Beers with Chuck: Toast Under the Oaks

by Chuck P


Most first year craft beer festivals aren't successful enough to return for a refill. There are several things that can go wrong along the beer-soaked trail to impending doom. Fortunately, I think the folks behind Toast Under The Oaks, held a few weeks ago at the beautiful Nottoway Plantation in White Castle, will definitely be around for years to come.

Enjoying the scenery while sipping some suds.

Jay and I were eager to check out the selection of beers from local breweries and homebrewers as we made our way onto the lawn. As soon as we walked in we saw our friend Brenton Day (www.thealerunner.com) at the Brasseurs a la Maison home brew tent. He welcomed us with one of his personal brews and one of my favorites, The Mighty Quinn Coffee Vanilla Porter.

Brenton Day's Mighty Quinn Coffee Vanilla Porter

I get excited every time I find out Brenton is brewing a batch. The coffee and vanilla notes are just spot on. Being that it’s a thin-bodied porter means this is something I would drink even in the middle of the brutal Louisiana summer and the barrel-aged version will blow you away.

We made our way over to the local craft beer tents and stopped at one our favorite local breweries, Great Raft from Shreveport. I was happy to see that their session IPA, Make Believer was on tap and instantly ordered one. There’s a mild dankness that comes through from the citra hops and those juicy, citric notes from the galaxy hops were very bright. Their Commotion Pale Ale is my “go-to”, but if you can get your hands on their Make Believer, don’t pass it up!

Great Raft's Make Believer

Jumping back to the coffee beers, we stopped at Thibodaux’s Mudbug Brewery tent for their Cafe Au Lait Coffee Stout. Very light in body for a stout, the coffee and chocolate flavors balance themselves nicely making it another one fit for summer drinking.

Mudbug Brewing's Café au Lait Coffee Stout

It was nice to see a big turnout by the local breweries for this first year event. We were able to catch up with all of our friends from Chafunkta, Tin Roof, Bayou Teche and more. I’m happy to say Brenton Day took 3rd place in the homebrew competition with The Mighty Quinn and 1st place with his Citrattak IPA! 

I’m sure that this time next year Jay and I will both be enjoying delicious, local and homebrewed craft beers under the oaks again.

10 of Our Favorite Deep Fried Dishes

by Intern Drew Broussard

It should come as no surprise that we have a deep, oily, sizzling passion for fried foods. Heck, Jay is hosting his own show about just that on Travel Channel! With Deep Fried America set to premier tomorrow, we found ourselves reflecting on our favorite fried treats we’ve eaten over the past few years. But then we realized, why reminisce whenever you can make a list of them? Here are some of the best fried memories laid out for your mouth-watering enjoyment.

Fried Pork Chop at Salt New American Table

Now this is a pork chop. Compart Duloc pig with the loin, rib, fat and crispy skin over a huitlacoche tamale and corn relish. @larrydelgadorgv knows what's up at @saltnewamericantable in @visitmcallen! #visitmcallen #happylarrydelgadoday #texas #foodporn #pork

A photo posted by Jay Ducote (@jayducote) on Feb 24, 2016 at 7:54pm PST

Fried Boudin Balls all over Baton Rouge

Deep fried boudin balls from different restaurants in Baton Rouge

Jay's Fried Chicken

Deep Fried Burger at Phil's Grill

This deep fried burger from Phil's Grill in New Orleans is noteworthy

Beignets at Coffee Call

Chicken Fried Ribeye at Horseshoe Bay Resort

Um so this is a chicken fried ribeye with a fried egg and one helluva biscuit. @jayducote is in heaven at @hsbresort! #foodpics #texas #texas because #texas

A photo posted by Bite & Booze (@biteandbooze) on Nov 21, 2015 at 6:37pm PST

Fried Rabbit at Hot Tails

Chefs Sam and Cody Carroll kill it at Hot Tails

Deep Fried LSU Rolls from all over Baton Rouge

Fried Cheese Curds at Barcadia

Whole Fried Fish at La Salvadoreña

Beers with Chuck: Urban South Summerfest

by Chuck P

Urban South Brewery in New Orleans is new to the ever-growing Louisiana craft beer family, but they’re quickly making an impression with their delicious brews. A few weeks ago, I drove down to the brewery to meet Jay for some tunes and beers at their first annual Summerfest.

Despite the torrential downpour, when we arrived Summerfest was off to a great start. Event goers formed long lines at their three service stations ready to consume their flagship beers and one-off brews.

Having already had their flagship beers, the Charming Wit White Ale and the Holy Roller IPA, I decided to try one of the specialty brews on the menu, a double dry-hopped version of the Holy Roller.

Double Dry-hopped Holy Roller at Urban South Brewery in New Orleans.

The hop notes shine through on this beer in both aroma and taste. A nice dry finish leaves you wanting that next sip immediately. Needless to say I had another pint right after I was finished. You know, for science…

Dat Dog's Guiness brat with bacon, perfect for absorbing alcohol.

After making my way out to the Dat Dog Food Truck for one of their incredible gourmet dogs, I headed back in to soak up the sweet tunes of singer-songwriter Kristin Myers and to try out my next two beers, the coffee Porter and grapefruit IPA.

The unnamed grapefruit IPA and coffee porter.

My love for coffee stouts and porters is no secret, and this one was exactly what I expected. The coffee notes were balanced just right where they never overtake the beer itself. Hints of chocolate creeped in and had me wishing this was something they were canning soon. And although I’m not a big grapefruit fan, I was surprised at how much I liked this beer. The grapefruit was just enough to compliment the citrusy hop notes and had me ordering another one when I was done.

Summerfest at Urban South is sure to be an awesome annual event filled with great music and great beers. Check them out online for tour times and upcoming events.

8 of Baton Rouge's Best Restaurant Hacks

by Sydney Blanchard

If you've lived anywhere long enough, you'll become an expert on the area. And if you eat anywhere long enough, you'll learn the area's top secret menu tweaks to level up your favorite dishes.

We rounded a few of our favorite local restaurant "hacks" and threw in some of your suggestions through social media to come up with this list of our best Baton Rouge restaurant hacks. We didn't include fast food (except for Cane's because they started in Baton Rouge) or chain restaurants in this list, because that's not our style.

If you've got any restaurant hacks or know of any secret menu items at local restaurants, let us know in the comments!

Sammy's Grill

This one is Jay's: substitute pickled for fried mushrooms when ordering the Coach's Plate at Sammy's Grill.

The Chimes

The Ale Runner recommends ordering a blackened alligator poboy or a buffalo shrimp poboy at The Chimes.

No better appetizer than blackened gator

A photo posted by BBQ614 (@bbq614) on Apr 29, 2016 at 9:47am PDT

Bistro Byronz

On Instagram, @eatbatonrouge suggested adding the bleu cheese sauce to the debris sandwich at Bistro Byronz.

Beausoleil Restaurant and Bar

According to @gsweathers on Instagram, ordering Beausoleil's truffle fried oyster appetizer on a bun is a recipe for success.

Tio Javi's Fresh Mex Bar & Grill

According to insider sources, Tio Jave (formerly Ninfa's) has a secret third salsa that you can get only if you ask for it by name: the Molcajete.

Atcha Bakery & Cafe

Team Bite and Booze consumes more Atcha per week than anything else. Blair taught us this tip: substitute the rice in any combo plate for extra hummus.

Pluckers Wing Bar

This one was one of my favorites in college! Frachos: order the nachos but sub out the tortilla chips for waffle fries.

Want those boneless wings and lemonade... #pluckers #food #boneless #wings

A photo posted by Pluckers Wing Bar (@pluckerswingbar) on May 25, 2016 at 7:53am PDT

Raising Cane's

There are a number of Cane's hacks, but my favorite is that you can get your toast toasted on BOTH SIDES if you ask for it. Also, unbeknownst to many, they have honey mustard. (Formerly, everyone in the know knew to order the Cane's chicken sandwich with toast instead of buns for a cheaper, two-toast alternative to the three finger combo, but my sources tell me that Cane's caught on and no longer honors this substitution.)

If it can be dipped, it tastes better with #CanesSauce.

A photo posted by Raising Cane's (@raisingcanes) on Apr 11, 2016 at 4:53pm PDT

The Official Bite and Booze Father's Day Gift Guide

by Sydney Blanchard

I've always been a daddy's girl, and I'm not ashamed to admit my dad is my best friend. We have a lot in common, so I generally have an idea about what he likes (beer, History, books, being left the hell alone). But every year around Father's Day I find myself in a rut.

Here are a few gift ideas from local, Louisiana retailers for the dad who's hard to shop for. Because at some point you realize a tie or an LSU baseball cap just won't cut it.

For when Dad needs a new 'do

He won't know what to do with most of this stuff, so have the experts at Mercer explain it.

Get Dad looking right with a haircut, a shave and all the products necessary to keep his look fresh from Mercer Supply Co., located in 1010 Nic.

For when he wants to link up

He wasn't trying to encourage you to become an engineer with that Lego set; he was trying to watch the game in peace.

Snazzy, locally made cufflinks can complete any look. Try these on for size. Lego cufflinks for all the times he stepped on yours growing up by MyOMyFirefly, or how about these Flamingo cufflinks by Mimosa, perfect for Spanish Town Parade festivities.

What better way to rep Baton Rouge's most tasteless Mardi Gras celebration?

For throwing shade with Pops

Now you'll never be able to tell whether he's listening to you or fast asleep in his rocking chair.

Every dad deserves some cool-as-hell shades, and Krewe Du Optic delivers. Better yet, get matching pairs of these CL-10s to up the cool factor.

For spicing up Dad's spice rack

Dads universally get amped about outdoor cooking.

He might not have been the best chef growing up, but he was always happy to throw some meat on the grill. Help him up his grilling game with this flavor-filled gift box from Red Stick Spice Co.

For the patriotic patriarch

The bundle includes a T-shirt, Molasses Mustard, Barbecue Sauce, Dry Rub, and a branded koozie. 

He's as proud to be an American as he is to be your dad, and he's already fantasizing about planning his annual outdoor Fourth of July cookout. Get him all his favorite Jay D's products, bundled, for $35.

For the dad rocking the beer gut

They drink to forget about how much you've disappointed them over the years.

Dads and beer go together like, well, dads and beer. Head to Tin Roof Brewing Company and grab Dad a 6-pack of his favorite local brew.

For all the times he put food on the table

Bolognese, so easy even dads can figure it out.

He changed your poopy diapers and spoon fed you mashed peas. The least you can do is return the favor. Send Dad a healthy, ready-to-cook meal from Indie Plate and get him hooked on local produce.

For the health conscious Dad

Because he can't eat poorly forever.

He's watching his sodium intake, and he thinks you should, too. Hook him up with some Slap Ya Mama Low Sodium Cajun Seasoning, all the flavor he expects without the guilt.

For when he's feeling athletic

Straight up embarrassing your dad at bowling strengthens family bonds.

He may have taught you everything you know, but that doesn't mean you can't school your old man in bowling. Take advantage of this rad Groupon deal for a night of partying and bowling at Quarters for the whole family.

For the future Daddy-Daughter diner road trip

A perfect gift for the plate lunch aficionado.

Does he like to reminisce about all the great plate lunch places he used to frequent back in the day? Take Dad with you on a tour of South Louisiana's best "seat yourself" eateries with Baton Rouge-based author (and my former journalism professor) Alex V. Cook's latest book.

For the neatest guy you know

You can't go wrong gifting a nice bottle of whiskey.

You love him, but the only way you can tolerate him (and his political opinions) is if you're both a little toasted. Donner-Peltier's LA1 is the perfect sipping whiskey for spending some QT with dad.

The Sac-a-Lait NOWFE Wine Dinner: A Sportsman's Paradise

by Blair Loup

Chefs Samantha and Cody Carroll have experienced a whirlwind of success over the past two years. Their first restaurant, Hot Tails in New Roads, Louisiana, is what got them started, but it’s Sac-a-Lait in New Orleans that has people talking.

Not long after the team’s trip to cook at the legendary James Beard House in New York, New Orleans Magazine crowned Sac-a-Lait “Restaurant of the Year” in 2015. It’s the first restaurant to earn that title within the same year of opening.

I feel like I’m constantly Jones-ing for one of their barrel-aged cocktails and anything that comes out of that kitchen window, so I thought making the trip to their New Orleans Wine and Food Experience (NOWFE) dinner sounded like a good idea.

With Chef Bradley Andries at the helm, I knew we were in for a good time. Chef Brad chose to pair each course with some of his favorite Leonardo Locasio selections, and the results were delicious.

Deviled Crab: lump crab meat, yard bird egg

We began the evening with lots of sparkling Rosé. The deviled crab is the snack food you never knew you needed. An empty crab shell holds a lovely amount of jumbo lump crab deviled with yard bird egg and a house-made cracker. The creamy deviled crab combined with the fruity bubbles reminded me of a typical South Louisiana family gathering but taken to the next level.

Alligator & Mirliton paired with Arigolas Costamolino Vermentino, 2015

Alligator & Mirliton: pickled mustard seeds, white remoulade

The Alligator Mirliton is favorite dish at Sac-a-Lait. The sweetness of the alligator and mashed mirliton combined with the kick from white remoulade and pickled mustard seeds set off the floral notes of the wine. One of the diners at my table said it was a flavor explosion like fireworks on the Fourth of July.

Soft Shell paired with Suavia Massifiti, 2012

Soft Shell: blue corn dusted, masque choux, duck egg carbonara

When you’re at Sac-a-Lait, you get Louisiana on a plate. What I love most about the Sac-a-Lait team is that they’re not cooking New Orleans food in New Orleans; it’s harcore prairie/swamp Cajun cuisine. This dish was spicy, a little sweet with a great crunch. Pair that with the minerality and crispiness of the wine, and it’s a win.

Garfish Ravioli paired with Ceretto Rossana Dolvetto D’Alba, 2013

Garfish Ravioli: smoked gar, heirloom sugo

I’ve started to notice more “trash fish” on menus, and it really makes my day. Some of the most delicious fish that are overpopulating our waters and throwing ecosystems out of whack, like Garfish or Lionfish, are finally making their way to our plates. The heirloom sugo with the smoked gar had this funky, almost fennel flavor, which played well with the velvety, almost dusty wine.

Venison Shoulder paired with Mastroberardino Radici Taurasi, 2009

Venison Shoulder: mushroom risotto, thyme & garlic jus

Our entire table agreed this was the best pairing of the night. The earthiness of the mushroom risotto and gaminess of the venison was the perfect hand hold for this wine. Known as the “Barolo of the South,” this wine was decanted for 3 hours and had this volcanic thing going on that set off this savory garlic and thyme jus.

Berry Cobbler paired with Bera Moscato D’Asti, 2014

Berry Cobbler: vanilla ice cream, brown sugar cookie crust

What’s not to love about a warm cobbler topped with homemade ice cream? The sweet, warm berries married well with the peachy bubbles of the Moscato. A hearty South Louisiana end to an amazing meal.

Kickin’ it at Curry-N-Kabab

by Intern Hannah Alkadi

A variety of tasty foods from Curry-N-Kabab

Often with unfamiliar ethnic food, we tend to eat just one dish on the menu and ignore everything else. We’ll slurp pho and only pho at Vietnamese restaurants. We’ll crunch on tacos and only tacos at Mexican places. As for Indian food, we’ll scoop up curry, often forgetting the bountiful treasure lurking on the menu.

Sydney and I didn’t have a single plate of curry at Curry-N-Kabab (or kababs, now that you mention it) — throwing caution to the wind and trying out whatever sample of deliciousness the buffet provided to us.

Curry-N-Kabab has a very passionate following on Yelp, Foursquare, and Facebook. Many loyal customers have been going for years and are enthusiastic guests. Raking the reviews, you can find many recommendations and tips around the menu.

One common source of praise is how flexible the chefs are. Not only do they have a gluten-free buffet, but they offer vegetarian and vegan options by substituting dairy ingredients for coconut milk or oil. And if you want to get really crazy, the staff can spice up ori spice down the food to your liking.

Immediately upon walking in, we were greeted warmly by the waitress and told we could sit wherever we liked. We dove for the table next to the window, obviously, because that’s where the best lighting was at.

The restaurant is small but cozy. The buffet at the left was small but simmering with colorful dishes. The wall decor was humble, with a blessing written in Arabic above the beverages counter. Light poured in from the windows; not so much above. Yet dining in slight darkness wasn’t an issue. Though we were provided the menu, we were told that the buffet gave us the option of unlimited sesame or garlic naan in addition to dessert. It was a deal we couldn’t pass up.

Sydney loaded her plate with nearly everything on the buffet. Allow me to give you a tour around the ring of perfection: mounted majestically on top of the rice is chicken tikka masala, chicken that’s been marinated in spices and creamy yogurt. Sydney also opted for chili and tandoori chickens, but also went to the vegetarian side. There she found delight in panak paneer, a cheese and spinach dish, along with cauliflower in a spicy sauce and a garbanzo bean medley.

As for me, I chose my favorites of the buffet: the tikka masala, tandoori, paneer, and ordering the poori and butter chicken off of the a la carte menu.

Everything was flavorful and creamy; not dripping of sauce or too dry. The meat was tenderly cooked. The breads were baked fresh when they came out, flaking off with ease when we peeled the pieces off. Cleanup was relatively simple: the puddle of sauces on our plates were wiped clean and promptly devoured. Well, except for the butter chicken I ate while finishing this blog post.

Curry-N-Kabab is located on 11904 Coursey Blvd. You can like their page on Facebook to see any upcoming discounts or specials. You can call for a reservation or text your order at 225-372-5002.

Dog Hunt: In Search of the Best Hot Dogs Around pt. 2

by Sydney Blanchard

Hot dog heaven

The saying goes, "if you love something, let it go." I love hot dogs, but to be honest, I can't let them go. I won't let them go.

Continuing my never ending quest to find the best hot dog in Baton Rouge, I recently forced strongly encouraged Team Bite and Booze to venture to Barcadia to try their latest addition to the menu: gourmet hot dogs.

After the disappointment of Frankie's, my expectations were low. I was ready to accept that I'd just need to make the drive to Dat Dog whenever I had a hot dog hankering. But after ordering and trying literally every gourmet dog on Barcadia's menu, I'm happy to report that I was pleasantly surprised with the quality of these dogs.

Da Dog, in all its glory

Da Dog was one of my favorites because of its simplicity: good sausage, great bun, simple toppings. It really lets the ingredients speak for themselves. This smoked crawfish sausage is topped with diced onion, house relish and mustard. Nothing fancy, but it gets the job done.

Hawaiian Dog with jalapeño and cilantro

The Hawaiian Dog is a true blessing to one's tastebuds. You can't go wrong with smoked alligator and pork sausage, and this dog is topped with pineapple salsa, jalapeños, cilantro and Sriracha. There's a lot going on here, and the way the flavors play with each other reminds me a lot of some of Dat Dog's best creations.

Coney Island dog, smothered with chili and cheese

The Coney Island's flavor profile isn't particularly inspiring, but it's a classic: smoked duck and pork sausage topped with house chili, grated cheddar cheese, diced onion, bacon bits and mustard. Let me reiterate how perfect this bun is.

Pizza Dog, because why not?

The Pizza Dog was my least favorite of all the dogs, probably because I'm not the biggest Italian sausage fan. Smothered in marinara, mozzarella, sautéed peppers and onions, I can see this being a crossover favorite among pizza and hot dog lovers (like myself).

Tijuana Dog, with jalapeño and cilantro crema

The Tijuana Dog was definitely my favorite. When it comes to hot dogs, I'm of the opinion that a spicy pork sausage is always the way to go. This one's topped with bacon, grilled jalapeño, salsa and cilantro crema. It's like a taco had a baby with a hot dog and this is the result.

Barcadia's gourmet dogs beat Frankie's by a long shot, but I'm not sure they're quite at Dat Dog level. Perhaps in the future they'll add some crazy sauces or let you build your own, which to me is a huge part of hot dog enjoyment.

Glazed & Confused: Baton Rouge's Donuts, Ranked

by Sydney Blanchard

If Team Bite and Booze loves anything, it's a blind taste testing. At our staff meetings, someone's always pitching a blind taste test idea, like the one we did for Baton Rouge boudin balls and the one we did for pumpkin beers. They're super fun, informative, and the results are always surprising. 

To celebrate National Donut Day, we felt another blind tasting was in order.

An assortment of Baton Rouge donuts, ready to be tasted and ranked.

Research & Hypothesis

We came up with a list of donuts shops around town – some chains, some our favorites and some we'd never heard of before – and ordered plain glazed from each establishment. 

They way we saw it, if you can't pull off a plain glazed, you can't call yourself a donut shop.

Methodology

Blair moderated the tasting, with me, Chuck, interns Drew and Hannah, and Blair's brother Jake acting as the tasters. She brought out bites of donut from each of the 10 shops as well as a plated whole donut, and we were asked to rank the donuts on their appearance, fluffiness, texture and overall taste on a scale of 1 to 5, one being the worst and five being the best.

We then added up our scores in each category (appearance, fluffiness, etc.) and ranked the highest scoring donuts in order of worst to best.

Experiment & Conclusions 

Below you'll find our blind, unbiased conclusions. We found not all plain glazed donuts in Baton Rouge are created equal, but truly, all were tasty. Fried dough covered in sugar is hard to beat.

10. Dunkin' Donuts Overall Score: 63

It came as no surprise to anyone that Dunkin' Donuts ranked low, but I'll admit, I didn't think it would fall dead last. Dunkin' scored relatively high in appearance but low in fluffiness, texture and overall taste. In my notes I wrote "meh" next to this one, which pretty much summed up everyone's feelings.

9. Thee Heavenly Donut Overall Score: 67

Thee Heavenly Donut ranking so close to the bottom breaks my heart! These were the donuts of my childhood, and I was sure they'd come out on top. I don't know whether they had an off-day or if they've changed the recipe since I was a kid, but this was the most hotly debated donut of the day. Jake loved it, Drew and I hated it, and Hannah was on the fence. I wrote "nasty" on my scorecard, and couldn't finish my bite-sized piece.

8. Prince Donuts Overall Score: 69

I'm the one who picked up the Prince Donuts, and while I was super impressed with their spotless, tastefully decorated shop and selection of boba teas, no one was impressed with their plain glazed donuts. The appearance ranked high for me, but the overall taste scored a 2. My notes? "Gross." Really nailing the descriptive phrases lately.

7. Tiger Deaux-nuts Overall Score: 70

Creativity and interesting flavor combos abound at Tiger Deaux-nuts, but their plain glazed donut was a huge (literally, this thing was gigantic) disappointment. I gave its appearance a 5, fluffiness a 3, texture and overall taste a 2. This is another I couldn't bring myself to finish, which is a bummer considering how much I love their specialty donuts.

6. Southern Maid Donuts Overall Score: 71

I'd never heard of this Prairieville donut shop, but Chuck vouched for it. For me, the plain glazed ranked low in appearance but scored a 3 in overall taste; not shabby. A little to sweet for me (and perfectly sweet for Jake), we all agreed this one earned its spot in the middle.

5. Mary Lee Donuts Overall Score: 72

Mary Lee is a Baton Rouge institution. I'm sure this ranking will rustle the feathers of those die-hard Mary Lee Donuts fans, but I wrote "too doughy" on my scorecard, despite the fluffiness of the donut. The overall taste got a 3 from me. They weren't great, but I wouldn't turn down a Mary Lee donut either.

4. Coffee & Dough Overall Score: 76

None of us had ever heard of or been to Coffee & Dough, but this was my highest ranking donut. The appearance was nothing special, but I rated this donut a 5 in fluffiness, texture and overall taste. I might go out of my way to get these again.

3. Krispy Kreme Overall Score: 77

There's a reason Krispy Kreme has become a nationally recognized brand, and it's probably because they've gotten close to perfecting the art of frying bread and covering it in sugar. I'm so ethically and philosophically opposed to supporting chains, but that's where the blind taste test comes in handy. You can't let your biases cloud your taste buds' judgement. For this one, I wrote "too sweet" on my score card, and I gave its overall taste a solid 2. I definitely wouldn't make the drive to North Baton Rouge for these donuts, but they get the job done.

2. Crispy Donuts Overall Score: 81

In my college years, I lived close to Crispy Donuts, and I was obsessed with their kolaches. Little did I know, they're serving up the second-best donuts in Baton Rouge. This little shop located right next to a gas station impressed the tasters: its appearance scored a 5 and overall taste scored a 4. This was the last one we tried, and despite being filled to the brim with fried, sugary goodness, we all managed to enjoy this bite of plain glazed heaven.

1. Mr. Ronnie's Famous Hot Donuts Overall Score: 83

Coming in on top is Mr. Ronnie's! My only note for this one was "perfectly round," but apparently we also found it perfectly delicious. I gave it a 5 in appearance, and 4 in fluffiness, texture and overall taste. We couldn't agree on every donut, but we all agreed Mr. Ronnie's deserved the top spot in our list.

I'm pretty sure this tasting took a good five years off of my life, but count on Team Bite and Booze to ask and answer your toughest food questions.

Do you agree with our ranking? Are there any shops in and around Baton Rouge we missed? Let us know!

The Best of the Bite and Booze Podcast

by Sydney Blanchard

If you're like me, you're always behind in watching your programs. I'm a couple episodes behind in Game of Thrones (shoot me, I know), and I haven't listened to the last few installments of This American Life.

I just never seem to have the time or make the time to watch/listen to my favorite shows as they're airing. But there's no shame in that!

If you consistently miss our Bite and Booze Radio Show on Talk 107.3, no worries! We upload short, condensed clips of the show to Soundcloud every week.

Below you'll find some of our most played shows you might have missed.

Food Network Star and Baton Rouge Eats

Jay and TWILA

Jay and Aquiem Water

Jay at SALT in McAllen

Jay at Bodega in McAllen