Oh, and there is some really important BBQ news about Bite and Booze that will be released next week, and I'll need your help voting for real this time!!! Stay tuned!
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Turkey BBQ Videos
Oh, and there is some really important BBQ news about Bite and Booze that will be released next week, and I'll need your help voting for real this time!!! Stay tuned!
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Shopping Made Easy with CSN
I do a fair amount of my shopping online these days, so I appreciate when I find a website that has everything I need in one place. You can find everything from cutlery to dining room sets (many with free shipping!) on the over 200 sites brought to us by CSNStores.com. I was actually just thinking about buying a new chef's knife when they contacted me about doing a product review. Stay tuned to Bite and Booze to see what I pick and how it turns out!*Bite and Booze received no compensation for making this post. I will, however, receive a gift card to the CSN Store of my choice to purchase a product for review. Still, all opinions are my own and the review will be honest and professional.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Get Your Steak On at Doe's Eat Place
This article has been published in the August 2010 issue of Town Favorites Magazine. You can visit the Town Favorites website at http://www.townfavorites.com/, follow them on Twitter @TownFavorites, and find their magazines at over 150 restaurants and businesses around Baton Rouge! Pick up a copy today!
As much as we love seafood in Louisiana, sometimes nothing beats sinking your teeth into a huge slab of beef. Instead of going into the treacheries of the oil spill and the lasting effects it is sure to have on our seafood industry, I’d like to take this opportunity to focus on our favorite bovine feast: steak! Baton Rouge has a casual, yet fantastic place to do just that. Doe’s Eat Place on Government Street does not try to be anything they are not. They don’t pretend to be fancy or high class. They’ll never turn up their nose at a customer or ask if they’d like sparkling or still water. They’ll just serve great cuts of beef, cooked properly and seasoned wonderfully.
Dominic “Doe” and Mamie Signa opened the original Doe’s in Greenville, Mississippi in 1941. The two were Italian immigrants who settled in Greenville. Delta style tamales were the original staple and then steaks followed as a back door trade. The first franchise (although it was more of a simple licensing agreement at the time) opened in Little Rock in 1988 and quickly became then Governor Bill Clinton’s favorite restaurant. Theresa Overby, owner of the Baton Rouge location with her husband Scott, worked at the Little Rock location for eight years and developed an operational knowledge of the brand. The Signas contacted Theresa (knowing that Scott was a Louisiana native) to see if they would be interested in owning a franchise. The couple said they might consider a Baton Rouge location at some point. Scott was working for a mortgage lender at the time and when they saw that industry start to free fall, they began to seriously consider the possibility.
Not much time passed before they were sold on the idea. Theresa and Scott wanted to be true to the brand when finding their new location in Baton Rouge. Anyone who has been to the original location in Greenville understands the charm of the old house and the neighborhood. Doe’s in Baton Rouge finally landed at the Maestri home on Government Street. Theresa says the home “has been a perfect fit for what we do.” She went on to say, “The building has such lovely bones, so we ‘unadorned’ the space with earthy colors and pine plank floors to allow the natural warmth of the home to shine.”
The Capital Heights, Garden District and Glenmore neighborhoods have been great supporters of Doe’s Eat Place in Mid City. Theresa declared that they are “blessed to have a strong core clientele that appreciates the ability to get a really fine steak in a casual setting.” Doe’s niche is family business. According to Theresa, “there are a number of great steakhouses in Baton Rouge, but what sets us apart is the lack of white tablecloths and whispering. We are a great place to bring the family, meet for business or enjoy a sporting event downstairs in the bar area.” The bar area is a beautiful LSU themed room stocked with a full bar and HD televisions. It is a great place for adults to hang out while the kids create crayon embellished cows to hang on the walls.
Doe’s opened the first weekend of September 2007 and business soared for the first year. When Gustav hit in 2008, Doe’s spent their one year anniversary in the dark, waiting for electricity and health department clearance. Being down for three weeks created a challenge for Doe’s, just like it did for a number of restaurants and small businesses. The economic downturn finally hit Baton Rouge in 2009, and due to the higher price of choice and prime beef, they felt a 20-25% hit in business. After a roller coaster ride to start 2010 and dealing with some instability in seafood pricing, things now seem to be looking up again as the dog days of summer move on.
The signature culinary treat at Doe’s is undoubtedly their steaks. Doe’s serves only Sterling Silver brand premium beef. The meat is graded and measured using set standards for marbling (the little flakes of fat mixed into the muscle tissue of a cow that cause it to be so juicy and delicious), color, maturity and texture. Doe’s only sells the top 12% of beef by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) grading standards. The top 12% is a mixture of USDA Prime and the top tier of USDA Choice beef. Only 2% of the beef in the country qualifies for the prime grading. Theresa and Scott buy whole loins of beef and cut all of the steaks in house to varying levels of thickness. The trend in the fine steak business has been moving away from steakhouses cutting their own beef, but fortunately Doe’s never serves precut steaks. Doe’s steaks are all cooked to order on ceramic broilers. The heat comes from above the meat at a temperature of 650 degrees. While this sounds very hot, especially compared to a typical home oven, many restaurants cook under the high heat of infrared ovens that reach temperatures of over 1600 degrees.
I dined at Doe’s with Eric Ducote of the Baton Rouge Beer Scene and Brent Broussard, a teacher and coach at Woodlawn High School. We began our meal with an order of a dozen tamales, the dish that started it all. They Mississippi Delta style tamales, a tribute to the culinary influences of a land that author David L. Cohn famously decribed "begins in the lobby of the Peabody Hotel in Memphis and ends on Catfish Row in Vicksburg." Rather than being steamed like traditional Mexican style tamales, they are wrapped in parchment paper and cooked in a brine. The chili that accompanies them is made in house at Doe’s with the ground trimmings of their steaks. As I unwrapped the tamale from the husk I caught a whiff of corn meal and brine, and the aroma started the salivation in my mouth. After topping the finger-sized tamale with chili, I broke a piece off with my fork and took a bite. While they are certainly not overly spicy, they have a tremendous flavor that is complemented nicely by the chili.
Theresa and Scott wanted to show me the newest addition to their cuisine. They recently started a happy hour menu that is available in the bar from 4:30-6:00 pm, so it’s great for an early dinner after work. Doe’s has also added tenderloin sliders, onion rings and their soon-to-be-famous Doe’s burger to their full menu. The burger, a favorite with their Friday lunch crowd, uses the prime and top choice steak trimmings, grinds them up twice, and forms them into half pound burger patties. While I didn’t get to try a burger, I did sneak a taste of the three sliders that Doe’s now offers. Each slider contains some thin, tender cuts of beef, but is dressed a little differently. One has a shrimp added to it while another is topped with crumbled bleu cheese.
Every Doe’s steak comes with a salad, a side, and their homemade drop biscuits. The salad is a Doe’s staple. Aunt Florence has been making the same salad in Greenville since the restaurant opened. It’s a very simple “maw maw” salad with lettuce, tomatoes, lemon juice, garlic, olive oil and salt. But a word of caution, it seems to be a love it or hate it salad in Baton Rouge. Fortunately for some, they have added the option of ranch or bleu cheese dressing for the haters. Doe’s French fries are hand cut daily in-house and are definitely a crowd-pleaser. Also, the biscuits are worth noting. The fried balls of dough are delicious when drizzled with honey and are unique accompaniments at a restaurant with such amazing beef.
Speaking of beef, let’s get to the real reason I went to Doe’s… the steak! Since there were three of us we decided that it would make sense to get three different cuts of beef. This way we could try a variety of awesomeness. We ordered the two pound ribeye, the smaller of the two filet mignon options, and the largest porterhouse, weighing in at two and a half pounds. All of our steaks were ordered to a medium rare temperature, as good steak should be. We can debate that at another time, but just for the record, overcooking a prime steak cooks all the fat out of it. This seems irrational to me because you are paying for the steak’s marbling, which is purely fat content! I usually don’t know whether to laugh or cry at somebody that orders a beautiful cut of meat and gets it cooked well done. Oh well, I don’t have to eat it!
The quality of the steak at Doe’s Eat Place absolutely lives up to the hype. Each cut made its way straight from the broiler to a plate and then to our table, and they were all cooked just right. The juices poured out of the beef, and each steak appeared in front of us in its own way as a work of art. The cowboy cut, or bone-in, ribeye is a beautiful cut of meat. It perhaps marbles the most out of any of the cuts. The marbling gives it incredible flavor; exactly what a great steak should taste like.
The filet mignon is typically the smallest cut of steak, but that’s not its only claim to fame. Of all steaks, the filet is both the leanest cut and the most tender. The steak comes from a strip of muscle that sits hidden underneath the ribs of a cow. Since the muscle is rarely used, it has low amounts of stress on it, and therefore remains tender despite the lower overall fat content. The filet at Doe’s was still a rather large steak despite being the smallest cut of beef on the menu. Each bite seemed to nearly melt in mouth.
Finally, the porterhouse is often considered the granddaddy of all steaks. To those unfamiliar or intimidated by a porterhouse, allow me to enlighten you. The porterhouse is known as the prize cut because it is indeed two steaks in one. On the larger side of the bone is a New York Strip. This flavorful cut of beef is second only to the ribeye in terms of marbling. The strip is usually thought of as the true beef-lover’s steak, as its meat really carries the taste of the steer. It can be succulent while actually requiring a slight amount of chewing. The bone is important for adding flavor and sealing in juices. Just on the other side of the bone comes your very own piece of tenderloin, also known as a filet mignon. Doe’s two and half pound porterhouse is one of the best I’ve ever had. The filet side oozed a very buttery flavor. The strip section made me work a little harder as I actually had to use a knife to cut it - but what’s a steak without a big steak knife?
All in all I couldn’t have been much happier with my trip to Doe’s Eat Place. I got to hear a great story about a local restaurant with passionate owners. I filled my belly with terrific tamales, buttery biscuits, fresh fries, and truly indulgent steaks. I even got to dine with a couple friends and enjoy the LSU themed bar area that would be great for a private party or just watching a game. I’m going to make sure I hit up Doe’s again very soon. Perhaps they’ll do another #MeatUp Tweetup in the next couple months. Make sure to follow them on Twitter @BatonRougeSteak if you want to be included!
Jay D. Ducote is the author of the blog Bite and Booze, which chronicles his culinary and indulgent cultural experiences around Baton Rouge, South Louisiana, and the world. It can be found at www.biteandbooze.com. You can also reach him by email at jaydducote@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter @biteandbooze.
Thanks to Eric Ducote of BRBeerScene.com for taking all the pictures for this article.
 |
| Doe's Eat Place in the Maestri Home on Government Street |
Get Your Steak On at Doe’s Eat Place
by Jay D. Ducote
As much as we love seafood in Louisiana, sometimes nothing beats sinking your teeth into a huge slab of beef. Instead of going into the treacheries of the oil spill and the lasting effects it is sure to have on our seafood industry, I’d like to take this opportunity to focus on our favorite bovine feast: steak! Baton Rouge has a casual, yet fantastic place to do just that. Doe’s Eat Place on Government Street does not try to be anything they are not. They don’t pretend to be fancy or high class. They’ll never turn up their nose at a customer or ask if they’d like sparkling or still water. They’ll just serve great cuts of beef, cooked properly and seasoned wonderfully.
Dominic “Doe” and Mamie Signa opened the original Doe’s in Greenville, Mississippi in 1941. The two were Italian immigrants who settled in Greenville. Delta style tamales were the original staple and then steaks followed as a back door trade. The first franchise (although it was more of a simple licensing agreement at the time) opened in Little Rock in 1988 and quickly became then Governor Bill Clinton’s favorite restaurant. Theresa Overby, owner of the Baton Rouge location with her husband Scott, worked at the Little Rock location for eight years and developed an operational knowledge of the brand. The Signas contacted Theresa (knowing that Scott was a Louisiana native) to see if they would be interested in owning a franchise. The couple said they might consider a Baton Rouge location at some point. Scott was working for a mortgage lender at the time and when they saw that industry start to free fall, they began to seriously consider the possibility.
 |
| Owners Scott and Theresa Overby Pose with Jay Ducote (Center) at Doe's |
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| Doe's Delta Style Tamales and Homemade Chili |
Doe’s opened the first weekend of September 2007 and business soared for the first year. When Gustav hit in 2008, Doe’s spent their one year anniversary in the dark, waiting for electricity and health department clearance. Being down for three weeks created a challenge for Doe’s, just like it did for a number of restaurants and small businesses. The economic downturn finally hit Baton Rouge in 2009, and due to the higher price of choice and prime beef, they felt a 20-25% hit in business. After a roller coaster ride to start 2010 and dealing with some instability in seafood pricing, things now seem to be looking up again as the dog days of summer move on.
 |
| A Porterhouse (Right) and Ribeye (Left) sit Ready for the Broiler |
 |
| Steaks Cook in the 650 Degree Broiler |
 |
| Happy Hour Grub: Sirloin Sliders |
 |
| Doe's Dough: Homemade Drop Biscuits |
Speaking of beef, let’s get to the real reason I went to Doe’s… the steak! Since there were three of us we decided that it would make sense to get three different cuts of beef. This way we could try a variety of awesomeness. We ordered the two pound ribeye, the smaller of the two filet mignon options, and the largest porterhouse, weighing in at two and a half pounds. All of our steaks were ordered to a medium rare temperature, as good steak should be. We can debate that at another time, but just for the record, overcooking a prime steak cooks all the fat out of it. This seems irrational to me because you are paying for the steak’s marbling, which is purely fat content! I usually don’t know whether to laugh or cry at somebody that orders a beautiful cut of meat and gets it cooked well done. Oh well, I don’t have to eat it!
 |
| The Two-Pound Bone-In Ribeye with Fries |
 |
| Doe's Smallest Filet Mignon Cooked to a Beautiful Medium Rare |
Finally, the porterhouse is often considered the granddaddy of all steaks. To those unfamiliar or intimidated by a porterhouse, allow me to enlighten you. The porterhouse is known as the prize cut because it is indeed two steaks in one. On the larger side of the bone is a New York Strip. This flavorful cut of beef is second only to the ribeye in terms of marbling. The strip is usually thought of as the true beef-lover’s steak, as its meat really carries the taste of the steer. It can be succulent while actually requiring a slight amount of chewing. The bone is important for adding flavor and sealing in juices. Just on the other side of the bone comes your very own piece of tenderloin, also known as a filet mignon. Doe’s two and half pound porterhouse is one of the best I’ve ever had. The filet side oozed a very buttery flavor. The strip section made me work a little harder as I actually had to use a knife to cut it - but what’s a steak without a big steak knife?
 |
| The 2 1/2 Pound Porterhouse is One Huge Steak! |
Jay D. Ducote is the author of the blog Bite and Booze, which chronicles his culinary and indulgent cultural experiences around Baton Rouge, South Louisiana, and the world. It can be found at www.biteandbooze.com. You can also reach him by email at jaydducote@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter @biteandbooze.
Thanks to Eric Ducote of BRBeerScene.com for taking all the pictures for this article.
Monday, August 9, 2010
Catch "Bite, Booze, and BBQ" at “Meanwhile, Back At Café Du Monde…”
“MEANWHILE, BACK AT CAFÉ DU MONDE….”
– a Festive Food Story/Monologue Event
Bite and Booze fans, you won't want to miss this! I'll be delivering my debut food monologue at the hit event “Meanwhile, Back At Café Du Monde…” on August 28th and 29th! My monologue, "Bite, Booze, and BBQ" will be about my love for food from my first memories of outdoor cooking to entering competitive barbeque competitions, with plenty of fun stories in between.
If you have missed this outstanding event in the past, then make sure you come this time! Due to the overwhelming response and standing room only performances, Superstar Events-LA has added four additional performances of “Meanwhile, Back At Café Du Monde…” at Ralph & Kacoo’s at 6110 Bluebonnet Boulevard on August 28th and 29th and then again on September 3rd and 4th (I'll be speaking at the two August shows). “Meanwhile, Back At Café Du Monde…" is a unique, festive food story/monologue event about the second Universal Language, FOOD, and how our lives revolve around food with Food Monologues written and performed by Baton Rouge personalities creating a “gumbo of deliciousness”!
The show is created, directed and produced by Peggy Sweeney-McDonald and Jay Basist of Superstar Events-LA. Tickets are $30 and include the show, buffet, dessert and coffee. Drinks will be available for purchase. The doors will open at 5:30 PM with the show beginning at 6:45 PM. For reservations and tickets, please call Ralph & Kacoo’s at 225-766-2113 (highly recommended as the show will sell out!).
For more information about this event or other upcoming events including shows at the House of Blues in New Orleans and a show in the Shreveport area, please visit www.meanwhilebackatcafedumonde.com!
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Mamas4Mamas Fundraiser Tweetup in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, Alabama
While I am far from a "Mama," I can still support a good cause when the time calls for it. As it turns out, Shannon Lane, of TravelingMamas.com fame and a fellow board member for the Baton Rouge Social Media Club, and I share a birthday (August 20th). As such, I have been invited to participate in the birthday bash to support Gulf Shores and Orange Beach post-oil spill tourism as well as all of the mama sea turtles that have been impacted by the disaster (hence the Mamas4Mamas Fundraiser).
August 20, 2010 – It’s CajunMama’s birthday and we’re taking it on the road and bringing some friends along. Please join TravelingMamas.com, ChicShopperChick.com, and BiteandBooze.com as we celebrate not only the birthdays of the three sites’ founders (@Cajun_Mama, @ErikaLehmann, and @BiteandBooze), but life along the Gulf Coast. We’re hosting a tweetup in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach to encourage travel to this oil spill affected destination and to raise funds for non-profits who are suffering due to the strain this disaster has caused.
We would love for you to spend the entire weekend along Alabama’s Beaches and discover that there is so much more to this destination than just swimming in the Gulf waters. We invite you to experience the food, the attractions, and the sense of community. Visitors from all over the Gulf Coast region have already made plans to attend this gathering. We’ve put together options for everyone, no matter what their budget.
Full weekend – Check out hotel package deals for this weekend, including free night deals and extras at the Gulf Shores Deals page. You can fill a 3 bedroom condo with lots of friends and family, or you can choose to opt for a hotel room. The choices and price options are available for all budgets. Planned activities on Aug 20-22, but you can come early or stay later.
Tweetup – Maybe you live within driving distance or can’t make the full stay. Our tweetup at Live Bait at the Wharf offers plenty of room for everyone and even a few surprises. Your $5 ticket guarantees your celebration spot with us. The amount goes towards Share the Beach, an organzation who’s goal is to protect and assist the Mama Sea Turtles as they nest each season along the Gulf Coast beaches. This season has been even more of a challenge with oil spill cleanup crews and the oil in the water affecting their nesting habits. A portion of the funds will also go towards a Louisiana-based charity TBA. Date: Aug 20, 2010. Time: 5:30-8:00 PM Get tickets now!
Bonus: Tweetup attendees will be eligible for various travel-related door prizes from donors all along the Gulf Coast. Keep scrolling down to see the ever growing list of prizes from sponsors.
Donations – You may already have plans for August 20, but we still want you to be included. Heck, you may think $5 is too little to give and want to donate more to the cause. No worries! We’ve set up an option on our tweetup ticket purchase page for donations only. We hope you’ll make future plans to visit the Gulf Shores and Orange Beach area to see just how your funds are being used.
FAQs
Why the Gulf Shores and Orange Beach area? Aren’t you three from Louisiana?
Yes, all three of the various sites are based in Louisiana. We know first-hand how detrimental the loss of tourism income can affect not just a city, but an entire state. TravelingMamas.com has always had a focus on travel, so when our friends on Alabama’s Gulf Coast reached out to us for assistance, we answered the call. The Gulf Shores and Orange Beach area economy depends solely on the tourism revenue generated each summer during their high season. When travelers cancelled their annual summer vacations, it really put this area in a stressful position.
Do I have to be on Twitter to attend this tweetup?
Not at all. Heck, you don’t even need to be on Facebook or any other social media site. We’re all about community, no matter what the background. You never know who you might bump in to. You may even see your old crush from high school or even a celebrity.
I’m not within driving distance but want to fly in. Which airport should I use?
Actually there are two airports within a 45 minute drive – Mobile, AL and Pensacola, FL. Both airports service major carriers and they also have rental car service.
Why is this event called Mamas 4 Mamas?
The sea turtles who nest in the Gulf Coast area are the original traveling mamas. Their life cycle is hatching, traveling the world, coming back to nest, and then traveling again. Since this site is TravelingMamas.com, we thought it would be an appropriate name for what we’re doing. If you tweet about this, please use the hashtag #Mamas4Mamas.
I’m with the media and want to cover this event. Who should I contact?
The Public Relations representative for this area is April Boone. Click her name and send her an email. This event has gotten to be a big deal and the media space is severely limited at this point.
Do you know of any hotels near the tweetup?
BeachfrontHoliday Inn Express Orange Beach
Hilton Garden Inn
Sleep Inn
Phoenix All Suites and Phoenix All Suites West
Off the Beach
Fairfield Inn
Holiday Inn Express
Staybridge Suites
Courtyard by Marriott
Microtel
I’m a business and would like to help sponsor the tweetup. Who should I contact?
If you are interested in helping sponsor this tweetup, please contact April Boone. As with the media, the sponsor spots are filling up fast. We’d love your support, but please don’t wait to long!
I’m a blogger, how can I help?
Feel free to take a copy of our logo up at the top and link back to this page. Anything else you’d like to do to promote, including tweeting, like us on facebook, make a donation, and even attend the weekend of good times will bring you good Karma above and beyond your wildest imaginings. Plus, it will make you feel warm and fuzzy inside.
If you are interested in joining me on the beach for my birthday weekend that will be full of Gulf Coast bites and boozes, please let me know ASAP! You can also read the information below to find out how you can support the cause. Attendance, donations, and everything else are all for a great cause, and you can count it as your birthday present to me! Signing up for the tweet-up only consists of a $5 donation, so I'd say you're getting off pretty cheap!
Mamas4Mamas Fundraiser Tweetup in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, Alabama
August 20, 2010 – It’s CajunMama’s birthday and we’re taking it on the road and bringing some friends along. Please join TravelingMamas.com, ChicShopperChick.com, and BiteandBooze.com as we celebrate not only the birthdays of the three sites’ founders (@Cajun_Mama, @ErikaLehmann, and @BiteandBooze), but life along the Gulf Coast. We’re hosting a tweetup in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach to encourage travel to this oil spill affected destination and to raise funds for non-profits who are suffering due to the strain this disaster has caused.
We would love for you to spend the entire weekend along Alabama’s Beaches and discover that there is so much more to this destination than just swimming in the Gulf waters. We invite you to experience the food, the attractions, and the sense of community. Visitors from all over the Gulf Coast region have already made plans to attend this gathering. We’ve put together options for everyone, no matter what their budget.
Full weekend – Check out hotel package deals for this weekend, including free night deals and extras at the Gulf Shores Deals page. You can fill a 3 bedroom condo with lots of friends and family, or you can choose to opt for a hotel room. The choices and price options are available for all budgets. Planned activities on Aug 20-22, but you can come early or stay later.
Tweetup – Maybe you live within driving distance or can’t make the full stay. Our tweetup at Live Bait at the Wharf offers plenty of room for everyone and even a few surprises. Your $5 ticket guarantees your celebration spot with us. The amount goes towards Share the Beach, an organzation who’s goal is to protect and assist the Mama Sea Turtles as they nest each season along the Gulf Coast beaches. This season has been even more of a challenge with oil spill cleanup crews and the oil in the water affecting their nesting habits. A portion of the funds will also go towards a Louisiana-based charity TBA. Date: Aug 20, 2010. Time: 5:30-8:00 PM Get tickets now!
Bonus: Tweetup attendees will be eligible for various travel-related door prizes from donors all along the Gulf Coast. Keep scrolling down to see the ever growing list of prizes from sponsors.
Donations – You may already have plans for August 20, but we still want you to be included. Heck, you may think $5 is too little to give and want to donate more to the cause. No worries! We’ve set up an option on our tweetup ticket purchase page for donations only. We hope you’ll make future plans to visit the Gulf Shores and Orange Beach area to see just how your funds are being used.
Sponsors
Prizes
(some restrictions may apply)
5 Nights at The Beach Club Gulf Shores, Alabama
3 Nights at a Brett-Robinson Gulf Shores, Alabama Property
3 Nights at a Meyer Real Estate Gulf Shores, Alabama Property
FAQs
Why the Gulf Shores and Orange Beach area? Aren’t you three from Louisiana?
Yes, all three of the various sites are based in Louisiana. We know first-hand how detrimental the loss of tourism income can affect not just a city, but an entire state. TravelingMamas.com has always had a focus on travel, so when our friends on Alabama’s Gulf Coast reached out to us for assistance, we answered the call. The Gulf Shores and Orange Beach area economy depends solely on the tourism revenue generated each summer during their high season. When travelers cancelled their annual summer vacations, it really put this area in a stressful position.
Do I have to be on Twitter to attend this tweetup?
Not at all. Heck, you don’t even need to be on Facebook or any other social media site. We’re all about community, no matter what the background. You never know who you might bump in to. You may even see your old crush from high school or even a celebrity.
I’m not within driving distance but want to fly in. Which airport should I use?
Actually there are two airports within a 45 minute drive – Mobile, AL and Pensacola, FL. Both airports service major carriers and they also have rental car service.
Why is this event called Mamas 4 Mamas?
The sea turtles who nest in the Gulf Coast area are the original traveling mamas. Their life cycle is hatching, traveling the world, coming back to nest, and then traveling again. Since this site is TravelingMamas.com, we thought it would be an appropriate name for what we’re doing. If you tweet about this, please use the hashtag #Mamas4Mamas.
I’m with the media and want to cover this event. Who should I contact?
The Public Relations representative for this area is April Boone. Click her name and send her an email. This event has gotten to be a big deal and the media space is severely limited at this point.
Do you know of any hotels near the tweetup?
BeachfrontHoliday Inn Express Orange Beach
Hilton Garden Inn
Sleep Inn
Phoenix All Suites and Phoenix All Suites West
Off the Beach
Fairfield Inn
Holiday Inn Express
Staybridge Suites
Courtyard by Marriott
Microtel
I’m a business and would like to help sponsor the tweetup. Who should I contact?
If you are interested in helping sponsor this tweetup, please contact April Boone. As with the media, the sponsor spots are filling up fast. We’d love your support, but please don’t wait to long!
I’m a blogger, how can I help?
Feel free to take a copy of our logo up at the top and link back to this page. Anything else you’d like to do to promote, including tweeting, like us on facebook, make a donation, and even attend the weekend of good times will bring you good Karma above and beyond your wildest imaginings. Plus, it will make you feel warm and fuzzy inside.
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