Charcuterie Defined at Baton Rouge's City Pork

City Pork Deli & Charcuterie in Baton Rouge

Fairly new on the Baton Rouge scene, City Pork’s opening in December 2013 was highly anticipated... so much so that they made my 2013 list of the top 10 new bars and restaurants in the Capital City despite not even being open one month. With the culture and history that surrounds the art of charcuterie, I wanted to see how legitimate their practices would be. 

For those of you who aren't sure

about charcuterie, it’s simply defined as the art of salting, smoking, and preserving meats; and these guys know how to do it. They cure their own meats in house and have them for sale on charcuterie boards and as to-go options. While they carry familiar favorites like andouille, tasso, boudin, and bacon, they also have some European favorites like bolognas, summer sausages, and prosciutto.

Charcuterie defined at Baton Rouge's City Pork

Charcuterie aside, City Pork is an inspiring deli. They feature a nice handful of sandwiches to choose from and, while I haven’t had them all at this point, I've been impressed with each one. Bread is sourced locally from Chef Eric Arceneaux at the City Club in Baton Rouge and Poupart's Bakery in Lafayette. The City Club is pretty spot on with their house cured bacon and smoked turkey breast. If I’m being honest, it’s the bacon... I can’t turn it down. There are two options to try the bacon: the City Club and the BLT. It is hard to choose a favorite though, especially with the Cubano, Big Pig, and New Yorker staring you in the face. Each sandwich comes with a side of their homemade potato chips, or you can check out soup options like their stunningly delicious tomato basil soup.

The Big Pig

The Cubano

I usually have to think about what I’m getting before I go in so I don’t hold up the line, which can be out of the door at lunch time most days. Don’t worry though, there is a quaint atmosphere inside with adequate seating and come spring the little patio will be a welcome sight. I know I’m looking forward to the spring weather and trying their duck confit salad on the patio with a signature cocktail or cold Tin Roof brew as well as a cheese or charcuterie board. Sounds like happy hour to me. Yes, I said happy hour! From 4-7pm City Pork has some awesome specials on beer, wine, and their cheese or charcuterie boards.

The New Yorker with Pastrami

The smell of bacon and cured deliciousness when you walk in the door is phenomenal. You can tell by the enthusiasm of the staff how passionate they are about what they’re offering to the city of Baton Rouge. City Pork is full of good eats, great meats, and thirst-quenching drinks. If you aren't in the mood for an adult beverage, try a Swamp Pop made in Lafayette with pure cane sugar. If you haven’t had the chance to swing by, make time. And do it soon.

Another Pro Tip: Don’t skip out on the pickles they give you with the sandwich or boards. They are made in house and can turn a pickle hater like me into a lush. Noteworthy for sure.

2 GINGERS Irish Whiskey releases nationwide: Whisk(e)y Wednesday presented by Calandro's Supermarket

Great news out of Kilbeggan Distilling Company in Ireland. The 2 GINGERS Irish Whiskey – the fastest growing Irish whiskey in the U.S. – has grown beyond its Minnesota roots and is now officially available across the United States. The brand has experienced exponential growth, expanding from limited Midwest markets one year ago to all 50 states this month. I previously wrote about the 2 GINGERS Irish Whiskey on a Whisk(e)y Wednesday review post, so it is pretty awesome to get to report their expansion and tour.

To support the national launch, 2 GINGERS Founder and CEO Kieran Folliard will travel in a customized 2 GINGERS trailer to meet with bartenders, distributors and consumers looking to discover the BIG GINGER cocktail in stops from coast to coast, including: Milwaukee, WI, Chicago, IL,  Hoboken, NJ, New Orleans, LA, Dallas, TX, Austin, TX, San Diego, CA, Denver, CO, Minneapolis, MN, St. Louis, MO, Indianapolis, IN, and Columbus, OH.

“At its heart, 2 GINGERS is about following up on a hunch and pursuing your dreams," said Folliard, who is soon hitting the road in a custom 2 GINGERS trailer that, like any Irish pub, will ring with stories (most of them true) in cities across the country. "We hope to encourage others to pursue their dreams, to demonstrate what we stand for and to pose the question: 'Why not try something big?’”

As an added bonus, here's the recipe for the BIG GINGER:

2 parts 2 GINGERS Irish Whiskey
Ginger Ale
Lemon Wedge
Lime Wedge
METHOD: Pour the 2 GINGERS Irish Whiskey into a pint glass with ice. Top with ginger ale, followed by a wedge of a lemon and lime.

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 (though not undrinkable) while anything below 20 is absolute horse piss and anything above 80 is rather extraordinary and anything above 90 is world class.

Bite and Booze Radio Show: Graffiti Pop-Up

This past weekend I had Chef Chris Wadsworth and Blaise Calandro III on the radio show to chat about the Graffiti Pop-Up Dinner coming up on February 26th at Triumph Kitchen. Chef Wadsworth and I have put together a 6 course menu with an artistic theme to help kick off Triumph. Listen to the show and then make sure you check out the full menu and buy your tickets at https://graffitipopup.eventbrite.com.




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, Mama Della's N.Y. City Pizzeria, Restaurant IPO, Mason's Grill, Donner-Peltier Distillers (Rougaroux Rums and Oryza Vodka and Gin), Louisiana Cookin' Magazine, Juban's Restaurant, the Tin Roof Brewing Company, the Louisiana Culinary Institute and Triumph Kitchen.

Ireland Reminiscence and The Parting Glass: Whisk(e)y Wednesday presented by Calandro's Supermarket

Eric, Kate, Jeremy, Meghan, Jay, James, and Lizzie in Galway, 2006

In the summer of 2006 I spent nearly two months in Ireland. I traveled with the group of friends seen to the right for the first ten days, then they all left, but I stayed. Twas the summer between my two years of grad school and I needn't return stateside too soon, so I booked my return flight home for eight weeks later. I figured that I would find a way to survive. In truth, I found a way to live. I'm not sure there's much that can open one's eyes or teach them about themselves more than a couple months of traveling alone in foreign countries. Equipped with a couple backpacks, a tent, a few good books, a journal that Caroline Payne gifted me, and a Motorola Razr (hard to imagine how I did it all without Google Maps on my iPhone!), I left my compadres at the Dublin airport and headed west across the Emerald Isle. There are many good stories to tell and great adventures to reveal, but that might have to wait for a book later down the road. But today is Whisk(e)y Wednesday, and rather than give you a review of an Irish whiskey, I thought I'd share this video called The Parting Glass from Tullamore D.E.W. It reminds me of peaceful times in the Irish countryside. And rain. And whiskey. If you're really itching for a review, I wrote about the Tullamore Dew Single Malt 10 Year a little while back.

In exciting news, Tullamore D.E.W. is working on returning home to the town of Tullamore with the building the new distillery. Construction is already underway on this 50 million dollar investment, which will bring economic gain, new jobs, and the spirit of Tullamore D.E.W. back to its namesake town. I'll have to get back to Ireland to check it out!

 

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 (though not undrinkable) while anything below 20 is absolute horse piss and anything above 80 is rather extraordinary and anything above 90 is world class.

Bite and Booze Radio Show: Baton Rouge's Signature Dish?

A few weeks ago Charles Pierce from the Me and My Big Mouth Radio Show, which airs Fridays at 6 and replays Sundays at noon on 96.9 FM WHYR, and I sat down at the Rotolo's in Prairieville to record a radio show. For those wondering, we had the Sweep the Floor breadsticks with buffalo sauce followed by some calzones. On the show we talked about what Baton Rouge's signature dish might be. If you could only tell somebody visiting Baton Rouge to eat one thing, where would you tell them to go and what should they eat? Check out this episode of the Bite and Booze Radio Show, and respond in the comment section below with your thoughts!



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, Mama Della's N.Y. City Pizzeria, Restaurant IPO, Mason's Grill, Donner-Peltier Distillers (Rougaroux Rums and Oryza Vodka and Gin), Louisiana Cookin' Magazine, Juban's Restaurant, the Tin Roof Brewing Company, the Louisiana Culinary Institute and Triumph Kitchen.