Steakspiration in Baton Rouge and Beyond

by Daniel Harris

Any time is a good time for steak, and today is no exception. You can dress it up, getting the nicest cut from a five-star restaurant, or take the more approachable route by slicing it up and putting it in a taco.

No matter the presentation, you'll have to pry red meat out of Team Bite and Booze's cold dead hands. Here’s a look at some of the best steaks we’ve had (or served) over the years.

Doe's Classic Steak and Fries

Starting our journey through steak heaven with this classic, juicy steak from Doe’s.

Lucky Palace Steak with Onion & Bell Pepper 

The perfect trio at Lucky Palace in Bossier City.

Jay's Street Steak Tacos 

This easy to make recipe (using ingredients from Indie Plate) allows you to create your own delicious Steak Tacos.

SALT Steak with Veggies & Potatoes

This expertly cooked piece of steak pairs beautifully with the colorful bed of veggies and potatoes.

Jay’s Flank Steak, Fried Plantain & Chimmichurri Bites

Loving the color of these fried plantain/flank steak/chimichurri bites at this Latin American inspired private dinner we're doing for Baton Rouge Rotaract! It's always fun cooking in @courtneymholbrook's kitchen. #steak #latincuisine #plantains #steak #privatechef #cheflife

A photo posted by Jay Ducote (@biteandbooze) on Jan 7, 2016 at 5:20pm PST

18 Steak Ribeye

This great cut of meat is aged for 45 days before being cooked over a mix of mesquite, hickory, and pecan.

Jay's Skirt Steak Roulade 

This skirt steak roulade is made with Jay D’s Louisiana Barbecue Sauce and fresh ingredients from Indie Plate.

Ember's Tomahawk

When in doubt #tomahawk. Amiright @laubergelc? #foodporn #foodpics #foodcoma #steaksteaksteaksteaksteaksteak

A photo posted by Jay Ducote (@biteandbooze) on Mar 6, 2016 at 7:27pm PST

Blair's Five Favorite Bites in McAllen, Texas

by Blair Loup

Recently, Jay and I were invited to eat and drink our way through McAllen, Texas. It’s an obscure but magical place with 24-hour taco joints.

The Rio Grande Valley area is teeming with authentic Mexican cuisine, but most of the best bites we had may surprise you. Here’s a look at the five best bites I had in McAllen:

Il Forno a Legna

Shrimp, smoked salmon, mushroom, mozzarella, parsley pizza at Il Forno.

This Italian eatery is brand new, and the people of McAllen are as stoked to have them churning out beautiful pizzas.

I’ve never had smoked salmon on a pizza before, and now I feel like my whole life has been a lie. The seafood married with the earthiness of the mushroom, and parsley intrigued my taste buds the way no pizza has before.

The Lunchbox on 10th

Trout en pappillote with fresh herbs, carrots, squash, and zucchini at Lunchbox.

Chef Marcel has created something truly unique here. His menu is a fantastic dance of Latin American, Asian, Italian, and European cuisines.

“En Papillotte” is a classic French fish dish where that day’s catch is cooked inside a paper pouch with savory herbs, butter, and vegetables. This trout in a pouch was prepared to the point of maximum deliciousness. I’m currently penning a love letter to butter to show my appreciation for the dumbfounding effect it has on proteins.

Bodega Tavern & Kitchen

Beet fries at Bodega.

I don’t know what I was expecting, but Bodega spoke to me on so many levels. The first thing I noticed was the meat curing room. Chef Adam Cavazos turned the previous owner’s giant fish tank into a curing room you can see from across the restaurant.

In my opinion, Chef Adam’s great cocktail program and beautiful restaurant why in comparison to his vegetable menu. He treats vegetable sides as composed dishes, and to me that warrants sainthood.

If you know me, you know I love beets. These are beet fries with a smoked aioli sprinkled with funky blue cheese and crunchy pepitas; a dish that would sway any beet doubter.

Ms. G’s Tacos n’ More

Barbacoa taco from Ms. G's.

I am a taco fiend. You may remember my deep mourning over the loss of our beloved Taco n Sabor in Baton Rouge, so I had to get my fix in a town riddled with tacos. There are 24-hour tacos, grab-and-go tacos, drive-thru tacos, and even gas station tacos.

I tried them all, but none were better than Ms. G’s. This barbacoa taco changed my life. Barbacoa is mostly, if not all, beef cheek and tongue. While that may make some cringe, adventurous eaters know that this meat tastes like the best beef roast you’ve ever had, but better.

Salt New American Table

Compart Duroc Pork Chop, Huilacoche Tamale, corn relish at SALT.

Chef Larry Delgado is something special. We had the opportunity to have dinner at his restaurant with him and his wife, Jessica, and we were stuffed to the brim.
When they brought out this pork job, Jay’s jaw fell to the ground. This cut has to be butchered in house and contains the chop, the loin, and the belly and is sous vide, pan seared, and then dropped in the fryer. It’s a beast. If you slice it all the way across, it’s one of the most perfect bites of pork you’ll ever have.

Be on the lookout soon to see what Jay has to say about out eating and drinking adventures in McAllen!

Barbecue Bites: Jay D's Barbecue Venison Pizza

Sometimes when you get your hands on some venison and some fresh dough from Indie Plate, you have to just put it in the pizza.

Behold, our Jay D's Barbecue Venison Pizza recipe! All the hunters with a surplus of ground venison in their freezers this time of year, fear no more.

Jay D's Barbecue Venison Pizza

Jay D’s Barbecue Venison Pizza

Makes 2 10-12” Pizzas

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 lb ground venison
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp dried oregano
1 tbsp red chili flakes
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 pack of Indie Plate pizza dough, divided in half
1/2 cup Jay D’s Louisiana Barbecue Sauce
6 oz shredded white Indie Plate cheddar cheese
1 red onion, diced
3 serrano peppers, sliced thinly to form little circles


Preheat oven to 375 F with two cast iron skillets inside.

In a large skillet, heat one tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. Place the venison in the pan and break apart with a wooden spoon. Brown the meat in the olive oil for five minutes. Add the garlic, oregano, chili flakes, salt, and pepper, and continue to brown the venison, stirring often, about five more minutes. Reserve.

Roll or toss out half of the pizza dough. Work the dough until it's large enough to cover the bottom of your cast iron skillets. Remove the skillets from the oven. Drizzle one tablespoon of olive oil in each skillet, coating as much of the bottom as possible. Lay the dough down in the oil in each skillet. Pour two tablespoons of Jay D’s Louisiana Barbecue Sauce onto each dough and spread it out. On top of the sauce, layer the ground venison followed by the cheese and then red onion and serrano.

Place skillets back in the oven and bake for 20 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Remove from the oven and slide the pizzas onto a cutting board. Allow to cool for a few minutes. Drizzle each pizza with two tablespoons of barbecue sauce, then slice and serve.

Beers with Chuck: BBQ and Brews for a Good Cause at Iron Brewer

by Chuck P

For the last three years, Brasseurs a la Maison, Louisiana’s largest homebrew club, has partnered with the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank to put on the Iron Brewer, an event that accepts cash donations and donated canned goods to benefit the less fortunate.

With more than 15 competing homebrew teams from around the state serving up their signature homebrews and delicious BBQ from local Hogs for the Cause team Bacon Rouge, Iron Brewer is a great way to enjoy great beer and great food for a good cause.

Quite the crowd at the third annual Iron Brewer event at Tin Roof Brewing Company.

Like last year, this year’s Iron Brewer was held at the Tin Roof Brewing Company. After dropping off my canned good donation that doubled as an entry free, I grabebd my wristband, voting ticket, and sample cup as I headed toward the collection of tents sprawled across the grassy field next to the brewery. It was a beautiful and warm Saturday afternoon, and the smell of BBQ, malt, and hops lingered in the air as I made my way through the large crowd and arrived at the first tent to begin my sampling adventure.

I knew attempting to try all the homebrews here was going to be tough. Some of the teams had more than one to sample! With that in mind, I began the day with a tasty King Cake Blonde Stout called Bierre Des Rois. This one had everything you would want in a king cake beer. It helped that they paired each sample with a king cake donut hole from Tiger Deaux-Nuts. Not a bad way to start things off.

Then there was the Sazerac Beer. Blake Winchell came up with a delicious beer based on the classic Sazerac cocktail that was probably my favorite of the day. I was wishing I had a growler bottle of it when I got home.

Next, I had the Rum Soaked Scotsman. Another favorite, this brew had the perfect balance of rum that didn’t completely overtake the beer itself. I had this one a few times throughout the day.

Then I tried the Sweet India Chai Spiced Wheat Ale. This beer caught me off guard. I was worried it might be over-spiced, but luckily I was wrong. The balance of spice was exactly what I’d hoped it would be.

Next up, the Cafe Au Lait Brunch. Thanks to the 7th Tap Team for making me choose a favorite out of their four delicious beers. I love stouts and coffee, and this beer is a great mix of both. The chocolate and coffee notes jump out at you. I wish I could walk into a store and buy some now.

How could I not have a Brenton Day beer on here? His entry this year, a wasabi infused IPA (IPA? From Brenton? Shocker!) called the Hoppy Wasabi, was a really refreshing pale ale with just the right amount of subtle heat. As usual, a solid beer from the Ale Runner.

The last beer I got to taste also turned out to be the winner of the competition. The Habit Dropper Satsuma Belgian Triple was a fantastic beer. The citrus notes came through perfectly, and after sampling this one a few times, that 12% ABV started to creep up on me. 

Habit Dropper won the Iron Brewer competition. Congrats, guys!

At the end of the day, the event raised more than $1,000 and received more than 2,000 pounds of canned goods that will provide an upwards of 9,000 meals to people in the Greater Baton Rouge area. Make sure you put this event on your calendar for next year, and come out and support some great causes and enjoy some fantastic local homebrew.

Best of Bite and Booze: 10 Posts You've Viewed the Most

by Sydney Blanchard

Every now and then, in my role as Content Sheriff/Warden of the Web at Bite and Booze, I take a look at our blog stats to see what's working and what could use some tweaking. And the more I look, the more I learn about our audience.

Most of you are viewing our blog from the United States, followed closely by Portugal and then Norway. The majority of you (41 percent) are using Chrome to browse our site. And a large portion of you wind up reading our blog by clicking a link you saw on Facebook.

I'm also able to determine which of our posts are getting the most clicks to see what kind of content you, our audience, like to see on the blog.

From what I gather, y'all love boudin balls, fried food, yummy looking desserts, and women (in booze).

Below, you'll find a list of our top 10 blogs posts of the last year, as told by each post's page views.

Let us know what you'd like to see more or (or less of) in the comments!

1. Lucky Palace: You Either Get It or You Don't 3,128 views

Duck at Lucky Palace in Bossier City

"Here's the thing. Lucky Palace is situated in a seedy part of town within an interstate-side hotel. The parking lot looks like the kind of place where people meet up to buy or sell prescription pain medication. It's poorly lit, and getting to the restaurant requires entering through the yellowing, smoke-smelling hotel lobby. Entering Lucky Palace is akin to entering another dimension. Lucky palace exists in another place and time."

2. All Your Favorite Balls 2,612 views

Baton Rouge's best boudin balls

"We rounded up seven of our favorite balls from across the city, and left the deciding up to one man. Mr. Loup (progenitor of Blair Loup, Bite and Booze's Chief Confusion Coordinator) is a mustachioed, Opelous-born, Sulphur-raised Southern gentleman. Having grown up in "Boudin Country" and being accustomed to eating the best boudin the world has to offer, we felt Mr. Loup would be the perfect person to rank Baton Rouge ball scene. As an extra qualifier, he had never once eaten a Baton Rouge boudin ball before, so his opinion ethically lacked any preconceived notions."

3. Hymel's Classic Cajun Fare 2,407 views

Hymel's sign in Convent, Louisiana

"Recently, Team Bite and Booze had the opportunity to eat at the famous Hymel's in Convent, La., where beverages are served in gigantic fishbowls and seafood is served fried and in heaping quantities. Just about everything we ordered was fried."

4. Treat Yoself: A Sugary Sweet Dessert Roundup 2,160 views

Sour Patch Kid sorbet at Fisher's in Gulf Shores, Alabama

"Much to the horror of my dentist, I love to eat sweets. Gummy, stick-to-your-teeth candies rank the highest for me, followed closely by pastries, cookies, chocolate, and anything else that triggers tooth decay."

5. Fresh Takes on King Cake 2,103 views

Traditional King Cake from Calandro's

"The only time it's acceptable to accidentally bite into a baby, be it plastic or not, is when your slice of King Cake is the hiding space for the small trinket traditionally placed inside the cake."

6. Jay's First Thoughts on Crispy Catch 1,707 views

Surf and turf at Crispy Catch

"First things first: I enjoyed the food. No, it didn't stand out as revolutionary, inventive, or inspired. Then again, I don't believe anybody ever said that it would be."

7. Iverstine Family Farms, Uprooted 1,650 views

A curious pig at Iverstine Family Farms in Kentwood

"There’s a larger call to keeping your local economy booming by supporting people who are circulating their dollars into the local economy," Iverstine said. "Just like our animals work together on the pasture, there is defintiely this produce-consumer symbiotic relationship that has to happen."

8. Pam Sandoz: Professor of Pours 1,534 views

Pam Sandoz, owner of Slinky's

"Many things have changed around LSU’s campus over the years, but some things remain sacred. Slinky’s has held its residence on Chimes Street for 17 years. Home to the Lunch Box drop shot and underwear-ridden rafters, bar owner Pam Sandoz says each item on the walls has a story to tell, and she has more than a few."

9. Mary Lewis: Superintendent of Suds 1,490 views

Mary Lewis, Sales Manager at Mockler Beverage

"If there’s one thing Mary knows, it’s the beer business. Much of what we see as consumers is the boom of craft beers, which is a tiny speck in the universe of beverage distribution."

10. Goin' Up on a Tuesday: Best Tuesday Eats in BR 1,489 views

Fried chicken and greens at Chicken Shack

"If you're like me, weekends can be as busy and stress-inducing as any weekday. Washing and folding laundry, grocery shopping for the week and running errands sometimes leaves me and my squad no time to party on the weekend. The only solution, then, is to go up on a Tuesday."