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)

Experimentally Delectable: Dinner Lab's First Event in the Capital City

The Dinner Lab set up at the Olde Town Emporium in Baton Rouge, LA

by Blair "B-Rex" Loup

Team Bite and Booze couldn’t be more excited to have something like Dinner Lab come to Baton Rouge. Dinner Lab strives to highlight up and coming chefs from all over the country with pop-up dinners featuring experimental menus in off-the-wall venues.

Dinner Lab is a simple, brilliant idea. Once you sign up for membership, you gain access to buy tickets to dinners in Baton Rouge or in any of the other 24 cities Dinner Lab operates in. They handle the logistics, the chef shows up to cook, and you shove delicious food in your mouth.

Jay and I had the opportunity to attend their first event in Baton Rouge at the beginning of April, and it was everything I imagined it would be: cool menu, cool space, and cool chef.

I feel it necessary to inform you that as a diner, I am down for anything. I will taste almost everything at least twice. While Dinner Lab's Culinary Director, Chef Mario A. Rodriguez, didn't have anything super out of the ordinary on his menu aside from goat and fish dumplings, I’ve learned throughout my time here at Bite and Booze that some people are more cautious about what they’re willing to eat and where they’re willing to eat it. I, on the other hand, am an adventurous eater and do not discriminate against sketchy places.

Having that said, I found myself to be perfectly comfortable sitting in the Olde Town Emporium eating a Malaysian menu inspired by dishes Chef Mario learned in New York City kitchens.

As a logistics company, they killed it: four separate seatings of sixty people each over the course of two nights. From our vantage point as diners it seemed that everything got executed flawlessly.

The signature cocktail of the evening prepared our palates for the courses to come and the menu lived up to the Dinner Lab hype that's been buzzing around town these past few months. We got some sensational food with some bold flavors that are hard to find around here. The clams and goat stood out as the highlight of the meal. If I'm being picky, I thought the menu contained too much pineapple. Three of the five courses had a pineapple element. In one case I found it overpowering (the salad), in the second it didn't truly belong (the soup), and in the third the pineapple absolutely made sense (with the goat). Overall, the night was a blast and I'm looking forward to future Dinner Labs in Baton Rouge.

First Course: Green Papaya & Lychee Salad with Fried Peanuts and Cilantro Crema

Second Course: Red Chili Littleneck Clams with Chinese Sausage and Green Onion

Third Course: Tamarind Stew with Fish Dumplings, Rice Noodles, and Red Chilies

Fourth Course: Goat Rendang with Coconut Rice, Pickled Pineapple, and Kaffir Lime

Fifth Course: Coconut Panna Cotta with Rice Cake, Ginger Granita, and Cashew Crumble

Heading to NYC: Ruffino's James Beard Preview Dinner

Katherine Lagow and I at the James Beard Preview Dinner

Chef Peter Sclafani, Ruffin Rodrigue, and everyone at Ruffino's have earned my round of applause.  Chef Peter has been selected to cook at the James Beard House in New York City, and I had a lucky spot at the 'Central Park' table at Ruffino's for the preview dinner.  “Cooking at the Beard House has been on my bucket list ever since I donned my first chef’s hat,” said Sclafani, Co-Owner and Executive Chef at Ruffino’s. “I am truly humbled that they have asked me to cook there, and I am exceedingly proud to represent Baton Rouge and Louisiana on the most prestigious stage in the American culinary landscape.”  The dinner in NYC will be this Saturday, April 6, 2013.  Chef Sclafini's take on 'French Creole meets Italian' is a winner, and I'm certain that it will please the palate of all who have the fortunate ticket to the amazing dinner.  Here's a little of what they're in for as Ruffino's brings Louisiana up north!

Hors D'oeuvres: Grits and Grillades

The hors d'oeuvres were served with a little bubbly to get the night started.  The Mionetto Prosecco NV got everyone's palates ready for the onslaught of Louisiana-inspired goodies.  Shrimp corndogs with honey mustard, crawfish arancini, charbroiled oysters, and a corn and crab shooter rounded out a bevy of seafood small bites.  All were fantastic.  The grits and grillades, pictured above in the Asian spoon, were right on the money.  I could have eaten a dozen of them!

Crab Cheesecake

For the first sit down course, Chef Peter pulled out one of his classic dishes: crab cheesecake.  The cheesecake is loaded with Louisiana crab meat and plated with all sorts of delicious sauces and crumbles.  I'm embarrassed to say that I hadn't ever had his signature crab cheesecake before.  Next time I'm there, I'll be looking out for it as an appetizer!

Heirloom Tomato "Caprese" Salad

Chef Peter is bringing a new twist to his award winning caprese salad course with him to New York.  The dish, which features heirloom tomatoes, burrata cheese, and balsamic caviar, will now also feature some foie gras mousse as well.  The foie gras is inside the burrata cheese, and when all mixed together, provides and excellent additional flavor to the exquisite tomatoes and the novelty of the sphere-ified 25-year-old balsamic vinegar.

Braised Mississippi Rabbit with Gnocchi

The third course of the dinner service brought on a locally inspired dish with plenty of Italian flare.  The braised rabbit is cooked down with plenty of aromatic vegetables until it is tender and rich with flavor.  The gnocchi, a popular Italian potato pasta, are fluffy and soak up plenty stock.  This is a comfort dish that I could eat a whole bowl of as a meal, but it worked even better as a course in this delightful dinner.

Head-to-Toe Pork

The James Beard preview dinner's main entree consisted of pork two ways.  Pork cheeks, one of the most succulent cuts of pork in existence, were served with Benton's bacon jam along side a butternut squash puree.  Also joining the plate were a pair of pork trotter tortellini.  The pork trotters are from the feet of the pig, and also provide good eating when cooked the right way.  Everything on this plate worked the right way.  From the tenderness of the pork to the flavor combinations with the bacon and butternut squash, I couldn't get enough.  Really.  I had to steal some off of the plate next to me!

Chicory Cafe Au Lait Panna Cotta with Chocolate Chip Beignets

Naturally, the Creole-Italian dessert featured coffee.  The delicious chicory panna cotta played with me senses and the bitterness of the coffee danced with the creaminess and sweetness of the gelatin-based dessert.  The beignets, when dipped in the chocolate sauce, added a nice change of texture to the dish.  I definitely left satisfied and filled to the brim.  Those folks in New York are in for a treat!

Driven by its mission “to celebrate, nurture and preserve America’s diverse culinary heritage and future,” the James Beard Foundation is dedicated to exploring the way food enriches our lives. The Foundation maintains the historic James Beard House in New York City’s Greenwich Village as a “performance space” for visiting chefs. A cookbook author and teacher, James Beard was a champion of American cuisine who helped educate and mentor generations of professional chefs and food enthusiasts.

“I couldn’t be more thrilled for Peter, and for our restaurant, to be invited to the Beard House,” said Ruffino’s co-owner Ruffin Rodrigue, who manages the front of the house and operations for the restaurant. “This is truly an amazing honor, and you can bet Peter will be pulling out all the stops to make April 6th a night that New York City won’t soon forget!”  I agree with Ruffin.  If he can pull off the dinner in NYC like he did for us at the preview dinner on his home turf, he'll be making Baton Rouge and all of Louisiana proud, that's for sure.

Remarkable Root

Amuse at Root

Few restaurants in south Louisiana have gotten the buzz that Root in New Orleans mustered in 2012.  With a plethora of dining options in the Big Easy, it can be difficult for a rookie eatery to burst onto the scene, but Chef Phillip Lopez managed to do just that and more.  Root brings to life modern cuisine in Nola, rooted in traditional flavors and techniques.  But then they are twisted, mangled, and stretched.  They expand culinary palates and challenge even the most sophisticated taste buds.  Every dish plays with textures, flavors,  and art.

I had the chance to dine at Root recently, unannounced, and somewhat incognito.  I didn't get any special Bite and Booze treatment, nor did I ask for any.  I wanted the real experience.  I wanted to see if it lived up to the hype.  Unequivocally, it did.  Joined by Lindsay and Kimmie, a couple friends from New Orleans, we drank, we dined, and we enjoyed.  Now for some food porn: admire this, and know that you can eat it yourself at Root!

Charcuterie selection featuring "Face" Bacon, Chocolate Espresso Cured Lamb Bresaola, and Cochon de Lait Porchetta

Louisiana Pickled Shrimp: Shrimp Stuffed Deviled Eggs, Truffled Egg Yolk Mousse

Palate Cleansing Sorbet made with Liquid Nitrogen

"KFC" Korean Fried Chicken Wings, Pepper Jelly Glaze, House-made Kimchi

Moroccan Goat Boxes, Winter Tabouil, Bergamot Goat Cheese, Compressed Cucumber Salad

Pumpkin Schumpkin: Indian Spiced Pumpkin Ice Cream, Roasted Sesame Praline, Colombian Coffee Cake, Smoked Hay Peanut Butter Panna Cotta

Sweet Corn Caramel Flan: Salted Corn & Caramel Ice Cream, Vanilla Milk Foam, "Cracker Jacks"

I'm happy that I avoided the scallops in the cigar box.  Not because they aren't appetizing... I'm sure they are!  But rather because it is the dish that everyone had told me about.  The dish that I got 6 or 7 glimpses of while sitting in the dining room.  I could pretty much see it and taste it without having to order it.  But the dishes that I did order were sensational.  I'd gladly go back.  I'm also excited for Chef Lopez's next venture, Square Root, which will feature small seatings and outrageous tasting menus on Magazine Street.  Be on the look out for that in 2013!

Vending Machine Winery Pop-Up Restaurant at Roux Wine and Spirits

For anybody who has been waiting to eat my food again (or for the first time), you're in luck!  On Thursday, October 25th I'll be cooking a pop-up wine dinner at Roux Wine and Spirits in Prairieville.  Along with Chef Brian Medlin for All-Star Catering and Smokin' Aces Barbecue, we'll cook up my menu inspired by wines from the Vending Machine Winery and vending machines themselves.  Each dish will have some item found in vending machines incorporated into it.  Neil and Monica Gernon from Vending Machine Winery will be there to talk about the wines as well!

Course 3: Ruckus

Course 1: Ballyhoo
Double Shotgun: 50% Petit Verdot, 50% Cabernet Franc

Spinach, Arugula, Pickled Pears, Belle Ecorce Goat Cheese, Forte Grove Brioche Toast, Balsamic Skittles Vinaigrette

Course 2: Hoopla
Loula’s Revenge: 100 % Old Vine Chardonnay

Tuna Tartare with Cucumber served on Zapp’s Original Potato Chips with a Wasabi Aioli

Course 4: Kerfuffle

Cornmeal Dusted Catfish Nugget over Zapp’s Cajun Crawtators with Creole Tartar Sauce
Chili-Lime Shrimp Ceviche atop Zapp’s Hotter ‘n Hot Jalapeno Chips with Cilantro Crema

Course 3: Ruckus 
Crooked Mayor: 100 % Cabernet Sauvignon

Hershey’s Dark Chocolate Mole Braised Beef Short Ribs over Creamed Corn Polenta
 
Course 4: Kerfuffle 
Horror Show: 34% Sousao, 33% Montepulciano, 33% Tannat

Chocolate Panna Cotta topped with Ground Honey Maid Graham Crackers and Marshmallow Foam

To sign up for the event, purchase your tickets through the Roux Wine Eventbrite Page.  There are only 30 seats available, and at least half of them are already sold at the time I'm writing this!

True Lemon Panna Cotta with Pontchatoula Strawberries

True Lemon Panna Cotta with Pontchatoula Strawberries and Chianti Reduction

Panna Cotta is an Italian gelatin-based dessert made with cream, sugar, and whatever flavorings your heart desires. I recently found the beauty of panna cotta in its simplicity. There are few desserts that are easier to make or that give you a more rewarding outcome for the effort! So when I got sent a box of True Lemon as part of a Virtual Potluck promotion, I figured it could work perfectly in a lemon panna cotta!

True Lemon Panna Cotta with Pontchatoula Strawberries and Chianti Reduction

1 quart heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup sugar
6 packets True Lemon (equivalent to juice of one lemon)
2 packets gelatin
6 Tbs cool water
1 pint Pontchatoula Strawberries, stemmed and sliced
1 cup Chianti
2 Tbs local honey (Bocage Bee Company)

Makes 8-10 servings
Make 3 hours ahead of time or even overnight



Place cream in sauce pan over medium heat. Stir in sugar and continue to heat until cream is steaming but not boiling and sugar is completely dissolved. Stir in True Lemon until it is completely dissolved as well.  Place gelatin and water in a mixing bowl and allow gelatin to absorb the water. Let it stand until the cream is ready. When the cream is up to temperature and the sugar and True Lemon are dissolved, remove it from the heat. Pour the cream over the gelatin in the mixing bowl. Allow to cool for a few minutes before evenly pouring it into either 8-10 ramekins (to invert onto a plate) or wine glasses (to serve directly out of). Place containers with panna cotta mixture into a refrigerator and allow to set for at least three hours or overnight.

In a small saucepan, heat the Chianti over medium-low heat. When warm, add in sliced strawberries and honey and allow it to simmer for about 10 minutes for all the flavors to combine together, stirring occasionally to ensure that the honey is dissolved. Either top the cold panna cotta with the hot strawberry-Chianti sauce, or allow the sauce to cool, scoop on top of the panna cotta, and keep it refrigerated until ready to eat.


Giveaway:
Company Website: http://truelemon.com/
Company FB page: https://www.facebook.com/truelemon

All True products are 100% natural with no artificial ingredients or sweeteners, preservatives,sodium or gluten. True Lemon's ingredients are the same as found in a lemon: Citric Acid, Lemon Juice, Lemon Oil and Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C)

True Lemon, through Bite and Booze, is giving away one gift set (consisting of a box each of True Lemon, True Lime, True Orange, True Grapefruit, True Lemonade, True Raspberry Lemonade, True Lemon shaker, True Lime shaker and a t-shirt) as part of a drawing. Also, anybody who reads this and emails True Lemon directly at customercare@truelemon.com can have some free samples.  Just mention Bite and Booze AND Virtual Potluck in your email!  To be entered to win the gift set, leave a comment on this blog post telling me how you would use one of the True products!  And make sure you follow me on Twitter and like me on Facebook too!