BJ's Mesquite Smokehouse and Ragusa's Grill

Baton Rouge is really great for both fine dining and hole-in-the-wall restaurant choices.  A couple of great little eateries exist along Government Street in the Mid-City area.  On a sunny Fall afternoon Eusebio and I decided it was time to try a couple of those places out so we met at BJ's Mesquite Smokehouse to give their BBQ a try.

BJ's Smokehouse in Baton Rouge, La

BJ's Smokehouse's main location is in North Baton Rouge but they opened up a second spot to sell their delicious smoked meats on Government Street.  They use a trailer for their kitchen with a large pit and smoker out back to give the air around this part of town a wonderfully smoky aroma. 

Three Meat Dinner with Sides

Eusebio and I knew that we were going to be eating at two establishments on this day so we ordered one three-meat dinner to sample.  The meats we chose were brisket, ribs, and chicken, which all came smothered in a tangy barbeque sauce.  The three meat dinner also came with a few slices of bread, and we chose macaroni and cheese and baked beans for our sides.  All of the meat had a great mesquite smoke flavor.  The delicious, tender chicken quarter flesh pulled right off the bone.  The ribs acted the same as the chicken but, as far as ribs go, these were not my favorite.  While they were very tasty, the did not live up to expectations.  My favorite of the BJ's meats was undoubtedly the brisket.  The beef melted in my mouth and mixed with the sauce to remind me of everything a brisket should taste like.

Ragusa's Grill on Government Street

The next stop on our list was just a little bit farther down Government Street.  Ragusa's Grill, which will soon go under some renovations and upgrades, resembles an old country-style road-side grill.  They boast that they have the best hamburger in town, so naturally I had to give it a try.

Big Ragu Burger

The Big Ragu is their signature burger.  It sets itself apart from the other top burgers in BR by using a mixture of 1/3 Italian sausage and 2/3 ground beef in the patty.  The the burger is then flame-grilled to order, topped with American cheese, and served with the normally desired burger fixings.  Since Ragusa's Grill is currently just a road-side stand, their seating area was very limited and, in fact, virtually non-existent.  BJ's had a picnic table for us, but at Ragusa's we got our burgers to go and headed down the street to nearby City Park before we feasted.

Big Ragu Burger at City Park, Baton Rouge, La

Spectacular is a word that comes to mind when describing this burger.  The mixture of Italian pork sausage with the distinguishable Italian seasonings along with the fresh ground beef made the Big Ragu stand out as truly one of the best burgers in town.  Every bite was juicy and full of flavor and I couldn't wait to take another.  I'm not sure that I would give it the overall award just yet, but it deserves to be mentioned in any discussion about the top burgers in Baton Rouge.

A Lovely Day to Visit the Capitol Grocery

On a lovely Fall day in Baton Rouge there are few spots better and with more character than Capitol Grocery on Spanish Town Road.  On a recent glorious day I took a stroll around downtown and paused as I passed the magnificent State Capitol building, which happens to be the tallest Capitol building in the nation.

Louisiana State Capitol, Downtown Baton Rouge

From the intersection with a view of the capitol, I hooked a right onto historic Spanish Town Road.  This old neighborhood offers some of the best architecture in town and also plays host to Baton Rouge's largest Mardi Gras parade!

A Look Through the Tree Tunnels on Spanish Town Road

Situated on Spanish Town Road between 7th Street and Costello Lane, Capitol Grocery is the longest operating grocery store in Baton Rouge, dating back to the 1890s. 

Capitol Grocery on Spanish Town Road

Capitol Grocery offers a basic supply of food and household products as well as hot food to please the Spanish Town residents and visitors.  My lunch break on this day came a little later than usual, but fortunately I was able to grab the final box of the daily lunch special: smothered pork chop with good brown gravy!

Smothered Pork Chop with Brown Gravy, Corn, Rice and Gravy, and a Dinner Roll

There is nothing like good Southern comfort food, and Capitol Grocery knows how to do it right.  This bone-in pork chop came smothered in a rich, flavorful brown gravy.  The meat was tender and seasoned magnificently as each bite melted in my mouth and mixed with the gravy as it settled comfortably in my belly.  The chop tasted so good that I had no choice but to clean the bone with my teeth because it would have been a food sin to leave any bit of pork uneaten.  The corn at Capitol Grocery could use a little help.  It tasted fine but had no flair like a good cajun corn should.  It could be replicated with ease by any novice and a can of whole kernal corn.  The rice came with different gravy which I also enjoyed.  Instead of rich brown gravy like the pork chop was topped with, the rice featured a lighter gravy with some stewed veggies that perfectly complemented the flavors of the meat.

I'm sure I'll be back to this place several more times in the coming months and I highly suggest that you give it try if you've never been! 

"Bon Appetit!  That's French for good meal." - The Reverend

Slap Ya Mama Giveaway

Bite and Booze is proud to team up with Slap Ya Mama Cajun Seasoning for the holidays and present you, the loyal Bite and Booze readers, with a chance to win great Slap Ya Mama gift bags!  Slap Ya Mama is a Cajun seasoning company from Ville Platte, La. which produces an array of seasoning options including their original Cajun seasoning, a white pepper blend, hot sauce, fish fry, and seafood boil.  What sets Slap Ya Mama apart from other similar Cajun seasonings is that their mixture contains more red pepper and other spices that make great tasting Cajun dishes without filling the product with such high levels of sodium that leave you with over-salted food.  Slap Ya Mama is "recommended for all dishes, from popcorn to seafood, breakfast to late night snacks, gourmet foods to French fries." 

The Slap Ya Mama Gift Bag

Five (5) Slap Ya Mama Gift Bags ($18.00 value each through their website) will be given away to five random contest entrants.  The gift bag includes:

•12oz. Box of “Slap Ya Mama” Fish Fry

•5floz Bottle of “Slap Ya Mama” Pepper Sauce
•8oz Canister of Original Blend
•8oz Canister of White Pepper Blend
•8oz Canister of Hot Blend

To enter the giveaway contest, please leave a comment about your thoughts on Cajun foods in the space provided for this post.  Feel free to be humorous, comment about your best Cajun meal ever, share your favorite Cajun/Creole restaurant from wherever you are from, or tell everyone how much you love Slap Ya Mama.  Make sure that you leave a way for me to get in touch with you: email, twitter name, facebook profile, google account, etc.  I will contact the winners to get a physical mailing address so Slap Ya Mama can ship your gift bag.  Only U.S. residents are eligible (due to shipping costs) and shipments cannot go to a P.O. box.  Other than that, everyone is welcome!  The contest will end at midnight central time the night of Wednesday, December 16, 2009 to make sure there is time to get your gift bags shipped to you by Christmas!

Please share this contest on your preferred social media outlet and join Bite and Booze on facebook and twitter




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Delpit's Chicken Shack

There are several good places in Baton Rouge to find fried chicken other than Popeye's.  Undoubtedly one of the best of these places is Delpit's Chicken Shack on N. Acadian.  The Chicken Shack serves up hot lunches to many satisfied patrons every day as they have quite a few offerings on the menu, but their specialty is the bone-in, finger-licking fried chicken.

Delpit's Chicken Shack, N. Acadian Thruway, Baton Rouge, La

I recently visited the Chicken Shack for my first time after strong recommendations from Eusebio and Eric.  The lovely Caroline met me there for lunch to help me see what all the fuss was about.  We got things started with an order of the "shack balls."  These hand-battered boudin balls were unlike the other deep-fried Cajun treats that you can find around town.  The each ball contained the flavorful rice and meat mixture that remained extremely moist inside.  The shack balls impressed me a lot, so I couldn't wait for the chicken!

Three Shack Balls

The fried chicken dinner came in a styrofoam box with couple of sides and a roll.  I ordered a three piece meal of all dark meat and picked cornbread dressing with brown gravy and yams as my side items, which may have been a decent call, but they weren't anything too special.  Fortunately for me, they were better than the two sides that Caroline got so at least I can brag about that!  Both of my sides were plenty good enough to eat, just not good enough to bring people to Chicken Shack on their own.  The chicken, on the other hand, is a different story!

Fried Chicken, Cornbread Dressing, Yams, and a Roll from Delpit's Chicken Shack

Seasoned well, fried crunchy on the outside, and juicy on the inside, this chicken could soundly be argued to be the best fried bird in town.  It was absolutely delicious from the first bite of crispy skin to the final nibble of tender flesh off the bone.  Each bite made me want to order more to eat until I couldn't stuff any more down my throat, then go back for more the next day!  I resisted the temptation though.  But don't worry, I'll be back soon enough.

How do you say, ah yes, Turkey Day

Turkey Day 2009 proved to once again to be a day filled with family, friends, food, and fun.  Eric and Dana, my brother and sister, went to my cousin Philip and his wife Lisa's house for Thanksgiving dinner.  The family generational gap made its presence as Granny made it to dinner with a lot of her grand children but none of her kids (our parents) were present.  They all seemed to be out of town and feasting somewhere else in the country.   Oh well, more bites and boozes for me!

Cousin Travis attended the Thanksgiving dinner with his lady friend, Lauren.  He prepared a fantastic pumpkin and pecan bread which we devoured like we hadn't eaten breakfast.  Oh yeah, I didn't eat breakfast.  I was saving room for dinner!!

Travis's Pumpkin and Pecan Bread

Travis also came to the gathering with some home-vinted vino.  He brought a bottle of Pinot Noir made from a home-fermented Pinot concentrate.  The wine was surprisingly good!  I expected it to be pretty good because I have never really known Travis to make anything bad, but this wine actually had some character to it.  It was a refreshing red wine that was fairly light on the palate and I'd say a little less complex and fruity than a typical Pinot, but still extremely drinkable, delightful, and cheap!

Home-Vinted Pinot Noir

Thanksgiving is not just an occasion for wine though.  It is also a holiday that calls for really good beer.  I started my pre-dinner beer drinking with a homebrewed porter.  This porter, which was crafted by Phil, Travis, and Eric, I believe, came out strong, rich, and spicy.  I could taste the dark-malted brew on my lips and tongue while the liquid went down my throat and into my extremely satisfied belly.

Homebrewed Porter and Stone Brewery's IPA in Frosty Third Row Mugs

Stone's IPA is a terrific, hoppy bear that went down so well after Thanksgiving dinner.  It is a beer drinker's beer for sure, and those that don't like robust hops need not give it a taste.  I, however, love strong hoppy flavors and found the Stone IPA to be a great beer for a holiday dinner.  Now, on to the meal!

Thanksgiving Dinner Plate at Phil and Lisa's House

Thanksgiving dinner was served with a marvelous spread of food that covered the entire kitchen at Phil and Lisa's house.  Granny made her signature cornbread dressing which was the only thing that I HAD to have on Thanksgiving.  There was also mashed potatoes and gravy, Dana's green bean casserole, asparagus, sweet potatoes, and, of course, turkey and cranberry sauce.  Philip smoked the turkey this year and it came out very nicely.  The bird was flavorful, moist, and tender with a smoky flavor that made the turkey extra special.  I can't say that I'd mind eating food like that all the time! 

For dessert Travis and Lauren brought over an assortment of pumpkin and apple pies.  I had a slice of each, adding a hefty scoop of Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla to the apple pie.  Man, that was a treat!  I wanted to eat it so badly that I apparently forgot to take a picture!  After hours of chatting, playing some UNO with the kids, and talking about beer and wine, it was time to leave Phil and Lisa's home.  No worries though!  The next stop happened to be Sara's house for more dessert!

Cranberry-White Chocolate-Ginger Cheesecake

I had the pleasure of swinging by Sara's house with Eric and Dana to meet Sara, Lauren, Lizzie, and Mitch for some hanging out and extra dessert.  Lizzie is a pastry chef in Minnesota and whipped up this cranberry-white chocolate-ginger cheesecake for us!  Have I said how much I love cheesecake?  This dessert knocked my socks off!  What a great way to use cranberries during the holidays!  Everything about this cheesecake made me happy, and now writing about it I want more!  If there is one thing I need to learn how to make, it is cheesecake!