Highland Airway: Whisk(e)y Wednesday presented by Lock & Key

Highland Airway at Lock & Key

The Lock & Key Whiskey Bar has a cocktail list for both whiskey lovers and whiskey doubters. The whiskey lovers list features cocktails that allow the bourbon or Scotch or other whiskey to shine like in a Sazerac with it's powerful Rye whiskey punch. The whiskey doubters side of the menu features cocktails that take it a little easier on the whiskey or whisky and go a little harder in the way of creating a blend of flavors in which even people who aren't already whiskey lovers will rejoice. The Highland Airway is an example of the a drink on the whiskey doubter list. It is a take on the classic gin Aviation cocktail but replaces the gin with a botanical blended Scotch. The drink starts with the Great King Street Scotch and then layers on flavors with Creme de Violette, lemon juice, and Luxardo liqueur. It presents almost a Sweet Tarts like balance of sour, sweet, then mouth-puckering again. The Scotch even added just a hint of herbaceous gin-like flavor at the back end. Give the Highland Airway a try if you're a Scotch doubter. I imagine you'll enjoy it!

Month of Salads #9: Beausoleil

Beausoleil's Grilled Shrimp Pasta Salad

Beausoleil gets a lot of recognition for their curried chicken salad sandwich on their brunch and lunch menu, but their other versions of salad also highlight bold flavors that come together in a way that has this big guy craving something a little greener. I'm a huge fan of their seafood salad, but I ventured out of my norm for this post and gave their grilled shrimp pasta salad a try. The skewered grilled shrimp were lightly seasoned, superbly succulent, and slightly warmed atop a cool pasta salad. A rainbow of Rotini pasta dressed with a pistou sauce which is essentially a Provençal pesto with cloves of garlic, fresh basil, and olive oil was satisfying without weighing me down. For an added fresh bite, some red onion, peas, and tomatoes round out the textures and flavors. Chef Nathan takes things to an entirely different level with goat cheese. It marries all of the flavors together and makes this a truly restaurant quality pasta salad.

Month of Salads #8: Bistro Byronz

Bistro Byronz Blackened Shrimp Salad

Bistro Byronz presents a lovely dining option nestled sweetly in Mid-City Baton Rouge. I brunched there the day after Fête Rouge with the ladies from Visit Baton Rouge as well as the great group of food bloggers that took to the town for the weekend. With a lot of water and several cups of coffee, I seemed to be on the way to Fête Rouge recovery. We also devoured plenty of bleu cheese chips and french toast beignets to get started, which certainly helped. Since August is the Month of Salads, I felt the blackened shrimp salad calling my name! Spicy shrimp atop a spritely bed of mixed greens were accompanied by Mandarin oranges, feta crumbles and one of the most gorgeous sliced avocados I've seen. The salad presented crunchy, spicy, and sweet flavors with an orange rosemary vinaigrette and served as a nice pick me up from my wine hangover!

Roux Wine Tours: Whisk(e)y Wednesday presented by Lock & Key Whiskey Bar

Photo Credit: Bob Hamilton Photography

On this wonderful Whisk(e)y Wednesday presented by the Lock & Key Whiskey Bar, I'd like to take this opportunity to welcome new sponsor, Roux Wine Tours! Owner and Certified Sommelier Myrna Arroyo specializes in traveling around the world and taking people on exclusive journeys. She has some incredible things going on as of late that I'm excited about including a whisky tour of Scotland! Roux Wine Tours will be taking a small group of people on an escorted tour of Edinburgh, Speyside, Orban and Islay where you'll get the chance to envelop yourself in single malt heaven. Trips to five different distilleries like Laphoaig, Oban, and Balvenie await you when you dive into the world of Scotch whisky. If you want to take a peek at the full itinerary click here. I haven't been to Scotland, but when I do go, it'll be a trip like this! And stay tuned because we might be working on a Kentucky Bourbon Trail trip before too long!

Month of Salads #7: Pronto Truck

The Pronto Truck's Baja Shrimp Cob Salad

Gourmet Girls Fine Catering has recently spawned the Pronto Truck. A drop of bright yellow sunlight at the base of the Perkins Road Overpass is the new "it girl" on the grab and go lunch scene. Gourmet Girls started the Pronto Truck because people kept trying to go to their storefront for lunch. After the demand began to grow they decided to cook items on a changing lunch menu in the Gourmet Girls kitchen, pack them up, and sell them through the Pronto Truck window. I went on Taco Tuesday and had their pulled chicken tacos. They were quite tasty once put together, but I imagine they would have been even better had they been assembled to order. Having that said, I had been seeing pictures of their good looking salads for days on Instagram and had to pop over and give one of them a try as well. The Baja Shrimp Cobb Salad contained every bit of crispness and deliciousness that I would expect from Gourmet Girls. Lovely boiled shrimp over mixed greens with cucumber, carrots, and tomatoes with a salsa ranch dressing provided a fresh bite on a seriously warm day. I look forward to trying the other salads they come up with.