New Web Series from Visit Baton Rouge stops at Restaurant IPO

So funny story... back in the day when I served as the Public Address Announcer for the LSU Soccer team I had the pleasure of meeting Mo Isom. Actually, I knew about her from the year before because she was one of the top recruited goalkeepers in the country coming out of high school and at the time I was dating the starting goalie for the team. Needless to say my girlfriend didn't feel too great about her job security. I was actually in the PA booth calling the game when Mo scored a goal from 90 yards out in 2008. Once the ball goes in, if you listen for the announcer yelling "GOOOOOOOOOOOOAL," that's me!

These days Mo is traveling the world doing motivational speaking and many other great things. This summer, Visit Baton Rouge put together a web series exploring places that stand out in Baton Rouge's cultural landscape. Everything from arts, entertainment, museums, dining, plantations, and more are uncovered, and Mo is the host that takes us through the journey. Of particular interest to me is the dining portion which brings Mo to Restaurant IPO to get in the kitchen with my good friend Chef Chris Wadsworth. Check them out here making the signature Bayou Eggs dish and being pretty funny. Bon Apetit.

"Month of Salads" Post VII: Columbia Street Tap Room's Spinach Salad with Raw Oysters

Spinach Salad with Fried Oysters at Tap Room

While in Covington, Louisiana filming a bunch of beer I figured it would be the perfect time for fried oysters. Then I remembered that I should also make one last effort at a "Month of Salads" post. Fortunately the Columbia Street Tap Room allowed me to have my cake and eat it too. I added an order of fried oysters to my spinach salad and it turned out to be a winner. The oysters were delicately fried with a nice crisp exterior and a flavorful interior that retained the proper texture of an oyster. The spinach salad itself came dressed with slivered almonds, grape tomatoes, goat cheese, and a fruity vinaigrette. All of the flavors balanced each other well and the oysters proved to be a nice addition. Plus, the salad also paired nicely with my Old Ray, a mixture of the Old 504 Vanilla Coffee Porter and the Imperial IPA from the Northshore's Chafunkta Brewing Company!

Wigle Whiskey: Whisk(e)y Wednesday presented by Calandro's Supermarket

Wigle Wheat Whiskey

Unlike pretty much every white whiskey we have tasted on Whisk(e)y Wednesday, the Wigle Whiskey is not a corn based spirit. Wigle is a "rebellious white wheat" making its primary grain used for fermentation wheat rather than corn or barley. It is aged one day in oak barrels so that it qualifies as a whiskey. Wigle is a tribute back to early days of Pennsylvania distillation. Crafted in Pittsburg, the Wigle folks are definitely up to something fun in their effort to make fine spirits and celebrate their own heritage. The Wigle Whiskey has a sweet nose that reminds me of Halloween. It is boozy but surprisingly soft. I guess that's the wheat! On the palate it possesses more sweetness with a non-jarring bite. It reminded me of a wedding cake snowcone while Eric got a few more metallic tones and Jeremy tasted the kind of brown bread served at Outback. There is no complexity and the whiskey has a smooth finish for only one day in a barrel. It goes down easily and is clearly distilled well to cut out any foul flavors. I'd be really interested to see what this does after a couple years in a barrel, but for now it is definitely still drinkable as a white whiskey and could make some darn good cocktails!

Wigle Whiskey

Average Score 57.67

Whisk(e)y Wednesday is a blog post series on Bite and Booze sponsored by Calandro's Supermarket. Calandro's has one of Baton Rouge's best selections of bourbon, Scotch, Irish, and other whisk(e)ys as well as wine and craft beer. This WW feature was scored by Jay Ducote, Eric Ducote, and Jeremy Spikes. Scores are marked for Nose, Taste, Finish, and Balance and Complexity using our own proprietary scoring system. Marks are then added and averaged, leaving us with a final score out of a 100 point scale. Our scale should be looked at on the full range of 0-100 rather than an academic range where 70 is passing and anything less is failing. A 50 should be considered a very mediocre whisk(e)y while anything below 20 is absolute horse piss and anything above 90 is rather extraordinary.

Bite and Booze Radio Show: Dat Dog on Magazine

I recently got my first taste of Dat Dog in New Orleans at their newer Magazine Street Location. Chuck P. from the Me and My Big Mouth Radio Show and Podcast joined me to record an episode of the Bite and Booze Radio Show on location in the Big Easy. With a few dogs in our bellies and a nice bloody mary and "liquid brunch" on our breaths, we recorded a show just for you. Take a listen and tell your friends!

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The Bite and Booze Radio Show presented by Calandro's Supermarket airs on Saturdays at 5 PM on Talk 107.3 FM in Baton Rouge.  It is also available on iTunes.  The show's sponsors include Calandro's Supermarket, Visit Baton Rouge, Slap Ya Mama Cajun Seasoning, Louisiana Cookin' Magazine, Juban's Restaurant, the Tin Roof Brewing Company, and the Louisiana Culinary Institute.

"Month of Salads" Post VI: Chimes Covington's Caesar with Blackened Salmon

Blackened Salmon over Caesar Salad at The Chimes in Covington

While on the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain to film a teaser for a beer documentary, our crew wound up at the Chimes in Covington for an interview with our fixer and Craft Brands Manager from Champagne Beverage, Vanessa, and their beer buyer, Shane. After the shoot we settled in for lunch where keeping true to my "Month of Salads," I opted for the Caesar with blackened salmon. I've long been a fan of the Caesar salad at the original Chimes in Baton Rouge. The salad in Covington lived up to expectation with the hard boiled eggs, grape tomatoes, parmesan cheese and theirs signature creamy Caesar dressing. The blackened salmon had a great burst of flavor from the spices while being served rare on the inside just like I ordered it. If you're a big fan of the Chimes in Baton Rouge, I definitely suggest that you make the trip to Covington and see that location. It is impressive to say the least. I also had several beers while at the Chimes including a Voo Ka Ray IPA from Chafunkta and the Woot Stout from Stone. Balancing out the beers with a salad and a nice piece of fish is something I could almost get used to!