll’s James Beard Dinner a year ago, but we went back for a full on Momofuku day this summer when we were in town for our own James Beard Dinner.

This will probably always be one of the best days of my life, mostly because I decided to order differently than everyone at the table and go for these famously spicy noodles.

The entire bowl covered in these candied, crunchy cashews holds electric green, sweet, but spicy noodles. It’s the kind of good heat that you can’t put down. Bite after bite my love grew deeper and deeper. The rich basil flavor complimented by a crispy, savory Sichuan sausage peppered with the sweet, crunchy cashews still haunts my memory.

I legitimately think of these noodles every day. Every day. Still.

Check out Chuck P's Best Bites of 2016 (Burger Edition)

Milkin' It: Sweet Dreams Fulfilled at Milk Bar in NYC

by Chuck P


As a self-proclaimed “fat kid”, it’s very hard for me to turn away from pretty much any food filled with sugar and or covered in icing; Cakes, pies, cookies...you name it. I once read a quote that sums up how I feel on the matter, “Life is short. Eat dessert first.”

Recently the whole Bite & Booze team went on a road trip to New York City where we cooked an amazing Louisiana tailgate themed dinner at the prestigious James Beard House. On the day before the dinner we had time to explore the city and Jay had organized a day of eating and drinking at a couple of Chef David Chang’s Momofuku restaurants. Having read about but never eaten at these places, I was super excited. One stop on the list had my candy coated heart ready to explode: Milk Bar.

What can I say about Milk Bar that hasn’t been said before? Pastry Chef & Owner Christina Tosi’s world famous bakery was very high on my list of places to visit while in NYC. Known for their amazing cookies like the Compost (packed with pretzels, potato chips, graham cracker, butterscotch and chocolate chips), the Blueberry & Cream and Confetti cookies, insanely delicious truffle balls (No icing needed for these bad boys. It’s just straight cake!) and the infamous Crack Pie, people pile into their super tiny shops to fill their sweet tooth cravings.

A birthday cake truffle a pint of fruity cereal milk ice cream.

I ended up buying four of each of their five cookies on the menu and a few packs of birthday truffle balls! Let’s not forget the huge variety of amazing cakes available like their whimsical take on a traditional birthday cake, chocolate malt, strawberry lemon cake and what I can only imagine has to be the best tasting flavor ever, the salted pretzel cake.

Not just content with delivering tasty baked goods to the masses, they also make their own soft serve ice cream and shakes. But this ain’t your granny’s homemade ice cream, folks. This is cereal milk ice cream.


CEREAL. MILK. ICE. CREAM.

Just let those four mind blowing words sink in for a second. Take corn flakes, steep them in cold milk for 20 minutes, freeze (for up to a week, but seriously who can wait that long?) and then enjoy. Sure, that recipe sounds simple enough but there is no way it would taste as (insert expletive here) delicious as it did when I had it. After racking my brain over whether to get soft serve or a shake, I decided to go with the latter. A creamy cup of heaven mixed with corn flake pieces, I never wanted this brain freezing delight to end. There were so many emotions. A few nights later, I actually returned to a location that was closer to where we were staying and bought more cookies and got a pint of the fruity cereal milk ice cream which tasted exactly, I repeat, EXACTLY like Fruity Pebbles.

Hi, my name is Chuck P and I am a Milk Bar addict.


If you’d like to sample the deliciousness of Milk Bar you don’t have to head to NYC to get your fix. Visit their website where you can order cookies and cakes as well as their cereal milk mix so you can make your own ice cream treats!

A Trip to the Big Apple for a Bite of the Lucky Peach

by Blair Loup

It was love at first binge watch.

I first got to know David Chang, creator of the Momofuku restaurant family, watching the first season of Mind of a Chef on Netflix in an attempt to educate myself before starting my new job at Bite and Booze nearly two years ago.

The series taught me a little about several topics in the world of food, but the art and culture of ramen stood out the most.

I learned how different types of noodles were made and why they’re used in which styles of ramen. I became intensely fascinated.

What’s worse is that bitten by this ramen bug, I had nowhere to go. There’s only one establishment to my knowledge in Baton Rouge serving ramen, and, while tasty, I knew it to be far from the real deal.

When Team Bite and Booze took a trip to New York to support Chefs Sam and Cody Carroll cooking at the James Beard House, we headed to Momofuku Noodle Bar first.

The Noodle Bar is simply that, a noodle bar. The magical thing about ramen culture is its simplicity. Park yourself at a community table and order away. The menu is broken down into five categories: Daily, Buns, Bowls, Fall and Snacks.

In true Bite and Booze fashion, we ordered something from each category.

To start things off seasonal, we went with the Pea Shoots. I couldn’t get enough of this. Crispy, bright greens coated in kimchi vinaigrette were spicy and sweet all at the same time. Kimchi is fermented mixture of cabbage, Korean chili flakes and other ingredients. Usually a side item, kimchi is being manipulated into things like vinaigrettes and sauces for salads, fries, etc.

Pea Shoots - Chicory, Sesame, Kimchi Vinaigrette

One of the daily specials, Corn, blew us away. Roasted corn cut off the cob topped with a creamy/spicy sauce with pickled tomatillo, fresh oregano, and a sprinkling of roasted pepitas (pumpkin seeds) hit home on every level. Roasty, toasty, and creamy with the right herbs and spice level, this dish had us fighting the urge to lick the bowl.

Corn - Pickled Tomatillo, Pepitas, Oregano

I have a major appreciation for tail meat, so naturally I jumped at the Pig Tails in the Snacks section. The tails were tossed in a chili sauce providing a subtle heat and topped with scallions. While there are a lot of restaurants that use scallions as a useless garnish, I find that when purposefully used, scallions make a dish pop. The pickled Asian pears may have been my favorite part of this dish. I’m a sucker for non-cucumber pickled things.

Pig Tails - Pickled Asian Pear, Chili, Scallion

Our Content Sheriff and Warden of the Web Sydney wasn’t feeling in a ramen mood, so she tried the Brisket Buns. Being the sweetheart she is, she let me have a bite. If clouds were buns, they would be steam buns. They’re more of a textural element of a dish. The little to no flavor of the steam bun set the stage for a bold bite.

Brisket - Horseradish, Pickled Red Onion, Cucumber

I had heard fantastic things about all of the Bowls at Momofuku, but I had my heart set (for over a year). It's important to remember there are different styles of ramen. Some are thinner, clearer broths, while others can be thin and have a creamy, thick, and rich taste.

Momofuku Ramen - Pork Belly, Pork Shoulder, Poached Egg

This particular bowl of ramen was more brothy and turned creamier when I swirled in the yolk of the poached egg. The noodles were some of the best I’ve had. Ramen noodles behave the way they do because of their alkalinity. It can better be explained by this video from Lucky Peach:



I will say that if I get the chance to go back, I’ll try their chilled spicy noodles. The guy sitting next to me was losing his mind over them.


No trip to Momofuku Noodle Bar would be complete without a walk to their sister bakery Milk Bar a few blocks away. James Beard decorated pastry chef Christina Tosi made the desert program at Momofuku and has since gone on to assist some of the other Momofuku restaurants in winning awards as well as running "one of the most exciting bakeries in the country," according to Bon Appétit Magazine. Known for their Birthday Cake, Crack Pie, and Soft Serve, you can’t go wrong.

Soft Serve at Milk Bar

Chef David Chang is a special dude doing some cool things with the right people in place. Being able to go to his flagship restaurant for a good bowl of ramen is something I've wanted to do for a long time. If you have any restaurant bucket list items feel free to leave them in the comments below or let us know Facebook or give us a shout on Twitter or Instagram at @biteandbooze.

Bite and Booze Bonus: If you're into awesome recipes, food knowledge/science, culinary adventures, etc., check out Lucky Peach. David Chang is one of the founders and editors of this quarterly food journal.