The Bouillabaisse Diaries: Tallulah Crafted Food and Wine Bar

by Paige Johannessen

I must say, until recently I had not heard much about Tallulah Crafted Food and Wine Bar, or even knew where it was located. To be honest, I had never stepped inside of the Renaissance Baton Rouge until visiting Tallulah last month. It’s beautiful in there! I typically refer friends and family who are coming to visit to stay downtown, but on the corner of Bluebonnet and Anselmo is a hotel with a stunning interior and a surprisingly good wine bar and restaurant.

I went to meet a friend at the wine bar for a glass of wine before sitting down for the dinner tasting and y'all, I thought I walked into heaven. There was bottle after bottle of wine on tap. Tallulah uses an Enomatic Wine Serving System, which in layman's terms means a fancy way for preserving open bottles of wine which allows them to serve lots of different wines by the glass. To top all of this off I was pleasantly surprised to find out it is half off glasses of wine on Wednesdays AND there was live music. We were off to a good start.

After gabbing, having more wine than we planned, and catching up about life and love and our growing waist lines we finally sat down for dinner.

The restaurant is small and intimate, located directly behind the bar. You could still hear the live music playing in the bar area and we had a lovely view of the outside patio thats full of patio seating around fire pits (note to self: drink wine on tap next to a fire this winter).

From left to right: Tuna Poke Lettuce Cups with a citrus soy marinade, Creole Oysters served over duck bacon and topped with rockefeller butter, Crab Cake served over corn maque choux and a remoulade drizzle

Once settled we were presented with a collection of appetizers. Tuna poke delicately presented in lettuce cups, fried oysters over duck bacon and crab cakes served on a heaping pile of corn maque choux. I could not pick a favorite from these because they are all so different but the fried oyster over duck bacon stood out the most. The oysters were delicately battered and the duck bacon was not chewy or dry. I could have popped one after another of those suckers and not felt the least bit guilty.

Next, we were brought a sandwich duo. A three cheese grilled cheese filled with bacon and red onion jam and a duck BLT. Duck bacon in a BLT. Hallelujah! Duck was a common theme throughout the dinner tasting and I was pleased to learn from Jace Schexnaydre, Tallulah’s Sous Chef, that his staff takes a lot of pride in not wasting any parts of the ingredients that come through their kitchen. If they have duck on the menu, they are going to do their damndest to use all parts of the duck in other dishes, nothing goes to waste. 

Duck Bacon BLT: house made duck bacon, arugula, tomato, pickled red onion, remoulade 

Up next was a trio of entrees. Cold smoked fried chicken served alongside a four cheese cast iron mac and cheese, a steaming bowl of bouillabaisse, and a vegetarian eggplant dish with shiitake mushrooms stacked high over quinoa. 

Let me interrupt here for a quick story: When I first moved to Baton Rouge from Las Vegas, Nevada, needless to say, I had never experienced true cajun cooking. My grandfather who has lived his whole life in Findlay, Ohio had taken a trip to New Orleans many, many years ago and apparently had one of the best dishes of his life, a bouillabaisse. Every time I talk to my grandfather, he asks me if I have had a bouillabaisse yet. And for eight years I have had the same answer, “I can’t find it anywhere”.

Well, I finally got to try a bouillabaisse and maybe I am being sentimental here, but I was so impressed by this rich, flavorful dish. The head on shrimp, chunks of delicate redfish and mussels all soaking in the creole broth mixed with the hunks of andouille made for a truly spectacular dish. I could not wait to call my grandfather the next day and rave to him about my bouillabaisse experience. So, thank you Tallulah, for ending my eight year quest! 

Bouillabaisse: head on shrimp, redfish, mussels, andouille, creole broth, wild rice

Last, but certainly not least a single, hearty slice of cheesecake topped with chunks of praline, a honey drizzle and sprinkled with blueberries finished off the night. Just when I thought I could not take one more bite...but who can resist cheesecake?




I left that evening with a parting bag of duck cracklins in hand and incredibly impressed by this tucked away gem on Bluebonnet that I had never visited. Believe me, if there is a restaurant in town serving half off glasses of wine and rich bowls of bouillabaisse, you will see me there again.

Cheers!

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

Aw Shucks! It's National Oysters on the Half Shell Day!

by Sarah Grimball, intern

It’s a day worth celebrating! Sometimes all you need is a platter of oysters and a good drink to set you right. We love holidays that celebrate food and we hope you hit up your favorite oyster bar after taking a look back on some of the best oysters we’ve devoured in the past:

Bacon & Brie Baked Oysters

Jolie Pearl Oyster Bar in Baton Rouge, LA

"What’s not to love about a Gulf oyster covered in a creamy Brie cheese sauce with specks of bacon and baked?" 🍹Between Two Shells is up on the blog now! Read more about our favorite @joliepearloysterbar pairings there 👻 #oyster #oysters #joliepearloysterbar #oldfashioned #pairings

A post shared by Bite & Booze (@biteandbooze) on Nov 23, 2015 at 7:33am PST

Murder Point Oysters straight out of the water

Murder Point in Gulf Shores, AL

We're about to chow down on some @murderpointoysterco #butterlove #oysters! Who wants some? #oco2015 #visitalbeaches

A post shared by Bite & Booze (@biteandbooze) on Nov 6, 2015 at 8:45am PST

Chargrilled Oysters topped with Cajun Corn Maque Choux

Jolie Pearl Oyster Bar in Baton Rouge, LA

Chargrilled #oysters topped with Cajun tasso corn maque choux at @hangoutcookoff in @gulfshoresorangebeach! Not too shabby, if I do say so myself. #oco2015 #oystercookoff #cornmaquechoux #visitalbeaches #cajuntasso #cajun

A post shared by Bite & Booze (@biteandbooze) on Nov 7, 2015 at 10:35am PST

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

Sac-a-Lait in New Orleans, LA

Buffalo Chargrilled Oyster and a Chafunkta Kingfish Cream Ale

Jolie Pearl Oyster Bar in Baton Rouge, LA

Chargrilled Oysters in Curry Butter and House-Made Hot Sauce

Acre in Auburn, AL

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)

Acre: Humble, Southern and Inspired

by Aimee Tortorich

After an epic road trip to New York cooking at the James Beard House & Chefs and Champagne and eating at some of the best restaurants in NYC, Team Bite and Booze had one more important stop to make. Jay had been talking about having dinner at Acre in Auburn, Alabama for over a week. I didn’t think it would live up to the amazing dishes we had in New York, but Chef David Bancroft blew me away.

Acre in Auburn, Alabama

Nestled only two blocks from the historic Toomer’s Corner in Auburn lies one of the South’s hottest new restaurants. Acre is a restaurant that passionately follows the farm to table concept. Surrounded by an acre of fruits, vegetables and herbs, Chef David has fresh ingredients fueling his creativity a few steps away. A self-proclaimed “country boy” and a master culinary magician in my eyes, Chef David welcomed us with true southern hospitality. Seating us at the Chef’s table he immediately began offering up simple, but flavor packed, inspired dishes. 

Chef David picked watermelon from the front yard of the restaurant for a snack and a cocktail!

As a chef, it’s a dream of mine to build a career focused on the harvest of southern, seasonal ingredients. Raised to live off the land, I’ve always had a passion for this kind of cooking.

The first dish that hit our table was the Chicken Fried Bacon. Two strips of house-made smoked bacon were gently fried in a pepper batter and served with silky white sawmill gravy, Vermont maple syrup and garnished with local pecans. We were fighting over the last bite because it was that good!

Chicken Fried House-Made Bacon, sawmill gravy, Vermont maple syrup, local pecans

These tender Gulf shrimp swimming in an Asian-inspired sweet and spicy BBQ butter sauce almost knocked me out. We were only on our second course and a single bite of the crispy sweet corn donuts dredged in the flavored butter had me feeling feelings. 

 

Peel & Eat Shrimp-“Top secret” BBQ Butter, Sweet Corn Donuts

This was easily one of my favorite dishes of the night. If curry is on the menu, I’m all over it and this dish didn’t disappoint! The balance of heat and sweetness around the tender oyster was absolutely addicting.

Chargrilled Oysters-Curry Butter, house-made hot sauce

The beef tartare with stone ground mustard was the perfect balance of umami and tang. The creaminess of the tender beef with the acidic, spicy mustard was a perfect bite on a charred bread.

 

Wagyu Beef tartare-stone ground mustard, grilled bread

The smoky flavors of the salmon balanced well with the acidity of the mustard and pickled veggies. I could ping pong back and forth between this dish and the beef tartar any day.

Smoked salmon rillettes-mustard, pickled veggies, grilled bread

The flavorings of the sausage were far from traditional. Chef de Cuisine, Caleb Fischer added bright Asian flavors to the sausage, which balanced out the fattiness of the pork. The house-made waffles had a nice crunch, but tender on the inside, while the huitlacoche purée brought the whole dish together with nice, earthy notes. 

Sausage and Waffles-house-made sausage, house-made waffles, Huitlacoche (corn smut) sauce

  

As our bellies began to get full, Chef David slowed the pace down with a nice and refreshing intermezzo. A fresh picked watermelon from the garden graced our table garnished with torn basil, Gulf of Mexico salt from our friends at Cellar Salt Co. and a slight drizzle of Georgia olive oil.

Sliced watermelon, torn basil, Cellar Sea Salt, Georgia olive oil

Chef David brought out his magician skills with the highlight of the evening, a two-year aged ham. Beautiful in color and thinly sliced, the ham melted in my mouth. Following boucherie-style tradition, we shared a shot of whiskey with a Bancroft twist. First, you place a drop of Poirier cane syrup on your tongue and let it sit. Then, we took a sip out of a mason jar filled with skins/fat from the ham soaking in Woodford Reserve and finished it all off with a bite of that heavenly ham. 

 

2 year aged ham, Poirier cane syrup, 2 year old ham skins/fat in Woodford Reserve

The cream poached sweet corn with sweet corn donuts was a simple, yet flavor packed dish. It came as no surprise that Chef David picked the corn from the restaurant garden. He described the Silver Queen variety as the “cream of the crop.” Super tender, extremely sweet, and a perfect welcome back to the South.

Cream poached Silver Queen corn with corn donuts

We closed out our amazing dining experience with a humble but tasty dessert, fig cinnamon rolls. It was especially touching for Jay because we had just served his Granny’s famous cinnamon pecan rolls earlier that week at the James Beard House. They were warm, fluffy and drenched in icing; job well done Chef Caleb Fischer!

Chef Caleb Fischer's cast iron fig cinnamon rolls

After dinner, we took a tour around the property where Chef explained the significance and importance of living off the land. Every crop in the garden and protein used inspired the kitchen to create dishes that were not only well thought out but executed with a humble touch. I hope to return to Acre sooner rather than later to see what Chef David is cooking up!

Nick Hufft's Midas Touch: Looking Forward to More from The Merchant

by Sydney Blanchard

It seems like anything Nick Hufft touches turns to gold.

Those familiar with the Baton Rouge food scene fondly remember and dream about Curbside Burgers, and once Nick crafted the menu for Barcadia, there was nothing keeping us from drinking some beers, playing some arcade games, and chomping down on one of Baton Rouge's best burgers.

So when we heard Nick Hufft was the co-owner and culinary mind behind The Merchant, we couldn't wait to get in there and see what it was all about.

Situated near the Perkins Road overpass in the former Zee Zee Gardens building, the Merchant, or the Overpass Merchant as it's sometimes referred, opened a few weeks ago and is serving up a soft opening menu worth trying and a rotating beer and cocktail menu.

It's amazing what a fresh coat of paint and a little (a lot) of renovating can do to a place. The building looks totally transformed, the interior impeccably styled with design and comfort in mind and the exterior boasting an outdoor patio perfect for sipping cocktails and watching cars rumble down Perkins. 

Recently, Jay, Blair, Chuck, and I got to grab dinner and beers at the newly opened Merchant, and we were pretty impressed with not just the food, but the overall vibe. I'm of the opinion that Baton Rouge could always use a few more cool hangouts, and I can definitely see myself making the Merchant my new spot.

Chicken skins with local honey and Merchant hot sauce

We started with the chicken skins, topped with in-house hot sauce and local honey. These crispy little bites of savory and sweet crunch were the perfect snack to start off with.

Flatbread with prosciutto, fig jam, goat cheese, and arugula

Next, we tried the country prosciutto flat bread with fig jam, whipped goat cheese, and arugula topped with aged balsamic. The combination of the salty prosciutto and the sweet fig jam made for a tasty bite that I think would pair really well with the Merchant Mule, a frozen play on the classic. I'll definitely be ordering this again.

Broiled oysters with spinach at the Merchant

Next came the broiled oysters, which I passed on (not the biggest oyster fan). They came served in a bed with fried shallots, Tasso, sautéed spinach and Romano cheese with crostini, and the table had no problem scarfing each oyster down.

Addictive frites with garlic aioli

If there's anything I've learned from watching Anthony Boudain shows, it's to avoid fries at all costs. Normally I don't eat fries, but these frites with a roasted garlic aioli were so snackable. I found myself grabbing fistful after fistful until they were nearly all gone. 

Butter lettuce salad with bleu cheese, red onion, pecans and Steen's dressing

We tried two different salads at Merchant, but the one called salad #1 was my favorite. With butter lettuce, bleu cheese, red onion, spiced pecans, and a cane syrup dressing, this salad might make this year's Month of Salads.

Mac n cheese at Merchant

It's safe to say that I'm always down for some mac n cheese, and this one did not disappoint. With two different kinds of cheese, it's easy to see why I had to nearly fight Blair off with my fork for a bite.

A burger fit for a Chuck P

Chuck lives for burgers, and by this point we were all getting full. Chuck tackled this burger like a seasoned pro, and attested that it met all the standards we expect out of a Nick Hufft burger.

The best shrimp and grits Sydney has ever had

My favorite dish thus far was the Merchant's take on shrimp and grits. Big, flavorful barbecue shrimp came served on a pile of goat cheese grits, and I ate most of them. Normally, I don't get excited about shrimp and grits (I think it can be overplayed) but this was probably the best version of this classic I've ever tasted.

Churro with Rum Chata ganache

For dessert, we tried the churro bites with a Rum Chata ganache, and they were truly transcendent. Thankfully Blair isn't into sweets, because Jay, Chuck and I woofed all of these sugary, cinnamon-y bites down.

We try not to write about restaurants in their soft opening phase, because generally the staff and kitchen are still working out kinks and perfecting service. But if Merchant's soft opening is any indicator of what's to come, we're hopeful.

Rolling in the Deep...Fryer: Our Power Rankings of the Best LSU Rolls in Baton Rouge

by Sydney Blanchard & Blair Loup

I'm a Baton Rouge native, and if there's one thing I can say about this city, it's that its people are passionate. I theorize that living so close to the state's seat of government rubs off on us. Our opinions, on everything from LSU football to where to find the best sushi, are about as polarizing as our politics.

Thus, an idea was born.

We decided to do some research and find out which local sushi places had football themed rolls. At first, we thought we'd stumble across a few, but after poring over dozens of menus, we discovered that almost every sushi restaurant in town offers some play on an LSU inspired roll.

There are Tiger rolls, Geaux Tiger rolls, Death Valley rolls, LSU Tiger rolls, and of course, a number of LSU rolls.

It would have been nearly impossible to try to write about all of these, so we narrowed our focus on the LSU rolls and got to eating. One pattern emerged: at least one fried element is present in nearly all of these rolls.

Go figure.

Here's our rankings of the best LSU rolls this town has to offer, with photos for reference.

Rock-n-Sake Bar & Sushi

Shrimp, cream cheese, snow crab, red tuna, avocado at Rock-n-Sake (3043 Perkins Rd #A).

Rock-n-Sake's roll was by far the standout. Colorful, inventive, and tasty, we had no problem gobbling down this roll. This interpretation of the LSU roll consisted of battered shrimp and cream cheese in a traditional rice roll and snow crab topped with ruby red tuna and avocado slices.

Sushi Masa

Snowcrab, crawfish tails, cream cheese, and spicy mayo and eel sauce at Sushi Masa (5837 Essen Ln).

Sushi Masa's LSU roll fell in line with some of the other rolls on this list, but we think their interpretation was the best. Snowcrab, crawfish, and cream cheese combine in a rice roll that's battered, fried, and topped with spicy mayonnaise and eel sauce. The crunchy fried shell plays well with the cool cream cheese in the center.

Ichiban Hibachi Grill & Sushi Bar

Fried oyster, snow crab, avocado, asparagus at Ichiban (5741 Essen Lane).

Ichiban's LSU roll confused then pleased our tastebuds. The combination of fried oyster, snow crab, avocado, and asparagus topped with crunchy and purple and gold sweet sauce was uniquely Louisiana. I'm not a huge oyster fan, but the choice to include fried oysters in a roll earned Ichiban some extra points.

Omi Hibachi Grill & Sushi Bar

Snow crab, cream cheese, battered and fried at Omi (7951 One Calais Ave).

It was Blair's and my first time at Omi, and we were excited to see what it was all about. We were pretty disappointed this roll was so similar to Sushi Masa and Koi's LSU roll (snow crab, cream cheese, rice roll, battered and fried), but Omi's choice of batter made this one of our favorites. The texture of the batter reminded us of beignets, and it worked well with the other ingredients.

Drunken Fish

Spicy tuna, cucumber, salmon and eel at Drunken Fish (4410 Highland Road).

Blair and I were impressed with how different Drunken Fish's take on the LSU roll was compared with the others, but for us the flavor just wasn't there. Spicy tuna and cucumber nestle together in a rice roll topped with fresh salmon and barbecue eel. Drunken Fish was my spot in college, but this roll was a miss for me.

Koi Sushi Restaurant

Crawfish, Snow crab, cream cheese, all fried at Koi Sushi (Koi Sushi Restaurant).

Koi's interpretation fell in line with that of Omi and Sushi Masa, but the biggest turnoff for us was the value. This was the most expensive roll we had, and we couldn't figure out why. The components were the same as the LSU roll as Omi and Sushi Masa, but Koi's batter just didn't hold up as well as the others.


Do you agree with our rankings? Did we miss a must-try LSU roll? Let us know in the comments!

Louisiana Seafood, 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.

In 2010, after the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig caused 4.9 million barrels of oil to spill into the Gulf of Mexico, BP vowed to clean up the mess for which they were responsible.

Apart from removing oil from the Gulf, BP allotted money to be used for a PR campaign that would not only clean up their image but would clear up the idea that the Gulf’s seafood was tainted by the spill.

Six years and millions of dollars later, the Louisiana Seafood Board is still working to do just that.

Photo courtesy of the Louisiana Seafood Board

The Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board, considered part of the office of tourism, moved to Baton Rouge from New Orleans two years ago. Since their founding in 1984, their goal has been to promote and educate people about Louisiana’s rich abundance of seafood.

Following the 2010 oil spill, the Seafood Board was handed a $30 million dollar check to be used on, among other things, aggressive public relations campaigns to rebuild the lost confidence in Louisiana’s seafood industry.

According to the agency’s Executive Director Karen Profita, the state is the second largest seafood producer in the nation, right behind Alaska. The challenge Profita and her small team face is that 90 percent of seafood consumed in the United States is imported. Of that 90 percent, less than three percent of it gets tested, she said. And according to recent research that tested imported seafood from local grocery stores, 90 percent contained chemicals banned in the United States.

Local shrimpers take pride in their superior product. Photo courtesy of the Louisiana Seafood Board.

Before the LSU alum became the board’s Executive Director less than two years ago, Profita knew next to nothing about the state’s seafood industry, and she said it’s been a steep learning curve from her background in non-profits.

“There’s a lot more to it than I would have guessed,” she said.

Profita said her agency is tasked with ensuring Louisiana’s seafood industry is getting the support it needs. The board is comprised of representatives from the Alligator Industry, the Wild Catfish Industry, the Oyster Task Force, and the Louisiana Shrimp Association, to name a few.

Day to day, Profita plays a role in representing the board members’ interests and working with legislators to come up with compromises that benefit both the fishermen and consumers.

Despite hurricanes and oil spills and rising gas prices that greatly affect their margins, Profita said she is continually impressed and inspired by the state’s shrimpers and oyster farmers and crab fishers.

Karen Profita, the board's Executive Director, is inspired by the fishermen she interacts with. Photo courtesy of the Seafood Board.

“I think that’s what so amazing to me,” she said. “I have a great respect for them because they keep coming back. It has just been challenge after challenge for them.”

One of the main challenges for local fishermen is an uneven playing field, Profita said. Imported seafood, mainly from overseas, isn’t required to pass the rigorous inspection or uphold the ethical labor standards domestic seafood producers do. Much of the seafood the United States imports isn’t tested for antibiotics or other banned chemicals, and reports of countries using slave labor to process seafood have increased.

This makes imported seafood cheaper for restaurants and for consumers, often at the cost of the domestic seafood industry.

"We kind of like to get people mad about it,” Profita said. “And it’s important the people in Washington know.”
So why buy domestic? The Seafood Board has spent the last few years (and a few million dollars of BP money) explaining to the public why insisting on Gulf seafood is so important.

Their strategy has mainly been one of education so far. Profita explained that educating consumers about the Gulf’s diverse ecology and showing them the superior quality of its seafood is a major part of the approach.

“We know the purity of our product and the safety of it is going to win out,” Profita said.

The Louisiana Seafood board also stresses the seafood industry’s huge economic and cultural impact in the state. One of the many reasons tourists flock to Louisiana is for culinary tourism. And according to Profita, visitors are impressed not only by Louisiana’s seasoning but by the quality of the seafood itself.

Commercial shrimping, crabbing, and fishing are also part of the culture here. Entire communities were founded upon the commercial fishing industry. Any hit the seafood industry takes hurts local fisherman trying to make a living off their catch.

Profita said she often finds herself asking, “How do you preserve that and make sure they can still make a living from that?”

One of the ways the Louisiana Seafood Board tries to preserve this way of life is with their grocery co-marketing program. Their goal is to sell large volumes of seafood to grocery chains across the country to get loyal fans in other markets. If the grocery chain agrees to buy a certain amount of seafood, the board agrees to put 10 percent of the cost of the seafood toward helping the stores market the seafood with things like social media campaigns.

Their co-marketing program has already seen success in a grocery chain in the Northeast, and they’re hoping to continue to grow it across the country.

Profita explained the farm-to-table movement, or in this case, the “dock-to-dish” movement, often overlooks seafood.

"I don’t know why that hasn’t registered with people,” she said. “It’s really fascinating that they’ll spend forever picking out the tomato that goes in the dish and not think about the shrimp they’re putting it on.”

For consumers, Profita said, it boils down to “know better, eat better.”

When purchasing local seafood in grocery stores, Profita said, closely inspect the package. Labels on imported seafood may include an American flag or even a Louisiana name, but they’re not always from the United States or from Louisiana.

Profita also encourages Louisianans to demand domestic seafood in their grocery stores and in restaurants they frequent.

“They’re willing to sell it if they know you’ll buy it,” she said.

Find out more about the Louisiana Seafood Board by exploring their gorgeous website and keeping up with them on social media.

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