Bite and Booze Map

This map shows all of the locations where I've made blog posts about my culinary and indulgent cultural experiences.  I've traveled a lot more than this, but since I've only been writing Bite and Booze since late September, 2009, it still has a long way to go.  You can click on each spot to get a link directly to the blog post(s) that feature these places.  Make sure to zoom in on places like Baton Rouge, Louisiana and San Francisco, California... there are a lot of posts there!


View Bite and Booze in a larger map

Serop's Express Downtown

Among the numerous dining establishments available to the daytime crowd in downtown Baton Rouge exists Serop's Express.  This quick and easy lunch spot features fresh Greek and Lebanese food for the business and government crowds.  Sitting at the base of the Galvez parking garage right around the corner from the Main Street Market, Serop's serves garlicky chicken shawarma and tender lamb gyros along with their collection of classic European side dishes.

Serop's Express

I have a usual order when I eat at Serop's.  I typically get the combination plate with both chicken and lamb.  I add hummus as one side and rotate the other side item between everything else on their menu.  I ask for wheat pita bread, and the meal comes with Grecian sauce.  The last time I went I was trying to be slightly healthy so I get my rabbit food in with a little feta salad.

Combination Plate with Chicken Shawarma and Lamb, Hummus, and Feta Salad

The Baton Rouge community is actually known for its outstanding selection of Greek and Lebanese food.  Serop's Cafe has several locations around town, with this downtown spot being an "express" lunch only joint.  I'm sure that I'll get around to reviewing some other places as time goes on.  The downtown Serop's Express offers good food for a nice price with quick service, but the overall quality is nothing special compared to the other great Mediterranean cuisine around the city.  The chicken and lamb are sometimes a little dry from being pre-sliced for efficiency and the hummus is a little runny for my personal tastes.  Still, I'll go back for the downtown convenience and the filling combo plate that is under $10!

Maxwell's Market for a "Business" Lunch

Maxwell's Market now has three locations in Baton Rouge.  The original is on Corporate Boulevard near Jefferson Highway, another is across from Pennington on Perkins Road, and the newest spot is right off of Highland Road near Ruffino's.  On a nice sunny day in Baton Rouge I joined Laura and Natalie for a nice "business" lunch at the Perkins location. 

Maxwell's Market on Perkins Road

Maxwell's is a locally owned market that carries premium meats, fresh seafood, a great selection of beer and wine, specialty foods, and local produce.  Additionally, they offer a delicatessen for patrons that would like to dine in.  Their slogan is "Bake. Grill. Chill."  Not bad, considering I like all of those things!  We took our lunch breaks from busy downtown government life and headed to Maxwell's to sample the deli menu.  Maxwell's offers a variety of poboys, burgers, soups, and salads.  I decided to go with the Cuban, a poboy style sandwich with a little kick.

Cuban Sandwich from Maxwell's Market

The Cuban sandwich came with layers of roast pork, ham, turkey, salami, Monterey Jack cheese, pickles, mayo, and Creole mustard served hot on French bread.  Naturally I ordered mine sans the pickles and mayo.  I habitually despise pickles to the point that my hatred would lead to anger and my anger would lead me down the path to the dark side of the Force, but I'm actually ok with mayo in small amounts.  Still, when I'm eating at a restaurant, deli, burger joint, or sandwich shop, I typically order my food without mayo because I find that it is rare to find someone who knows my definition of a "thin" layer of mayo.  The sandwich tasted fine but I would have preferred a more generous portion of meats and cheeses than what they served.  One of my very few complaints about poboys is that often times the bread overshadows the filling.  I enjoy overstuffed poboys, and this certainly did not fit that bill.  Still, the meats and cheeses were freshly sliced Boar's Head brand and certainly gave a good flavor to the sandwich.  The Creole mustard complimented the spicy Monterey Jack perfectly, so all in all I was a happy eater.

Basket of Sweet Potato Fries at Maxwell's Market

During the Fall and the holidays, one thing that I find hard to resist is sweet potato fries.  These crispy wedges of sweet potato goodness make me happy that yams are so plentiful around here.  They are such a terrific stray from the usual French fry.  I shared this basket of fries with the other guests at the table and we were certainly not disappointed.

Overall the trip to Maxwell's ended successfully.  I'm glad I went in and saw what this local market has to offer.  Although the deli did not blow me away, I'm going to make sure that I do some wine, beer, specialty foods, and meat shopping there.  They had some pretty cool stuff!

5,000 Visitors!

5,000 Visitors!  Thanks everyone!

 

A huge thank you to Samantha (http://www.thesecondlunch.com/) for capturing the above image of visit number 5,000.  I'd also like to especially thank Darrell (4,993), Stacie (4,996), and Nikki (4998) for keeping me up to date on facebook!  If you aren't a fan on facebook yet or you aren't following me on twitter, make sure to click the links on the left to sign up!

#10 Hunter's Club at Jimmy John's

After a recent late night at work I swung by Jimmy John's on the way home to grab a sandwich for dinner.  While there I had a chat with Kyle, the owner and a friend of mine from college, about his business, my blog, and our mutually share passions for travel and good food.  Kyle opened the reasonably new Jimmy John's location in Baton Rouge, the first and only one in Louisiana, on Perkins Road near the overpass.  I wrote about Jimmy John's in one of my first blog posts ever, but now I have pictures, so I thought it was time for an update!

The J.J. Sign Looking Towards Perkins Road

Kyle's team is a fun and energetic crew that makes sub-style sandwiches with a purpose.  Their assembly line flows far better than the Baton Rouge traffic outside the restaurant, so it is really never a bad idea to stop in for a bite or call in the order for delivery! 

The Jimmy John's Crew Busy at Work

On this visit I took a shot at the #10 Hunter's Club which features a 1/4 pound of medium rare roast beef, provolone cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, and mayo all aboard Jimmy John's signature fresh-baked bread.  I opted for dijon mustard instead of the mayo cause that's what I do. 

#10 Hunter's Club at Jimmy John's

The sandwich tasted delicious.  The fresh, thinly sliced roast beef melted in my mouth and combined with the provolone to create a wonderful flavor profile.  The soft bread held the sandwich together perfectly as the tomato and mustard worked together to accent the sub.  I do love a good sandwich.  The only thing I found wrong is that the Jimmy John's crew, apparently in a rush to get a catering job wrapped up and delivered, forgot to add the lettuce to my sub.  No worries though.  It made me feel even more like a wild hunter man as I devoured the meat and cheese sandwich and proceeded to lick my fingers to get every morsel of flavor onto my tongue!  I'll be back, that's for sure.  Thanks Kyle, and keep up the good work!