West Coast Vibin’ at The Crack Shack: Where Gov’t Taco Research meets Fried Chicken

by Aimee Tortorich

In January I had the pleasure of heading back to San Diego after over 4 years being away.  The reason? Taco research. With the upcoming opening of Gov’t Taco, I wanted to check out what the West Coast was up to in the food scene. Let me tell you, they still got it going on!

We tried everything from traditional Mexican to modern American tacos, but eating tacos for 16 straight meals gets a little monotonous, so we headed to a few different restaurants for inspiration.

One of the coolest places we went was The Crack Shack, Richard Blais’s new restaurant known for their chicken and eggs. Free-range and local fried chicken and eggs are served in a fast casual restaurant with a true Southern California laid-back vibe. Surrounded by bocce and frequented by any and all, including happy dogs, it was a nice start to a great research trip.

We arrived the morning around 9 am on a weekday, so we never had to wait in line. (Word of caution, if going on the weekend, be prepared to wait for this crack.)
After discussing the menu options, which are located on the wall next to the ordering counter, we decided to try an assortment of delectable offerings.

Chicken Lollipops

Togarashi and Lemon

Perfectly fried and whimsical to the eye, these beauties were laced with a little Japanese spice mixture known as tōgarashi, which added a nice heat and citrus flavor.  Definitely a winner on my list, I would go back for more all day, everyday.

Border Slaw

Papaya, Mango, Jicama, Coconut, Chili, Pineapple

The border slaw was a nice variation of traditional southern slaw. The freshness of the fruit mixed with the textual crunch of the elements didn’t disappoint. Good as a palate cleanser or an option for the health-conscious, this slaw would definitely go great on any seafood taco.

Mini Biscuits

Miso-Maple Butter

These little beauties were top of the line in the biscuit world. Delicate, buttery and served with miso maple butter, I had my fair share and “maybe” overindulged. Chicken and biscuit taco anyone????

Chicken Oysters

Pickle Brine, Meyer Lemon, Mustard Seed Tartar

Any chef will tell you that the best part of a chicken is the chicken oyster. These tiny dark meat jewels come right off the backbone at the thigh and are super tender and juicy.  It’s no surprise that Richard Blais would put these prized bits on the menu. Pickle brined, fried and served with fried kale and mustard seed tartar, these were a great appetizer and made for a great chicken biscuit!


The Condiments

From bottom left to right: Baja Hot Sauce, Cracksup, Kimchi BBQ, Vadouvan Mustard, Chimichurri and Ranch

These house-made sauces were definitely a huge inspiration for Gov’t Taco. Offering 6 different options, these sauces hit all the notes from sweet to spicy to tangy. My favorite was the mustard, which was sweet and had notes of curry. It was a great dipping sauce and would be an interesting component for tacos.

Beers with Chuck: Grapefruit Sculpin from Ballast Point Brewing

by Chuck P

When I heard the news that Ballast Point Brewing Company, based in San Diego, California, was finally coming to Louisiana I was as giddy as kid on Christmas morning. Like many other beer geeks, the only way you could get any Ballast Point beers before this was by either taking a trip over to Pensacola, heading to Houston or trading beers online. Those days are over now as the the first round of Ballast Point brews are showing up on store shelves around Baton Rouge and surrounding areas.

I’ve had quite a few beers from Ballast Point but amazingly one of their most popular beers, the Grapefruit Sculpin, somehow flew past my radar. Obviously, this is something that needed to be rectified and I was quickly kicking myself for not trying this sooner.

The Sculpin IPA is a classic and one that Ballast Point is well known for, but over the years the grapefruit version seems to have surpassed it in popularity. The grapefruit notes shine through perfectly with just enough tart and bitterness to compliment the citrusy notes of the Sculpin IPA.

On the nose, as well as flavorwise, you get the grapefruit along with notes of lemon, mango and apricot. These scents come rushing to meet you in a nice balance. As crushable as this beer is, remember it’s coming in at 7% so just enjoy the ride as opposed to speeding through it.

Coming from someone who isn’t a big fan of fruit I can see myself drinking quite a few of these whether hanging with friends or perched up at the one of my favorite craft beer hangouts.

Hopefully the other variations of Sculpin like Pineapple and Habanero will make their way down to Louisiana soon but in the meantime make sure to grab a six pack (12 packs coming soon) or a pint and enjoy the deliciousness of Grapefruit Sculpin. 

When you do, raise a glass and give a big Louisiana welcome to Ballast Point Brewing Company!

To hear more about this beer, check out this podcast with Mockler's Craft Brands Manager Jacob Talley and James Brown of Ballast Point talk about the Grapefruit Sculpin phenomenon:

The Great American Beer Boom: Jay's Beer Journey

Back in October, many of you will remember that I set out on a craft beer adventure to the Great American Beer Festival in Denver and then on to check out some breweries in San Diego.  What might have slipped through the cracks is that I made a stop in Louisiana as well, and that my buddy Tommy Talley of tommysTV came along with me on the journey... with a camera.  Here's a story that tells what I found out about the relationship between craft brewers and their wholesalers:

Greg Koch of the Stone Brewing Co. poses with a beer and Jay Ducote