Aaron's First Month: From Coors Light to Craft Beer

by Aaron Arnold, intern

Before late April I had no idea what Jay Ducote did or who he even was, but that all changed when Jay spoke to my Digital Marketing class at LSU. Usually the guest speakers don’t interest me all too much, but when Jay came along and talked about Bite & Booze, Jay D’s, and Govt Taco, I was sold. I am not sure if it was Jay’s public speaking ability that caught my attention or the fact that he ate and drank for a living. All I knew was that I wanted to be a part of his team.

A few days later I emailed Jay about the possibility of joining the company as an intern and he invited me to the office for an interview. When asked what my least favorite food was, I responded “pickles..” (as anyone should) and Blair replied “Oh great, Jay hates pickles too.” That’s when I knew I was in.

When Jay spoke to my class he said he was looking for a jack of all trades type of intern, and he meant that literally. On the first day I put tags on our bomb AF Louisiana Molasses Mustard (seriously if you’re reading this and haven’t tried it then do yourself a favor and go buy some right this second, this blog isn’t going anywhere) helped craft tweets for our Twitter accounts, created graphic designs, and worked a private dinner at the office. At the end of the day I had worked a little over 13 hours. You’re probably thinking “I bet this dude wanted to quit immediately”, but you would be mistaken. It was single handedly the best day of “work” I have had in my entire life, and I worked at Disney World for 6 months so that’s saying something! The best part about it was that at the end of a 13 hour work day I felt like I knew everyone in the office for years and that I was a part of the family.

Aaron rocking his Jay D's shirt alongside fellow intern Drew, helping serve at Jay D's Backyard BBQ at Tin Roof Brewery. Photo by Jordan Hefler Photography

In a month’s time I have done so many things that I never expected to do. I recorded a podcast sampling beer, wrote multiple blog posts, assisted at demos in grocery stores, made product deliveries, packed and moved our entire office (#RIPOfficeHouse), and attended a handful of Gov’t Taco and Jay D events. It has been a great experience so far and I can only imagine it will keep getting better.

In addition to all of these great experiences I’ve gained an appreciation for local products and most importantly craft beer, thanks Chuck! You would think being from the Baton Rouge area I would try to stick to local products, but I have honestly never thought much about it. Now, I make an effort to only shop at Calandro’s or other local grocery stores. The team has shown me a bunch of locally owned restaurants in Baton Rouge that I never even knew existed, and my fridge is stocked with delicious Louisiana beer.

I hope the rest of this internship goes just as smoothly as the first month, I certainly think it will.

Jay D's Bites: Molasses Mustard Green Bean Salad

by Sophie Spring, intern

Just about every week in the summer, my dad takes a trip to the farmers market and comes home with a bounty of produce. Within the hour, like clockwork, there will be a green bean salad chilling in the fridge. It’s quick to make, easy to snack on, and uses two of my personal favorite farmers market vegetables: green beans and cherry tomatoes.

With my dad’s recipe in mind, I decided to put my own spin on the classic salad and add Jay D’s Molasses Mustard in the dressing. The tangy mustard complements the sweetness of the tomatoes, and the fresh greens beans stay tender and bright after being blanched.

This simple and refreshing recipe is the perfect side dish for your next summer BBQ!

Molasses Mustard Green Bean Salad

Yields 4-6 servings

1 lb. green beans, trimmed
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
½ cup olive oil
¼ cup red wine vinegar
2 Tbsp. Jay D’s Louisiana Molasses Mustard

Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Add the green beans and let boil until a bright green color, about 3-5 minutes. Drain the beans and immediately rinse with cold water to stop them from cooking. 

Mix the oil, vinegar, Jay D’s Louisiana Molasses Mustard, and salt & pepper to taste.

Toss beans, tomatoes, and dressing and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Serve cold and garnish with chives, if desired.

Sophie's First Week: A Glimpse Behind the Scenes of an Intern

by Sophie Spring, intern

“I really don’t know.” My response when family and friends asked me what I was going to be doing at my internship this summer. You could say it was a last minute decision to live in Baton Rouge for the summer, as I got the internship with Bite and Booze the night before my last final. The chaotic nature of finding a place to live, roommates and moving all my possessions from sorority house to my new condo only increased my excitement to start working for Jay and the Bite and Booze crew.

After the long 21-hour drive from Basking Ridge, New Jersey to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, I couldn’t wait to dive in. My first day consisted of random tasks from intern orientation, to running out for forgotten groceries, to peeling and cutting 25 pounds of carrots.

As I’ve learned is the usual in the #officehouse, snacks are always coming out of the kitchen: Jay’s bratwurst from Iverstine Butcher, taco samples to prep for Gov’t Taco events, artisan chocolate bars sent to us from CrateChef and beer from Tin Roof and other local breweries (only for those of us over 21, of course). 

I left with five new t-shirts and a nervous anticipation for my next day of work, catering the VIP tent at Live After 5 downtown.

I'm all smiles while Paige snaps to the beat, Therese dances and Blair flips tortillas! Photo credit: Jordan Hefler

As I roll up to the office Friday morning, I was immediately rushed into Chuck’s Jeep as we trucked over to City Pork for a filming of the Food Network show, Ginormous Food. My second day on the job and I was already getting on TV! 

The highlights of going to the filming were getting to taste the giant porchetta sandwich, meeting Ginormous Foods host Josh Denny and realizing how locally famous my boss Jay Ducote was. I’m already planning a viewing party so all of my friends can see the back of my head on national television when the episode airs in July!

Next, we headed to Tin Roof Brewery to sort and tag some Louisiana Molasses Mustard bottles and Louisiana Barbecue Sauce to fill orders. While tying small tags to countless bottles of mustard in a dark, hot and humid warehouse isn’t exactly my idea of fun, it’s cool to see how involved the whole staff is in every aspect of the business. Jay went from being interviewed for Food Network to working right next to me, opening and resealing boxes of his molasses mustard. However, work like this has its benefits and no one in this company will never turn down a chance to grab some Tin Roof beer.

After going back to the office to pack up equipment, I jumped in the car with some of the Gov’t Taco crew to head downtown for Live After 5. While Snap Chatting myself flipping tortillas on the flat-top, assembling tacos and listening to live music my friends are all asking, “What is your job and where can I get one?!” 

Even after working a 12 hour day, I wanted to do nothing more than get to the office at 6:15am the next morning to make a vat of popcorn tossed with Jay D’s Spicy & Sweet Rub to give out as samples at the Red Stick Farmer’s Market.

As I wandered around the Farmer’s Market, forgetting I was wearing my iconic Jay D’s shirt, I was shocked by how many vendors came up to me with friendly remarks, conversation and most importantly, samples of their products. While I had to restrain myself from buying something from every stand, I left the Farmer’s Market with tons of cool finds and an appreciation for Jay’s influence and connections in Baton Rouge.

I had already worked 21 hours, but was still most excited for our next event: Gov’t Taco pop-up at The Overpass Merchant.

I geared up for another 11 hour day, this time with a black taco flat brim of my own to sport for the evening. The kitchen was hot, my hands were burnt from the flat top and I was standing in a restaurant kitchen corner for nearly 5 hours flipping tortillas and assembling elote, but I had never had so much fun!

You can dance, you can shine, having the time of your life... @sophie_spring @chefaimeetortorich @jennbrightup @city_slicker_ @theoverpassmerchant

A post shared by Gov't Taco (@govttaco) on May 28, 2017 at 7:05pm PDT

With Gnarly Barley beer flowing through the taps, music pumping and jokes flying we capped off the night by heading to Ivar’s with the whole crew, who are already starting to feel like my family. My friends don’t understand how that can be fun for me, or how I am still excited to work all of these hours, but walking through the #officehouse already feels like home.

Throw some Jay D's Spicy & Sweet Barbecue Rub on burgers next time you're grilling!! #BBQ #burgers #grilling #memorialday

A post shared by Jay Ducote (@jayducote) on May 30, 2017 at 7:25am PDT

After a relaxing Memorial Day, with me grilling burgers using Jay D’s Spicy & Sweet Rub for friends (and making some of them local celebrities by featuring them on the @jayducote instagram), I was ready to come back for our private dinner on Tuesday night.

Yet another long day, working from 9a.m. to 10p.m., was well worth it just for a bite of coffee rubbed venison and corner scraps of Therese’s sponge cake bread pudding. Seeing our work table transformed into a beautiful dining space for 12 lucky locals was super cool, almost as cool as taking part in cooking, serving and assembling five beautiful courses, expertly paired with wine and beer.

Just in my first few days, I have learned so much about entrepreneurship (my major) and running a business from Jay, working in a restaurant and cooking for a crowd (my dream) from Aimee and Therese, working hard and balancing different passions (my life right now) from Chuck and being a funky, cool, and awesome person (everyone’s goal) from Blair.

I’m looking forward to the rest of the summer because I can’t wait to see what else Bite and Booze has to offer. What do I think I’ll get from this internship? My predictions are food, fun and invaluable lessons about working hard, cooking well and endless hijinks with a crazy new family at the #officehouse.

It's Not a Goodbye, It's a "See You Later": Hannah Reflects On Her Internship

by Hannah Wilson, intern

I remember Blair coming to Dr. Folse’s marketing class like it was yesterday. She shared what Bite & Booze was all about and I remember having a gut feeling that this was meant for me. That sounds so cheesy and so easy to say now that we’re here, a semester later...But, that’s the thing, I follow my gut. I have honed in on listening to my intuition, and it’s gotten me this far. As the class ended my friend Chad leaned over and said, “You seem a lot like her, are you going to talk to her?”; I said yes.

I marched down, got her business card and that was that. We skyped for the interview on a winter day when it was about negative four degrees in Chicago, and I remember Jay asking me what my least favorite food was. Later that day I got an offer from them, and I took it.

Me chowing down on some high quality Gov't Taco
Photo Credit: Jordan Hefler Photography

Coming back from winter break, and walking up to the #OfficeHouse on the first day, I was incredibly nervous. I have always loved eating food, but I did not think I was qualified enough to review food or represent a company all about food. The most crafty I got in the kitchen was putting olive oil in a pan with vegetables and stir frying them and I’m still not even sure if that’s exactly what you would call that. I was ready to try though, even if I was a nervous and excited mess.

Being Blair’s intern has been a little something extra. Blair, Chief Confusion Coordinator and Spin Doctor, is someone I view with the to utmost respect and has become one of my role models through this whole experience. I’ve gotten to see her goofy, honest and kind personality shine through whether we’re editing blog posts, cleaning the #OfficeHouse or having a dance party while running errands. There is never a dull moment with this crew, and everything turns into laughter and dancing in almost no time at all.

From private dinners, to grocery stores, to working Gov’t Taco events, there’s always something going on. Throughout these various adventures, I’ve learned so much more about culinary marketing and real life experience than any classroom could have taught me. This internship has opened my eyes to all of the amazing experiences that happen off of LSU’s campus, and it’s made me appreciate this city so much more than I could have ever imagined.

I also have a new appreciation for food and shopping locally. Jay and the team are so dedicated to buying local ingredients and supporting small businesses, and it really made me evaluate where I was shopping and what I was feeding myself.

Our partnerships with local Louisiana companies gives outlets to promote local commerce to both parties, and it’s been very interesting to see how everything works together. I think that shopping locally and focusing on the quality of ingredients has changed how my body operates, and I’ve definitely noticed an improvement. It makes a world of difference when you care about the quality of food you’re putting into your body (except for this sinfully delicious grilled cheese I wrote about).

Check it out: our intern @look_mano_hanz hit up The Big Cheezy waiting for the Jazz Fest rain delays last weekend. What a delicious way to pass the time! Read all about it on the #blog now! #grilledcheese #followyournola #nola #cheese

A post shared by Bite & Booze (@biteandbooze) on May 8, 2017 at 9:29am PDT

Getting to pal around with Blair and taste almost every cup of coffee in Baton Rouge, pho and having our almost weekly lunches at Zippy’s have grown to be some of my favorite memories of college. But also, seeing all the effort and hardwork that goes into building a brand for a restaurant and getting to be a voice in the decision making process has been a truly rewarding experience (taste testing almost every taco hasn’t been too shabby either).

Since coming through that door in early January, the adventures, laughs and love have been endless. Which, again, sounds cheesy but it could not be more true. This group of humans have been one of the most genuine I’ve ever come into contact with. 

The success of this team, I believe, is due to the cohesiveness and family-like atmosphere we work in every day. For the past five months I’ve woken up and looked forward to my Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at Bite & Booze. So much so, that I’m coming back in the fall when I finish up my last semester at LSU!

All Good Things Must Come to an End: Abby Reflects On Her Internship

by Abby Sewel, intern

February 23rd, 2017 was unusually hot, which gave me an excuse for the sweat stains I had produced my first day on the job with the Bite and Booze Team. The day before, I had come to an interview during which I took two pages of notes because I was entirely too eager. Since becoming a part of Jay’s team, I have learned everything is hands-on. If you need any instruction, Blair (Chief Confusion Coordinator/Spin Doctor) will give you a thorough demonstration of the right way to do it.

The visual learning environment forced me to quickly adapt to the fast-paced nature of the #OfficeHouse and I couldn’t be happier. Within a month I quickly fell into place alongside my fellow interns, anxious to learn anything and everything we can from the inspiring and driven crew that runs this ship.

It looks like @sewellsrule and @levineonthescene couldn't eat those #tacos fast enough! #intacoswetrust #tacostacostacos

A post shared by Gov't Taco (@govttaco) on Apr 26, 2017 at 10:06am PDT

My main role as a sales intern is assisting our Product Czar and Sauceror of Sales, Chuck Pierce, with product demonstrations in stores that carry Jay D’s brands. I’m fairly certain I was brought on board to basically double check everything before we walk out the door because Chuck’s memory retention is equivalent to Eeyore.

As fun as that sounds, acting as Chuck’s second brain isn’t my sole purpose at the office. I have also created a new and improved product sales sheet for Jay D’s, tagged and boxed countless cases of sauce, prepped Gov’t Taco pop ups, assisted in catering a private dinner party, participated in creative design meetings for Gov’t Taco and even had the honor of assisting in culinary research for the Bite & Booze blog. Now I’m writing my first blog post so I think it’s safe to say that I have a large range of responsibilities.

I snapped this shot of Chuck P. at one of our private dinners.

My favorite part of this whole experience is working as one team while having a rocking time celebrating the culinary culture of Louisiana cuisine.

Thanks to my real-world experience with Jay’s team and my sales training in LSU Professional Sales Institute, I have finally found the direction for my future: sales and marketing in the food and beverage industry.

My interest in food and beverages came from my parents who taught me to be open minded and try new things; your taste buds change every 7 years so you may never know what you’re missing out on if you don’t give it another try! I am a self-proclaimed foodie who has recently decided to make her love of food into a career.

Joining the team, even briefly, has been truly wonderful. I’m forever kicking myself for being late in the intern game and only being able to fit in half a semester, but it’s been the best half semester ever! I’m so motivated to find a job in Virginia with more people like the fine individuals at Bite and Booze so I can learn even more about the industry. Having a goal to reach once I graduate helps distract me from the fact that I unfortunately leave this wonderful #officehouse to explore my future very soon.

Pride in the Products: A Californian Revels in Louisiana's Love for Local

by Intern Vanessa Mejia

Jay D's Louisiana Barbecue Sauce and Blanc Du Bois, displayed at Calandro's Supermarket

I've only lived in Louisiana for the last year and a half, and although Baton Rouge feels like home, I have to remind myself I'm an outsider.

Okay, so maybe using the term "outsider" has a bit of a harsh connotation, but in technical terms it's accurate. Being born and raised in Southern California, it slips my mind more than you might believe.

Now, having interned with Bite and Booze/HugJayD for two semesters, I've got some serious homework: take my last months before graduating to explore the city I'm living in. Challenge accepted.

Part of my role as an intern was to create fun and unique content to describe what HugJayD represents, and in order to do that effectively, I had to see for myself all the local places that carry the products and the places that use the products in recipes to create some seriously delicious bites.

Full disclosure: prior to this internship, the only places I bought groceries in Baton Rouge were Winn Dixie, Whole Foods, Trader Joes, and the Neighborhood Walmart (only three of which exist in California). 

I was excited to explore shops that sell local products, like Matherne's, Bocage Market, Maxwell's Market, Calandro's, Red Stick Spice Company, and Tony's Seafood.

You want to know what each of these places have in common? That they make you want to go home and cook a full Cajun spread? Yes, but there's something else.

It's the pride in the products; Louisiana-made products specifically. 

Front and center when you walk into these places, Louisiana products are proudly displayed. Including products like Jay D's Louisiana Barbecue Sauce and Molasses Mustard. (Cue selfish plug. I’m a good intern, what can I say?).

If I'm being honest, I can’t recall a single place similar in California. Yes, maybe those super cliche organic shops and farmer’s markets, but nothing like these local city grocery stores. 

Impressive, Louisiana. That’s pride, and that’s what makes me feel welcome and at home here.

By tagging along on some of Chuck P's sauce deliveries, I wanted to buy everything off those Louisiana product shelves. It made me proud to see Louisiana flavors bottled, bagged, and being shared. 

It's how "outsiders" like me connect on more levels than just purple and gold (Go Tigers!). 

And on the day of my departure, I will proudly stuff the trunk of my car with plenty of Louisiana products, and then search high and low for them in California because you just can’t beat Louisiana flavor.

*Editor's note: We did not assign this piece to Vanessa. She felt compelled on her own to write it. We will miss her when she graduates and leaves us!*