Pam Sandoz: Professor of Pours

by Blair Loup

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.

Pam Sandoz, owner of Slinky's

Pam grew up in a Cajun family full of attorneys in Abbeville, Louisiana. Following in her family’s footsteps, she pursued a law degree at LSU. Like so many college students do, Pam entered the service industry bartending at different establishments. Little did she know that cutting her teeth behind the bar would be the start of a long lasting love affair.

“Somewhere along the way, I realized I could take my favorite college job and turn it into my career and kind of avoid growing up,” Pam said.

Anyone who hangs out with Pam in her bar for an extended period of time will notice her grandmother’s huge influence on her. Her grandmother was a medical professional, and after a long day of work at the hospital, she’d host famous eight course dinner parties. With a reputation for constantly entertaining, it’s not hard to see where Pam’s love of people and conversation stems from.

It takes a special kind of person to weather the service industry. At 25, Pam realized she had officially found her calling and opened Slinky’s with her then boyfriend, and she’s been holding the keys since 1999.

On the surface, Slinky’s may look like another dive bar serving up simple mixed drinks and Michelob Ultras, but upon closer examination, you’ll notice two refrigerators full of craft beer and the bartender slinging creative whiskey cocktails.

I’ll admit, I was a little thrown off. I didn’t expect to see much beyond a couple of Louisiana craft brews. Shame on me! As it turns out, Pam studied abroad in Germany and gained a palate for beer hardly any Baton Rouge bars served in the early 2000s.

While Pam seems to have found her dream job, she explained that being so close to campus has its advantages and pitfalls. She describes the fluctuations in population to be a “feast or famine” situation, which I think most businesses in college towns experience. One of Slinky’s major advantages is Pam.

Pam is backbone that keeps people coming back to Slinky’s. Every customer’s interaction with her sounds like the conversations you have with your cool aunt if your cool aunt owned a bar.

You hear a lot of, “Hey Ms. Pam,” and “Yes Ms. Pam, thank you Ms. Pam.” She’s not to be messed with, but she has fun messing with her customers.

Slinky’s is a different kind of college bar. Most of their clientele consists of rugby players, LSU professors, and graduate students. Pam sees herself as a moderator for educated conversations about politics, religion, and science under a canopy of undergarments.

Pam said, “We don’t have draft beer or a dance floor, we have a community here.”

This post is part of a monthly series spotlighting Louisiana women in the business of booze. Previous features include:

Natalie Parbhoo: Duchess of Distribution
Lindsay Nations: Baroness of Beer
Dori Murvin: Sorceress of Service
Nora McGunnigle: Headmistress of Hops
Myrna Arroyo: Vino Valedictorian
Brandi Lauck: Warden of Whiskey
Cari Caramonta: Mother of Malts
Erin White: Priestess of Pairing
Beth Donner: Dame of Distilling
Halston McMullan: Hustler of Houston Hops
Libby Landry: Governess of Grapes
Abigail Gullo: Leading Lady of Libation
Mary Lewis: Superintendent of Suds
Brea Frederick: Vixen of Vermouth
Vanessa Gomes: Crusader of Craft

Wish You Were Here: Postcards from Our 2015 Travels

by Sydney Blanchard

As much as we at team Bite and Booze love to celebrate the local culinary scene, on occasion we don't mind checking out other cities and seeing the best they have to offer.

We got to do a good bit of traveling in 2015, and obviously we blogged about it. Check out our take on Oxford, Shreveport, Oklahoma City, and New York!

Oxford, Mississippi

"Oxford doesn't preen or parade; it waits patiently to unravel itself to curious passersby."

"There’s plenty of old school historic Oxford to fall in love with, but it’s the vibrant group of new culinary talent that captured my attention."

Shreveport, Louisiana

"The general theory tossed around as I was growing up is that North Louisiana is essentially Yankee territory, with a disturbing lack of Catholics, culture, and alcoholic beverages. "

"Sure, they say, the food is phenomenal, but that's not what makes Lucky Palace special. It's the location, the decor, the service."

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

"If there’s one thing I learned about Oklahoma, it’s that it isn't what you'd expect."

"I'm okay with Jay shipping me off to Oklahoma any day. The people are passionate and forward-thinking in a way that's making room for some very cool stuff."

New York, New York

"While winning a James Beard Award is one of the ultimate milestones of a career in the culinary arts, getting invited to cook at the James Beard house is also one of those monumental achievements for aspiring chefs."

"No trip to Momofuku Noodle Bar would be complete without a walk to their sister bakery Milk Bar a few blocks away."

Louisiana Seafood, Uprooted

by Sydney Blanchard

Each month, our Uprooted series will highlight local chefs, restaurants, organizations, and farmers who are spearheading the farm-to-table and local foodways movements in South Louisiana.

In 2010, after the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig caused 4.9 million barrels of oil to spill into the Gulf of Mexico, BP vowed to clean up the mess for which they were responsible.

Apart from removing oil from the Gulf, BP allotted money to be used for a PR campaign that would not only clean up their image but would clear up the idea that the Gulf’s seafood was tainted by the spill.

Six years and millions of dollars later, the Louisiana Seafood Board is still working to do just that.

Photo courtesy of the Louisiana Seafood Board

The Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board, considered part of the office of tourism, moved to Baton Rouge from New Orleans two years ago. Since their founding in 1984, their goal has been to promote and educate people about Louisiana’s rich abundance of seafood.

Following the 2010 oil spill, the Seafood Board was handed a $30 million dollar check to be used on, among other things, aggressive public relations campaigns to rebuild the lost confidence in Louisiana’s seafood industry.

According to the agency’s Executive Director Karen Profita, the state is the second largest seafood producer in the nation, right behind Alaska. The challenge Profita and her small team face is that 90 percent of seafood consumed in the United States is imported. Of that 90 percent, less than three percent of it gets tested, she said. And according to recent research that tested imported seafood from local grocery stores, 90 percent contained chemicals banned in the United States.

Local shrimpers take pride in their superior product. Photo courtesy of the Louisiana Seafood Board.

Before the LSU alum became the board’s Executive Director less than two years ago, Profita knew next to nothing about the state’s seafood industry, and she said it’s been a steep learning curve from her background in non-profits.

“There’s a lot more to it than I would have guessed,” she said.

Profita said her agency is tasked with ensuring Louisiana’s seafood industry is getting the support it needs. The board is comprised of representatives from the Alligator Industry, the Wild Catfish Industry, the Oyster Task Force, and the Louisiana Shrimp Association, to name a few.

Day to day, Profita plays a role in representing the board members’ interests and working with legislators to come up with compromises that benefit both the fishermen and consumers.

Despite hurricanes and oil spills and rising gas prices that greatly affect their margins, Profita said she is continually impressed and inspired by the state’s shrimpers and oyster farmers and crab fishers.

Karen Profita, the board's Executive Director, is inspired by the fishermen she interacts with. Photo courtesy of the Seafood Board.

“I think that’s what so amazing to me,” she said. “I have a great respect for them because they keep coming back. It has just been challenge after challenge for them.”

One of the main challenges for local fishermen is an uneven playing field, Profita said. Imported seafood, mainly from overseas, isn’t required to pass the rigorous inspection or uphold the ethical labor standards domestic seafood producers do. Much of the seafood the United States imports isn’t tested for antibiotics or other banned chemicals, and reports of countries using slave labor to process seafood have increased.

This makes imported seafood cheaper for restaurants and for consumers, often at the cost of the domestic seafood industry.

"We kind of like to get people mad about it,” Profita said. “And it’s important the people in Washington know.”
So why buy domestic? The Seafood Board has spent the last few years (and a few million dollars of BP money) explaining to the public why insisting on Gulf seafood is so important.

Their strategy has mainly been one of education so far. Profita explained that educating consumers about the Gulf’s diverse ecology and showing them the superior quality of its seafood is a major part of the approach.

“We know the purity of our product and the safety of it is going to win out,” Profita said.

The Louisiana Seafood board also stresses the seafood industry’s huge economic and cultural impact in the state. One of the many reasons tourists flock to Louisiana is for culinary tourism. And according to Profita, visitors are impressed not only by Louisiana’s seasoning but by the quality of the seafood itself.

Commercial shrimping, crabbing, and fishing are also part of the culture here. Entire communities were founded upon the commercial fishing industry. Any hit the seafood industry takes hurts local fisherman trying to make a living off their catch.

Profita said she often finds herself asking, “How do you preserve that and make sure they can still make a living from that?”

One of the ways the Louisiana Seafood Board tries to preserve this way of life is with their grocery co-marketing program. Their goal is to sell large volumes of seafood to grocery chains across the country to get loyal fans in other markets. If the grocery chain agrees to buy a certain amount of seafood, the board agrees to put 10 percent of the cost of the seafood toward helping the stores market the seafood with things like social media campaigns.

Their co-marketing program has already seen success in a grocery chain in the Northeast, and they’re hoping to continue to grow it across the country.

Profita explained the farm-to-table movement, or in this case, the “dock-to-dish” movement, often overlooks seafood.

"I don’t know why that hasn’t registered with people,” she said. “It’s really fascinating that they’ll spend forever picking out the tomato that goes in the dish and not think about the shrimp they’re putting it on.”

For consumers, Profita said, it boils down to “know better, eat better.”

When purchasing local seafood in grocery stores, Profita said, closely inspect the package. Labels on imported seafood may include an American flag or even a Louisiana name, but they’re not always from the United States or from Louisiana.

Profita also encourages Louisianans to demand domestic seafood in their grocery stores and in restaurants they frequent.

“They’re willing to sell it if they know you’ll buy it,” she said.

Find out more about the Louisiana Seafood Board by exploring their gorgeous website and keeping up with them on social media.

Read more Uprooted here:

Nino's Italian, Uprooted
Indie Plate, Uprooted
Red Stick Farmers Market, Uprooted
Iverstine Family Farms, Uprooted
Murder Point Oysters, Uprooted
Southern Foodways Alliance, Uprooted

Fullness Farms, Uprooted

Barbecue Bites: Jay D's Molasses Mustard Fried Catfish

by Sydney Blanchard

Ah, yes, it's that time of year again. The time when Louisiana's large Catholic population uses Lent as an excuse to cook up some of the tastiest seafood dishes in their repertoire all in the name of fasting.

Fasting? More like feasting! With oysters and Gulf shrimp and catfish and, according to the Pope, alligator, missing meat on Fridays during Lent doesn't seem like much of a sacrifice.

You don't hear us complaining.

Here's one of Jay's latest recipes: a classic fried catfish using Jay D's Louisiana Molasses Mustard.

The fried catfish and roasted vegetable were sourced locally through Indie Plate. Use promo code DUCOTE30OFF to get 30% off your first Indie Plate order.

Jay D's Molasses Mustard Fried Catfish

Peanut oil or other mild-flavored oil like canola, for frying
1 cup Jay D’s Louisiana Molasses Mustard
1 1/2 cups cornmeal
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
4 tablespoons Jay D’s Spicy & Sweet BBQ Rub
1 tsp kosher salt
10 catfish fillets (4 to 5 pounds)

In a large Dutch oven or other large pot, pour oil to a depth of four inches and heat over medium heat until it reads 375º on a candy or deep-fry thermometer (or use a countertop deep fryer). Pour the molasses mustard into a shallow dish or aluminum pan. In another shallow dish, stir together cornmeal, flour, barbecue rub, and salt. Coat each fish fillet in the mustard, then dredge in cornmeal mixture. Fry fillets in batches in hot oil until golden brown and cooked through, about 6 to 8 minutes per batch.

Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain. Serve hot with more molasses mustard, Creole tartar sauce, jalapeño relish, or over roasted vegetables (seen here) or cole slaw.

Best of the Southwest: Get in on the Lake Charles action

by Sydney Blanchard

Never let anyone tell you there's not much going on in Southwest Louisiana. In the beginnings of a huge economic boom, the region is looking forward to rapid growth, and with rapid growth comes new reasons to check out the blossoming Lake Charles area.

Southwest Louisiana has always been good about entertaining people. With killer food, music, and culture seeping out of the area, it's made its mark as a Louisiana tourism destination.

Check out some of our favorite blog posts of the past year that highlight the best parts of Lake Charles.

Well, Hot Dog!

Kobe Beef Frank topped with Mac n' Cheese, Feta, Pickled Jalapeños, Jay D's Louisiana Barbecue Sauce and Bacon

"Botsky's has a modern, grayscale interior with pops of color from framed pictures and wall decor to napkin holders featuring movie characters holding a Botsky's hotdog with talking bubbles singing the restaurant's praises. It's unique, it's real, and it's just what the Lake Area needs more of."

Red Hot Ember

Stuffed Rabbit Loin: Pancetta Wrapped, Potato Purée, Natural Jus
Photo: Dan Jones

"There's way more going on amid the rice and crawfish ponds than even the natives give themselves credit for. And with a thriving casino industry bringing folks in from Texas as well as some huge industrial developments, I can only imagine that the next couple years will really see Lake Charles shine."

Pop Culture on Ice

(Your Own) Personal Ginger, Save a Pear, and Same Rosewater As You
Photo: Anna Sprigg

"These guys aren't playing around with these pops. The flavors they're creating are very layered and complex, but don't mistake that for intimidating."

Wild 'N Out

Sunchoke velouté en crôute with duck confit

"Chef Mohamed combines his background in traditional French cuisine with a dedication to the local ingredients Louisiana has to offer to create mouth-watering, seasonal menus."

Get Away From It All

Smoked boudin from Rabideaux's Sausage Kitchen

"Admittedly, Lake Charles isn't always the first place that comes to mind when I dream up day trips or weekend excursions, but after a recent stay in the Boudin Capital of Louisiana, it's safe to say I've converted."