Tequila Night Tailgating Bites and Boozes, LSU vs Auburn

In honor of a great tradition,  I wanted to make sure to write a post on one of my favorite events in Baton Rouge: Ford Family Tailgating's Tequila Night!  For the LSU vs Auburn game FFT held their 11th annual Tequila Night at the front steps of the Electrical Engineering Building.  Before I get into the booze, I would like to give a special shout out to the some FFT desserts.

Mama Ford's Famous Ooey Gooey... One Corner Piece Left.  Dibs!

The most famous FFT dessert is Mama Ford's Ooey Gooey.  This pan of edible joy contains two layers of simple and extremely delightful sweet tooth fixers.  The bottom layer is pretty much yellow cake mix and butter while the top layer has cream cheese and powdered sugar.  I'd hate to give away all the secrets here, but you should know that Ooey Gooey is pretty amazing.  If you ever want a taste, come tailgate at FFT and I'm sure you can get some... but come early if you want a corner piece with a crispy crust around the gooey middle!

Almond Joy Brownies and Triple Chocolate Brownies

In addition to the Ooey Gooey, FFT also provided two trays of scrumptious brownies for the party.  The top brownie pan is an Almond Joy creation complete with chocolate, coconut, and almonds.  On the near side we had brownies with extra chocolate and then even more rich, creamy chocolate on top.  Both were dynamite!

An Ice-Cold Steveweiser

I know it was tequila night, but thirst must be quenched in between shots of distilled agave.  Answer: good old genuine, American (Belgian owned) hops, barley, yeast, and pure spring (tap) water all brewed together in perfect harmony, with tons of rice for filler, oops, I mean "flavor", of course.  Delicious, crisp, clear, refreshing Budweiser... still the King of Beers after all these years.

Assortment of Empty Tequila Bottles Towards the End of the Day

Tequila Night always brings out a fantastic selection of tequila.  Of course, some joker always brings a handle of Cuervo, but its ok because we can distribute it to the minions.  Jeremy Ford always brings the top shelf tequila that I just have to sample.  The shots begin at 10:00 a.m. and continue every half hour until almost game time (which in Baton Rouge is usually around 7 p.m., not noon like the silly people in other parts of the country).  Eric set a new record by consuming 21 tequila shots throughout the day while drinking beer in between and, surprisingly to most, was still standing at the end of the day.   Overall the day was a tremendous success.  Collin Ford gave me a ticket to the game, LSU beat the crap out of Auburn, I got a corner piece of the Ooey Gooey, and the tequila never stopped flowing.  I can't wait until next year's Tequila Night Twelve, the Doce!

Another Good Time at Sammy's Grill

Ever since I started this blog I've been trying hard to not eat at the same standard collection of restaurants that my buddies and I have been dining at for years.  That being said, there is just something about a place that is so constantly good and so familiar that you don't even need a menu to know what you are going to order because you damn near have the entire thing memorized already!  For my group, The Chimes was, and still to a degree is, that kind of restaurant.  However, recently it has been taken over in popularity and frequency by Sammy's Grill on Highland Road.  Click here to read my first post about Sammy's.

Last Friday a group of amigos met at Sammy's for some after-work dinner and drinks.  Earlier in the evening I got a fantastic surprise when Brandon was waiting at my house for me after work.  He was not the surprise though.  He brought a "lady friend" with him that I thought I didn't know, but it turned out to be Amanda Ball, live, and in person!  I was happy.  I love surprises like that!  Soon we were on our way to Sammy's to meet Andrew, Megan, Scott, and some other folks to share some laughs over food and beverage.  I started off with one of my all-time favorite beers: Abita Turbodog.

Abita Turbodog at Sammy's Grill

Turbodog is a dark ale that has flavors of semi-sweet chocolate and perhaps some toffee.  In my mind, it is a real man's beer, although there is no reason that the ladies shouldn't like it too.  To go along with our first round of beers, Brandon, Amanda, and I ordered a plate of Sammy's famous fried cheese.  Their cheese sticks are pretty much amazing.  The huge homemade logs of creamy and rich mozzarella are battered and deep fried until golden brown, topped with parmesan cheese and some garnish, and served with marinara.

Sammy's Famous Fried Cheese

I highly recommend the fried cheese to anybody who has never had it before.  It is amazing how much better it tastes than pre-packaged, frozen mozzarella sticks.  After our appetizer we put in an order or our entrees.  Their soup de jour, or soup of the day, was a chicken, sausage, and duck gumbo that I just had to try.  The gumbo tasted so freakishly fantastic that I ate all of it before I remembered to take a picture.  I apologize for the oversight, but damn it was good!  The gumbo has a light roux which is exactly how I like it because that's how my Maw Maw used to make it.  The chicken and duck meat was tender and the sausage added just the right flavor.  This gumbo might have been the best that I've had since I started blogging!  For my entree, I got one of the most cost-efficient meals in Baton Rouge dining: the Chicken Fried Steak.

Chicken Fried Steak with White Gravy, Mashed Potatoes, Corn, and Garlic Bread

At $7.95, it is difficult to find a larger plate of delicious food at a better price.  The steak is typically very tender and well seasoned with a crispy, flavorful breading and a savory, milky white gravy.  The gravy is also poured on top of the already moist mashed potatoes.  The corn is nothing special but is pretty good for canned restaurant corn.  When you put the whole plate together you have a good meal at an exceptional value, making the chicken fried steak plate at Sammy's one my usuals.  There's not much doubt that I'll consume several more of these dinners, along with the fried cheese, gumbo, and Turbodogs, in my lifetime.  Bon Appetit!  That's French for good meal, as the Reverend Brandon Brown would say.

Strand's Cafe for Coffee and a Croissant

If you search around enough you'll find that Baton Rouge contains a lot of hidden gems that are locally owned and full of charm.  One of these places is a little cafe downtown called Strand's.  Strand's Cafe is a European-style coffee shop complete with fine pastries and gourmet chocolates. Like any good modern coffee shop, Strand's offers free wireless internet access, and a great assortment of coffees, lattes, cappuccinos, teas, and espressos.  They also offer coffee by the pot if you plan on staying a while!

Strand's Cafe, Laurel Street, Downtown Baton Rouge

Walking into Strand's is like walking into a different country.  The decor and atmosphere that they have created in their small coffee shop reminds me of Belgium more than Baton Rouge.  The family owned and run cafe bakes all of their pastries in house and also creates their fine chocolates on location.  Just one look at all of the various treats and treasures in the counter display will make your mouth salivate for a taste.  The chocolates are a work of edible art as they are beautifully crafted and sculpted into iconic shapes including the Louisiana favorite Fleur de Lis.

The Display of Fine Chocolates at Strand's Cafe

The other morning I went into Strand's to pick up some coffee for a coworker (because I'm a nice guy and it was a beautiful day and I wanted to go take a walk outside) and I couldn't resist getting a cup of cafe au lait and a croissant for myself.

Provolone and Prosciutto Croissant and a Large Cafe Au Lait

Strand's offers several different fresh, flaky, delicious croissant varieties.  In addition to the provolone and prosciutto that I ordered, they also offer a chocolate and a four cheese croissant.  The provolone and prosciutto croissant was absolutely delicious.  The crusty dough was light and buttery and the inside had just the right amount of meat and cheese to add to the taste without overpowering the actual croissant.  The cafe au lait perked me up on a slow morning in the office, and so did the walk around the block.  I'm glad I paid a visit to Strand's and I'm sure I'll be back many more times.  If you need some study time or some internet cafe time and can make it downtown, I highly recommend it!

A Poboy at Poor Boy Lloyd's

Downtown Baton Rouge contains quite a few eateries of varying cuisines and price ranges.  One of these establishments that is high on the character charts is Poor Boy Lloyd's at the corner of Florida and Lafayette.  I've already been several times since I started working downtown and I have been satisfied every time.  Poor Boy Lloyd's, as could be guess, is most famous for their poboys but they crank out some other culinary treats as well.  The last time I went was for a very quick lunch so I grabbed a shimp poboy and went about my business.   

When you walk in to Poor Boy Lloyd's you immediately end up in line to order food.  Sometimes the line can get rather long because of the popularity of this downtown dining locale, but it always moves rather quickly.  The staff graciously greats you with a warm welcome (that's my experience, anyway) and gets your drink order before anything else.  Their special board is posted right by the counter and has a mix of usuals as well as some rotating items that always sound really good. 

For this trip I kept it simple and got a shrimp poboy to cure my lunch-time hunger.  I had to get back to the office quickly so I ate a hot sandwich and returned to my other career.  The poboy was decent, but by no means the best.  The shrimp were freshly fried and reasonalbly plentiful.  The french bread was soft but nothing to stand out above the croud.  It was a tolerable poboy that satisfied my hunger but didn't necessarily keep me wanting more once I was finished.  I'm sure I'll be back to Poor Boy Lloyd's because of the character and some of the other specials, but I doubt I'll just get the shrimp poboy again.  I know there are better out there.

Eusebio's House for Authentic Mexican Tacos and Assorted Beverages

Last week Eusebio had Brent and I over for an authentic Mexican feast.  We did a little porch sitting, cerveza drinking, and chit chatting while the beef roast slow-cooked in a ceramic dish in the oven.  I started with a Dos Equis Lager.  Famous from the "Most Interesting Man in the World" commercials, Dos Equis was one Hell of a beer before its new-found ad campaign glory.  Dos Equis, or "Twenties" as I've heard them referred (referencing the Roman Numeral represented by XX), is a mexican-style lager beer that is crisp and refreshing and fairly gentle on the palate.  It most certainly is not only one of my favorite Mexican beers, but one of my favorite macro-brewed beers out there.

On a personal note: like all other Mexican beers, I prefer to drink Dos Equis WITHOUT a lime.  I know this is not normal in America, but when I drink Mexican beer, I prefer to drink it like a Mexican instead of like an American that is stereotyping Mexican beer drinkers.  It has nothing to do with being macho and "not fruiting beer", but rather I try to make a cultural statement by drinking my Mexican beers without a lime because that is how Mexicans drink their beers.  Limes were simply a method of using citric acid to disinfect the rim of a beer glass, clean the dusty lip of a beer can, or remove rust from the rim of a beer bottle back in the day, and now look what it turned into!  Oh, and another thing, much like Australians don't drink Fosters, Mexicans don't drink Corona.  Corona is about as American as pumpkin pie.  Maybe not apple pie, but pumpkin pie is about right.

When dinner came around we also drank a little wine.  Eusebio had two Zinfandels that we sipped on as we dined and then continued our consumption during our after-dinner story time.  One was from Gnarly Head and the other was from the Dancing Bull vineyard.  Both are California red wines with a little spice to go with the fantastic fermented fruit.  I realized on this day that I've long had a negative thought towards Zinfandels in my mind due to my dislike of ultra-sweet White Zinfandels, but the real thing, Red Zins, are actually fantastic wines and I need to drink more of them.

Dinner was as delicious as always at Eusebio's house.  The beef was better than fork-tender as it could be torn apart with just a little pressure of the fingers.  It was not ground beef like typical Tex-Mex tacos, but rather a beef roast that simmered in Mexican-spiced juices until it could melt in your mouth.  After being placed on a fresh tortilla, the succulent beef was topped with lettuce, cheese, a little pico de gallo, and some fresh cilantro to create an authentic soft taco that delivered mouth-watering flavor to my mouth.  The beef tacos were accompanied by some refried beans and Mexican rice.  The entire meal was phenomenal.  The spice of the Zins complimented the Mexican seasonings very well as each delightful bite came with a swallow of divine wine.  It was a great evening with some buddies, great food, and, of course, a little booze.  Life is good today.  O, en espanol, mi vida es buena hoy.

Harrington's Cafe for a Bite to Eat

I walked around downtown Baton Rouge during my lunch break the other day to explore my options for a little grub.  I wanted to find a place downtown that I had not been to since I started my new job, and there are quite a few of those places around.  I came across Harrington's Cafe on Florida Street and saw this sign outside:

I had a meeting at work before lunch so I wasn't able to get anywhere to eat until after one o'clock.  As you can see, the specials board at Harrington's was nearly sold out.  This told me two things.  First, they must have been good!  Second, I'll have to try the two things they aren't sold out of.  I was due for a "soup and salad" day anyway, although I'm not a fan of eating like a rabbit!

Shrimp and Crabmeat Gumbo and Bread

The gumbo at Harrington's was fantastic.  The roux was perfect for my tastes.  It was rich and flavorful but not so thick that it overpowered the shrimp and crab.  The gumbo was delicious and bread was soft, buttery, and perfect for sopping up the remains.

Salad with Grilled Chicken, Bacon, Bleu Cheese Crumbles, and Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette

The salad tasted light and refreshing and despite the bacon, reasonably healthy for my standards.  I guess it is good to get a little roughage in whenever I can, even though I typically enjoy the finer foods in life.  The grilled chicken was tender, the bacon was crispy, and the bleu cheese added a nice touch.  All in all, it was a delightful salad that held me over until my next real meal!

I'm going to have to go back to Harrington's Cafe.  Their specials and regular menu items are among the favorites of the downtown lunch crowd.  I also appreciate the ease of dining at Harrington's if you are in a hurry.  Orders are placed at your counter, drinks are self serve, and food is delivered straight from the kitchen to your table very swiftly.  I recommend giving it a try if you have never been before, and I suggest you go back if it has been a while!

The Man's Meal at the Marcantel's

I really love a traditional manly meal.  They take me back to my childhood days of cooking on open fires at hunting camps in south Texas with my father.  Most of my first memories of outdoor cooking, and certainly of grilling, come from those mesquite flames kissing the sizzling slabs of steak while foil-wrapped potatoes baked in the hot, glowing embers below.  Last week I was invited over to the Marcantel's residence where Paul recreated the man's meal and I just hung out and enjoyed the show.  I guess I did pitch in by creating the garlic-cayenne butter sauce for the corn, but we'll get to that later.  Brian and Michael joined in on the feast as well as Michael's newly born son, Levi, and Pam and David Marcantel, Paul's in-laws.

The potatoes were wrapped in foil and baked in the oven at a high temperature, the fresh ears of corn were shucked and placed on the grill, and beautiful slabs of raw beef were brilliantly seasoned by Paul and thrown on the pit to sear until reaching a medium-rare temperature.

Seasoned Steaks

Corn on the Cob and Steaks on the Grill

The corn was allowed to heat on the top rack of the grill for a while and was rotated at key intervals.  Paul likes to get a little bit of char on his corn so that the starches caramelize and the natural sweetness comes out a little more which is a fine way to do it, if you ask me.  When the corn was eventually moved to the bottom to give it a nice scalding, it was also coated with a garlic-cayenne butter sauce that I created out of nothing but butter, cayenne pepper, and garlic salt (credit goes to Courtney Holbrook for the idea).  It was about as simple as it gets, and mighty delicious on an ear of corn!

Man's Meal: Loaded Baked Potato, Garlic-Cayenne Ear of Corn, Medium Rare Rib Eye, and a Cold Glass of Sweet Tea (I had to rest my liver for a day)

The final meal was spectacular.  The loaded baked potato featured butter, sour cream, and cheese with a little salt and pepper.  The garlic-cayenne ear of corn came out perfectly seasoned and extremely flavorful.  It had just right amount kick to make your lips tingle while the sweetness of the caramelized corn kernels danced a tango on the tongue.  The steak was cooked to a perfect temperature with a warm red center that was tender and juicy throughout.  It was the kind of meat that needs no other topping or sauces and should be enjoyed for the flavorful piece of beef that is.  In the end, I left the Marcantel's house full, satisfied, and absolutely delighted to have eaten such a fabulous man's meal that both brought me back to my childhood and made me appreciate the food and friends of today.  Happy Eating!

A Journey Across the River!!

While at the Baton Rouge Culinary Classic, Eusebio and I spoke to an older couple that RAVED about a place in Port Allen called the River Queen.  They talked about how great of an old-school, classic, greasy, shady burger joint it is and suggested that we make the trip.  For the next week or so I did a little research on food that is worth crossing the river for and decided that Eusebio and I needed to visit the River Queen Drive Inn and Pic-a-Pak Fried Chicken in Port Allen for lunch one day. 

We journied across the Mighty Mississippi and took the first exit off the bridge that leads directly into the hub of Port Allen.  Very quickly we came across Pic-a-Pak Fried Chicken, so we stopped on in for a tasting.

Four Piece Dark Combo at Pic-a-Pak Fried Chicken in Port Allen, La

Both being fans of delicious dark meat (on chickens, no fowl comments please!), we ordered a four piece dark combo that came with a couple small sides.  We chose the baked beans and potato salad which were both rather ordinary.  On the other hand, the fried chicken was worth noting.  Crispy and flavorful on the outside, tender and juicy on the inside, this freshly fried chicken was fantastic.  I'm a big fan of fried chicken and love going to Popeye's whenever I feel like shaving a few more days off of my life.  Popeye's is definitely the only national fried chicken chain that I will eat at.  It can often be difficult to find a good fried chicken (and I don't mean chicken tender) at local establishments, but Pic-a-Pak does it right!  It was not spicy (which is what I love about Popeyes, if you get the mild I lose respect for you), but for what it lacked in spice it made up for in freshness and flavor.

We left Pic-a-Pak and went a block down the road to the River Queen Drive Inn.  Yes, it is supposed to be spelled with two "n"s.  I guess the second one fell off much like the second "e" in queen.  It was a wonderful establishment with an outdoor walk-up ordering window, outdoor seating, and a small indoor area with video poker machines.  The River Queen really seemed like a glorified concession stand, and we found out quickly that that is exactly what it is.

The River Queen Drive Inn in Port Allen, La

I haven't been more disappointed in something since I started this blog other than possibly when I was fed red beans out of a can.  I think the expectations were built up so high and then our baloon popped but the boy wasn't hiding in a box in the attic.  Basically, we were expecting fresh, hand-made, half pound or larger, greasy, juicy burgers.  What we got was a previously frozen flat-top fried 6 oz piece of cheap ground beef.  :(  There is my sad face.  Really, I could have gone to Sonic and gotten almost the same thing.  It is not like the burger was bad, it just was so far below what I was anticipating that I felt cheated.  If you want a burger in the Baton Rouge area, please, go to Roul's, Cory's, Downtown Seafood, Riverside Patty, or one of several other joints.  Do not cross the river to go to the River Queen Drive Inn.  But, if you happen to be across the river, you might as well stop at Pic-A-Pak Fried Chicken!

Bacon Cheeseburger at the River Queen Drive Inn

All in all the trip over the river was a success.  We capped the lunch off with some peach cobbler at the River Queen which was the best thing we ate along with the onion rings.  The curly Q fries were typical.  We learned something about Port Allen on that day.  Pic-a-Pak=good, River Queen=bad.  It was certainly worth crossing the bridge to find out.

Thanks to Mike Vernon for Capturing Visit Number 1,000!!!

Visit 1000!!!  A special thank you to Mike Vernon for being visitor 1,000 and capturing a good image of it!  Thanks to everyone who has been checking out the site!  Keep coming back for more updates about my culinary adventures!

Good Times at Sammy's

Among my list of absolute favorite places for food and drink in Baton Rouge is Sammy's Grill on Highland Road.  Sammy's is a classic neighborhood bar and grill that has recently grown and expanded but has still, for the most part, retained the character that made it so great.  The best place to sit is by far the bar area which used to also be the main dining room.  If you can't sit there, the old patio which is now enclosed into a dining room is also good.  I try to avoid the new dining area at all costs, but that's probably only because I remember the old days and still haven't adjusted.  The grub is not your typical pub fair.  The menu is diverse and features a lot of Louisiana favorites and daily specialties that always please.  Many things on the menu could be considered some of the best of their kind in town including their homemade fried cheese, boiled crawfish (in season), poboys, house salad dressing, and chicken fried steak!

I was joined at Sammy' Grill a few days ago by Paul who is still in town from Chicago, Brian, Eric, Brent, James, and Eusebio.  It was pretty much exactly the same as the Chimes reunion group but sub Eusebio for Michael.  We started with several buckets of domestic beer (mostly Coors Light, Budweiser, and Bud Light) as well as a couple orders of fried cheese with marinara sauce.  We also ordered a coach's plate and subbed the tomatoes for fried mushrooms!  Always a good decision.  The coach's plate features chunks of grilled chicken breast, slices of pork sausage, little pieces of Swiss and American cheeses, pickles, and in our case, fried mushrooms, and is all served with mustard, barbeque sauce, ranch dressing, and enough toothpicks to skewer it all.  It really is one of my favorite appetizers.  It is so simple, yet so good every time (minus the pickles).

The Coach's Plate at Sammy's

For dinner I kept drinking beer along with the rest of the table and then eventually ordered the grilled shrimp poboy.  I had heard a lot about this sandwich around town but had never actually ordered it before.  Most shrimp poboys are fried, not grilled, so this was already a little unique.  To add to the originality they topped the scrumptious shrimp with melted pepper jack cheese, sauteed onions and peppers, lettuce, and tomatoes.  The poboy was as delightful as promised.  The fresh french bread surrounds the flavors inside and every bite of the sandwich delivers a mix of flavors and textures that makes me all warm inside.

Grilled Shrimp Poboy at Sammy's

My game plan was to have a few more Silver Bullets and Ice Cold Steveweisers (If you know the reference, good for you, and if you don't, then also good for you!) for dessert.  That game plan worked out, but then we saw that they had a White Chocolate Bread Pudding on the menu and had to give it a try!  The white chocolate sauce was fantastic but the bread pudding was very different, though good in its own way.  It really had the texture of a cinnamon roll.  It was not moist throughout and certainly was not reminiscent of a pudding of any kind.  I'm a fan of daring to be different, and this was still a tasty dessert even if it is not what one traditionally thinks of as a bread pudding.

White Chocolate Bread Pudding at Sammy's... with a Third Row Koozie in the Background!

Sammy's Grill is most certainly worth the visit.  I recommend pretty much everything on the menu.  And while you're there, get a table in the bar area, order some beer or cocktails, and stay a while!  You'll be glad you did!

Bonefish Grill

Bonefish Grill is one of those national chain restaurants that I really can't help but like.  I'm usually such a fan of local cuisine and privately owned eateries that I just naturally stay away from corporate chow.  However, when food is fresh and cooked properly it can be delicious no matter who is seeing the bottom-line profits.  In much the same way that I have been a fan of Fleming's, I'm also a fan of Bonefish Grill.  The seafood selection is always spectacular, the chef creations are rotating specials are sensational, and I always leave there full and happy... of course it helps that I'm usually with Eusebio and only paying an above-average tip whenever I dine there.

My most recent trip to Bonefish Grill was fairly typical of how they all go.  We started with an off-menu Crispy Oyster Appetizer that contained select Apalachicola oysters with a spicy remoulade sauce.  Apalachicola sounds really fancy but unfortunately all it means is that they came from a particular region of the Florida Gulf Coast.  They were really good, but unfortunately one of the drawbacks of corporate dining is not always eating Louisiana oysters!  Oh well, at least they were still delicious, salty gulf oysters, fried golden brown, and served with a spicy remoulade sauce that complimented the magnificent molluscs very nicely.  We also had the seared tuna appetizer.  It was pretty good, but not as memorable as it has been in the past.

Crispy Oyster Appetizer

I have been drinking a lot of wine and martinis lately and was time to drink beer!  Bonefish had one on tap so I decided to give it a try.  Heiner Brau out of Covington, La has recently come out with a Strawberry Ale that I had never had before so I ordered a pint and gave it a taste.  The Strawberry Ale is a light and refeshing beer with just a hint of strawberry so I did not find it to be overly sweet.  I'm not sure that it could really compare to Abita's Strawberry Harvest, but it was pretty good and is available on draught and year round.  I finished my first pint and ordered another!

Heiner Brau Strawberry Ale

For my main course I went back to the daily specials.  I ordered the Atlantic swordfish topped with a crab cake over asparagus.  The entree was served with garlic mashed potatoes and seasonal vegetables.  The wood-grilled swordfish was dense and flavorful.  It was tender and flaky like a typical fish but also had a consistency that reminded more of alligator tail or frog legs than a typical fish.  The crab cake was made of lump crab meat a served with a creamy sauce that had a great taste to it.  A bite of the crab cake and swordfish on one fork was a party in my mouth!  The asparagus was tender with a bit of tang to it from sitting under the fish and crab cake sauce.  The garlic mashed potatoes and seasonal vegetables were average but still satisfying to a hungry stomach.

Wood-Grilled Atlantic Swordfish with a Creamy Jumbo Lump Crab Cake, Asparagus, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, and Seasonal Vegetables

For dessert Eusebio couldn't resist ordering a bowl of vanilla ice cream with raspberry sauce.  I had a couple spoon fulls myself and it was quite delicious.  It hit the spot and properly capped off the meal.  All in all I left full and satisfied again.  The service at the bar was kind and friendly and our food tasted terrific.  No reason to ever complain about that!