One week from today, the Red Stick Mobile Farmers Market will begin bringing locally grown, farm-fresh produce to areas in north Baton Rouge lacking access to grocery stores and other outlets for healthy food. City-parish officials are holding a grand opening event at 1 p.m. today to provide details on the new initiative as well as to cooking demonstrations; they'll also hand out food samples, recipes, nutrition cards, and tips for buying fresh produce. The event takes place at Star Hill Baptist Church, 1400 North Foster Dr., which is among the locations at which the mobile market will make stops starting May 22. Each Wednesday, the market will be open from 9 to 11 a.m. at Scotlandville Branch Library, 7373 Scenic Hwy., and will then be at Star Hill Baptist Church from 1 to 3 p.m. Officials hope to increase the number of weekly stops to between six and eight locations this year. The produce offered at the mobile market will come from the same local farmers who participate in the Red...
A camera captured the proud moment two decades ago: Then-Commissioner of Agriculture Bob Odom and a handful of executives from Louisiana's most prominent food manufacturing firms joined forces to launch the “Certified Cajun” logo in hopes of collectively distinguishing authentic Louisiana products on grocery store shelves.
Three weeks since issuing a recall on some of its deli meats and idling its Baker facility, Manda Fine Meats today announced it will begin distributing deli meats again as soon as this weekend. The Baton Rouge-based company says it should be distributing near pre-recall levels "within a few weeks." Manda says it has secured alternative USDA-approved facilities to produce its roast beef, ham, turkey breast, hog head cheese, corned beef, and pastrami products once again. Manda sausage products were not included in the recall issued last month, which came after some cooked roast beef was found to be contaminated with the bacterium known as Listeria monocytogenes. Manda says the continued idling of its Baker facility is expected to result in "minimal decreases in labor hours," adding that the company "will continue to aggressively work toward our goal of employee retention." Manda says an investigation into its Baker facility showed it was "extremely clean," but one of 171 environmental...
Toothbrushes, bread and wine have been the hot sellers at Baton Rouge's first downtown grocery store since it opened last Thursday with little fanfare. While not a full-service grocery store, Downtown Grocery at the corner of Third and Florida streets, is the closest thing to it downtown. As evidence of that, the small grocer had completely run out of bread by Saturday. White bread, wheat bread, hamburger buns—it was all gone, says co-owner Michael Matroodnejad. "It's been a good crowd," Matroodnejad says, "a lot better than expected on the first day."
One of Louisiana's best known and classic food festivals takes place this weekend less than a hour away—the annual Breaux Bridge Crawfish Festival, a event that pulses with Cajun and Zydeco music and features piles of steaming mudbugs and dozens of crawfish dishes.
Toothbrushes, bread and wine have been the hot sellers at Baton Rouge's first downtown grocery store since it opened last Thursday with little fanfare. While not a full-service grocery store, Downtown Grocery at the corner of Third and Florida streets, is the closest thing to it downtown. As evidence of that, the small grocer had completely run out of bread by Saturday. White bread, wheat bread, hamburger buns—it was all gone, says co-owner Michael Matroodnejad. "It's been a good crowd," Matroodnejad says, "a lot better than expected on the first day." Doors opened on Thursday morning for a "soft" opening, but the grand opening and ribbon cutting won't take place until Monday, May 6. In addition to increasing bread supplies, Matroodnejad says he plans to stock more toothbrushes and wine, which have been popular with tourists. DDD Executive Director Davis Rhorer says even though the grocery store is small, it fills a void downtown. The store will stock Louisiana-made items such...
On a warm, clear Thursday morning, the line at Raymond Cutrer's booth at the Red Stick Farmers Market is five customers deep. Cutrer listens intently as one woman shares how she prepared last week's pork chops and asks what cuts of pork and beef he has brought today. There is a lot to choose from: homemade salami, ground beef, soup bones, premium steaks and smoked sausage made with a 100-year-old family recipe. She decides on sausage, salami and more pork chops, telling Cutrer she'll report her culinary results next week.
Call it the $100 million fish fry war. Two Louisiana food giants—Louisiana Fish Fry Products and Bruce Foods Corp.—are fighting it out in federal court over the right to claim they produce the one, true Louisiana fish and chicken fry. Baton Rouge-based Louisiana Fish Fry Products sued Bruce Foods in the summer of 2011, alleging the St. Martinville company best known for its Cajun Injector products infringed upon the trademark of the former when it launched a new line of batter products under the name "The Original Louisiana Fish Fry Mix" and "The Original Louisiana Chicken Fry Mix." Louisiana Fish Fry Products has used the trademark for its seasoned batter mixes for fish, shrimp and chicken since its formation in 1983. The company also claims that Bruce Foods' assertion that its batters are "the original" is false and misleading, since their arrival in grocery stores trailed Louisiana Fish Fry batters by nearly three decades. For its part, Bruce Foods has filed...
The 2013 New Orleans Jazz Fest begins next week, and its terminal fans are busy plotting the stages—and food booths—they plan to visit this year. An enduring culinary favorite among festers is Crawfish Monica, crawfish tails bathed in a spicy cream and wine sauce and served over Rotini.
Capitol Grocery, a nearly 100-year-old food and drink store on Spanish Town Road, is under new ownership and will change its name by the first of June. Taylor Blanche, his brother MacKenzie, and his fiancée, Jenna Mouledoux, bought Capitol Grocery from property owner Hamilton Shaw, who had previously leased the store to Mike Herschman. The trio took over operations April 1. On June 1, Mouledoux and Blanche say the grocery's name will be changed to Spanish Town Market. In addition, Blanche says the store will undergo a sizeable renovation. Some of the upgrades include changes to the produce offerings, and the addition of a full-service restaurant serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. More seats, a seated counter area along the wall and bathrooms are also planned, in addition to a handicap-accessible entrance and exit. Blanche says he'd like to offer additional local choices to the grocery as well as deliver food to customers. Blanche, who started working at Capitol Grocery when he was...
The Drew Rodrigue Foundation will be hosting the fourth annual Bugs & Brew for Drew Crawfish Cook-off and Beer Festival, which will take place at a new location on the banks of the Mississippi River at River City Plaza at Mardi Gras World in New Orleans on April 20, 2013 from 11:00 a.m–5:00 p.m. Featuring a crawfish competition, Louisiana beer garden, local music, and children's entertainment, this family-friendly festival will benefit the Drew Rodrigue Foundation, a local non-profit which celebrates heroes in the face of adversity, in honor of Drew Rodrigue, a local football coach who battled against cancer.
Capitol Grocery, a nearly 100-year-old food and drink store on Spanish Town Road, is under new ownership and will change its name by the first of June. Taylor Blanche, his brother MacKenzie, and his fiancée, Jenna Mouledoux, bought Capitol Grocery from property owner Hamilton Shaw, who had previously leased the store to Mike Herschman. The trio took over operations April 1. On June 1, Mouledoux and Blanche say the grocery's name will be changed to Spanish Town Market. In addition, Blanche says the store will undergo a sizeable renovation. Some of the upgrades include changes to the produce offerings, and the addition of a full-service restaurant serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. More seats, a seated counter area along the wall and bathrooms are also planned, in addition to a handicap-accessible entrance and exit. Blanche says he'd like to offer additional local choices to the grocery as well as deliver food to customers. Blanche, who started working at Capitol Grocery when he was...
Manda Packing Co. has recalled 20,166 pounds of potentially bacteria-tainted cooked roast beef deli meat. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service says the Baton Rouge-based company is recalling the meat because it may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. Food contaminated with the bacterium can cause a serious infection known as listeriosis, an uncommon but potentially fatal disease. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the disease primarily affects older adults, pregnant women, newborns, and adults with weakened immune systems. The possibly tainted products were packed Feb. 27 and shipped for distribution and to retail deli stores in Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas, Florida, Alabama, Oklahoma, Illinois and Tennessee. The recall includes Manda Supreme Roast Beef, Four Star Cajun Roast Beef, Four Star Roast Beef, Cajun Prize Roast Beef, Manda Supreme Natural Roast Beef, Manda Natural Roast Beef, Manda New Orleans Style Roast Beef,...
Armed with plenty of groceries on a recent Sunday, I set aside a couple of hours to cook several dishes that freeze well, including spinach manicotti, kale and black eyed pea vegetable soup and pork piccata. I can't tell you what a relief it's been lately to whip open the freezer door in the afternoon and find those reassuring packages. Busy families don't need to be reminded how unbearably time-pressed weeknights are, but there is hope. All of us can find a block of time a month to cook a handful of dishes and throw them in the freezer. What's more, a growing number of families around the country who still believe in the importance of home cooking are turning the idea of cooking ahead into an opportunity to connect with friends and neighbors. The popular blog sixsisterstuff.com recently discussed neighborhood friends who cooked several batches of their favorite freezable dishes and then gathered to swap. Imagine having a glass...
ConventionSouth wants to know which Southern cities serve up the best food for convention goers, and the industry trade magazine's editors have included Baton Rouge in the pool of 30 finalists across various subregions in the South for voters to consider. The Capital City is within a subregion that comprises Louisiana, Florida, Alabama and Mississippi. It's the sole Louisiana city in the survey, apart from New Orleans, and it's competing with Jacksonville, Miami and Tampa in Florida; Birmingham and Mobile in Alabama; and Jackson, Miss. Those who complete the magazine's survey will choose which city among those listed "provides the best food options for your attendees." Voting will close and the results will be revealed on Friday. Winners will be included in the May issue of the magazine. You can take the complete survey here.
Blue Bell Ice Cream has announced the re-release of a flavor with a nod to Louisiana, Creole Cream Cheese. The ice cream was once widely available throughout the state, but lately has been harder to find. After many requests, Blue Bell created an updated take on the classic flavor available only in Louisiana and the Mississippi Gulf Coast region. For more information, click here.
Alexander's Highland Market, a 37,000-square-foot grocery with café, coffee shop, pharmacy and full-service meat, deli, seafood, floral and bakery departments, is now open at 18111 Highland Rd. For more information about the market and what it offers, check out 225 Dine's coverage here.
On the football field, Charles Alexander was known for slicing and dicing defenses with his stellar running game with the LSU Tigers. In the kitchen, he slices and dices just about everything, and launched his own line of spicy seasoning, dubbed “C'mon Man,” last spring.
Hanley's Foods' Sensation salad dressing is now in a number of Baton Rouge stores, having grown in popularity through online sales and at the Red Stick Farmers Market. The dressing is available at Our Daily Bread, Calandro's Market, Pam's Capitol Corner, Calvin's Bocage Market, Matherne's Supermarket on Bluebonnet Boulevard and many other stores. For a full list of locations, click here.
Spring food festivals are as common as mosquitoes in Louisiana. Not a Saturday goes by when you can't locate a gathering where throngs of happy people are celebrating some aspect of the state's sprawling culinary roster. Gulf seafood, crawfish, suckling pig and more play starring roles at these community events, where thousands gather. Ascension Parish's annual Jambalaya Festival in May is one of the oldest festivals in the state, and it stands out for its staying power, cheery vibe and intractable enthusiasm for a simple, but tricky, dish.
Louisiana Chef Paul Prudhomme made popular the art of blackening meat and fish in his New Orleans restaurant many years ago, and the cooking method caught on worldwide.
It's one of Zeeland Street Market's most popular lunchtime items: pepper seared fresh Gulf tuna sliced and served over a bed of mesclun with avocado and grapefruit sections, blue cheese crumbles and drizzles of raspberry walnut vinaigrette.
April is one of the prettiest months around here, which makes it hard for us to stay indoors—especially on a temperate evening when the skies are clear.
Sometimes the best dishes at a restaurant are off the menu, and you often have to scratch your head wondering why. In the case of Le Creolé, that dish is the crab cake ($14).
Not long ago a friend of mine threw a birthday party at home for her 11-year-old daughter themed on the popular Food Network series, Cupcake Wars. It was a big success. Even for grumpy middle schoolers, cupcakes slice through boundaries and are universally popular, and an element of culinary competition makes them that much more fun.
Chef Celeste Gill will cook up an Irish menu during the Red Stick Farmers Market's Fresh from the Market cooking demonstration. Gill will kick off the St. Paddy's Day-themed event at 10 a.m. Local musician Mel Chavis will also be performing throughout the morning. For more information, visit redstickfarmersmarket.org.
This weekend's ever-growing Wearin' of the Green St. Patrick's Day parade, which snakes through Hundred Oaks, the Garden District and down Perkins Road, is a great excuse for backyard crawfish boils and green beer. But with its morning time slot, what this parade really demands is a decent Bloody Mary.
From anise cookies to rabbit gumbo to championship crawfish étouffée, the range of foods found at Louisiana's spring festivals—this month alone—seems endless. For starters, there's this weekend's Sicilian Heritage Festival in Independence, where you'll find stuffed artichokes, muffulettas and the same sumptuous Italian cookies that drape St. Joseph altars. Next weekend, Amite holds its annual Oyster Festival; the same weekend, you can head to St. Bernard Parish for the Los Isleños Festival celebrated by descendants of Canary Islanders who immigrated to Louisiana in the 18th century. Also on March 16 are the Cassidy Park Wild Game and BBQ Cook-off in Bogalusa, and the Jumbo Gumbo Cook-off in Thibodaux. In time for Easter, the Iowa Rabbit Festival takes place March 23 and 24, with a roster of rabbit-centric dishes from gumbo to sauce piquante. Chalmette holds its annual Louisiana Crawfish Festival and Redfish Series March 21-24, not to be confused with the Breaux Bridge...
The mobile pantry concept caught on in a big way in Scotlandville in the last year, serving thousands of pounds of local fresh fruits and vegetables at often-monthly events at St. Michael's Episcopal Church on Scenic Highway. Now, organizers are formalizing the process, hosting the first orientation and organizational meeting for volunteers next Thursday, March 14, at 6 p.m. at First United Methodist Church downtown. The project, through Together Baton Rouge and the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank, seeks to address food access problems in North Baton Rouge. Organizer Edgar Cage sent an email to volunteers recently noting that, "We have come a long way with our execution of the mobile pantry, from chaos to comfortable." For more information, email Cage here.
As early signs of spring appear, take time to beautify your garden during the growing season. Beginning Saturday, the 11th annual Baton Rouge Spring Garden Show will host vendors showcasing a unique array of flowers and greenery at LSU's Parker Coliseum. Browse dozens of plant varieties and yard, garden and patio fixtures during the two-day event. For more information, contact Amy Blanchard at 578-2222, or visit lsuagcenter.com.
Despite stormy weather and chilly temperatures, more than 500 people turned out for local homebrew club Brasseurs a la Maison's first-ever "Iron Brewer" competition, held last Friday at Tin Roof Brewery. "We were totally overwhelmed by the response," says club founder Blake Winchell. "We weren't even sure that 50 people would show up." The 10 varieties of homebrewed beer on offer, with ingredients ranging from Louisiana peaches to coffee and cayenne, went quickly, with no kegs left untapped at the end of the night. The People's Choice Award went to the Chicory Stout, but the winner of the official "Iron Brewer" title went to the Red Beans and Rice brew, which wowed with savory, smoky flavor. The event, which accepted canned goods in lieu of admission, also raised more than 1,300 pounds of food for the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank, enough to provide 1,090 meals for families in need. The success of the evening has definitely paved the way for future homebrew events, according to...
1½ cup dry quinoa (12 oz package) Rinse unless you purchased the pre-washed. 1-2 bunches of parsley (curly parsley) Cut stems off and put in food. processor to finely chop (can chop by hand if food processor is not accessible) 1-2 bunches of green onions (chopped) 1 cup of chick peas (garbanzo beans) (drained) 1 avocado Chopped broccoli and cauliflower (slightly steamed) 1 red bell pepper 2-3 cucumbers sliced and cut in half Cherry tomatoes (I used one container) Mint (fresh or dried crushed mint) Salt Cayenne pepper Black pepper Lemon juice Olive oil Cavender's Greek Seasoning Garlic powder
A new gourmet grocery store is opening at Highland Road and Perkins Road East next month: Alexander's Highland Market. It joins a few big players who have recently announced plans to move into the Capital Region—such as Trader Joe's, Costco and Rouses. The brainchild of Ascension Parish brothers Reid, Lathan and Ryan Alexander, the market will be stuffed with trendy offerings including organic foods, a coffee bar, full-service deli and bakery, and a pharmacy, all under the roof of the 37,000-square-foot building. An extensive wine and liquor selection and another section packed with Gulf seafood are also expected, as well as a wealth of locally grown produce—a boon to those in the area without easy access to a farmers market. The family also owns Murray's Supermarket in St. Amant, an institution that traces its roots back to 1921. Get more details at the new store's website here; and get more local culinary news in...
Once again, the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank and Together Baton Rouge are holding a mobile pantry in Scotlandville that provides fresh produce to the community this Saturday, February 23, and again on March 16, weather permitting. The concept of the mobile food pantry addresses the dearth of fresh fruits and vegetables in Scotlandville, an area comprised of about 18,000 residents in the northwest corner of the city that has experienced serious decline and disinvestment since the sixties and seventies.
Baton Rouge-based Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers was ranked the No. 1 quick-service restaurant chain in the nation for 2012 by a national food service research firm, the company announced Thursday. According to the Sandelman & Associates Quick-Track study, Cane's scored the top overall honors along with several first-place awards in the chicken-chain category, such as ingredient quality, accuracy of filling orders and convenience of locations. The 2012 awards are based on surveys of more than 110,000 quick-service restaurant customers covering 1.4 million fast-food visits in over 90 U.S. media markets. Consumers are asked to provide feedback on 16 attributes of their dining experience. According to the study, in 2012 fully 63% Raising Cane's customers rated their most recent visit "excellent" overall (rating of "5" on a 5-point scale), the company says.
Students living on campus will now have to find a new place for their "fourth meal" as the Taco Bell in 459 Outtakes will live no más. LSU Dining's contract with the Taco Bell franchise has ended, and Friday was the last day Taco Bell was served in 459 Outtakes. There will now be the Sunset Diner, occupying the same location as the Taco Bell did but with food made on the premises and a focus on breakfast items, burgers and sandwiches. Dean Samuels, marketing director, says LSU Dining began online surveys last November to gauge student food interests and satisfaction with the 459 Commons. Through the research, they were able to determine students were looking for a different dining experience. "The menu concept had been floating around for a while. Once we did the research, it confirmed a lot of our beliefs as to what students wanted," Samuels said. Biochemistry freshman Khizir Qureshi says he eats at the Taco Bell location at least twice a week and was not aware the Taco Bell...
While a full-service supermarket is still a pipe dream for downtown Baton Rouge, a corner grocery store scheduled to open this spring on Third Street and Florida Boulevard will attempt to fill the void with merchandise that will include fresh produce from local farmers. That's a far cry from the tobacco and packaged liquor some feared would be the stock in trade of the Corner Grocery when its owners applied for a liquor permit late last year. However, co-owner Michael Matroodnejad and partner Matuz Abusada—who owns Azteca Mexican Restaurant downtown on Lafayette Street—have been meeting since late December with the DDD on developing a base of merchandise that includes farm-fresh products. "We've been meeting with vendors from the Red Stick Farmers Market and also the Denham Springs Farmers Market and will have products from actual farmers who come from this area," says Matroodnejad, who also owns a small grocery store in Denham Springs. "We will have all your normal...
Configured to resemble flowers in bloom, Strands' homemade cinnamon rolls are a fresh take on a morning favorite. Pastry chefs and cousins Lilita Blanchard and Linelle Mon, who founded the downtown café four years ago, began serving them “to have something of ourselves on the menu,” says Blanchard. The recipe comes from their grandmother and first kitchen mentor. They roll out sheets of homemade dough, coating one side with sugar, cinnamon and fresh butter; then they coil the sheets into tubes and trim each one into links. The links are arranged like mini bouquets, baked until golden and iced with irresistible butter cream. Each roll contains very little sugar and, like all the recipes here, has no preservatives. Strands' “victory ring” is a cluster of 21 cinnamon rolls. The café serves lunch on weekdays, brunch on Saturday and tea by reservation.
The carnival season of Mardi Gras is in full swing, and Valentine's Day is right around the corner. I have easy dishes to help you celebrate both. Whether you are spending a quiet evening in front of the fire or having a festive time at a parade, you can enjoy this chilly month with fabulous food.
For years, Lili Courtney had been making her own marinade-dressings, tangy oil-and-vinegar mixtures she served at home and in her leisure cooking classes at Kitchen Warehouse in Alexandria. But when the facility's director, food entrepreneur Mimi Kirzner, suggested Courtney sell the marinade-dressings on site, it planted an idea she had never considered: to launch her own line of bottled condiments.
In a solid year of rice production, half of the United States' domestically grown crop is exported around the globe. But China isn't among the countries importing it. However, on Friday, the two nations will come closer to terms of becoming rice traders as the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service issues a preliminary report to China on the pests that potentially could get shipped with U.S. rice, says Jim Guinn, vice president of international promotion at USA Rice Federation. But that doesn't mean Louisiana rice will go to Shanghai anytime soon. Guinn says the United States and China have been in negotiations for several years and that a timetable for when—if any—rice will be shipped to the Asian country is hard to determine. "Right now it is illegal to import rice to China," Guinn says. However, Randy Jemison, director of Louisiana Field Services for the Rice Federation in Crowley, says local growers hope to eventually ship their long-grain rice to China,...
There has been more rain in south Louisiana in the past four to six months than there was during the same period in the previous two years, says Tony's Seafood co-owner Bill Pizzolato, and that bodes well for the upcoming crawfish season. "We're anticipating a really good year in the ponds," says Pizzolato, noting that the rain keeps ponds full of fresh water. Supplied by farmers, Tony's Seafood typically offers crawfish for sale this time of year, Pizzolato says. Wild crawfish usually become available later in the spring, when rains flood the Atchafalaya Basin. "And that's when prices get really ripe," he says. While heavy rain such as that seen in recent days can be good for crawfish, LSU AgCenter crawfish researcher Ray McClain says, flooding can dampen crawfish production due to overtopped levees—inviting predatory fish—and submerged vegetation. McClain says additional heavy rainfall in the coming weeks could eventually lead to such flooding and damage the crawfish...
Sushi Yama is a sage choice for serious sushi aficionados in the Capital City, and one of the restaurant's most popular dishes is its plainly named appetizer Atlantic Salmon. “It's a very simple dish, but it's prepared with the best ingredients,” says Oui Wang, Sushi Yama chef and owner. Wang starts with Scottish salmon, which he says imparts firmer texture and brighter color than other varieties. He arranges petals of the sliced fresh fish on a cold plate over a mint leaf, and then drizzles them with the best white truffle oil he can find. He scatters pine nuts and scallion slivers, and finishes the dish in soy-lime sauce. The flavors explode, and the salmon seems to melt. “It has just the right aroma and texture,” Wang says. “Everything comes together and works.”
Pork, cabbage and black-eyed peas—according to Southern tradition, these are the foods you must eat on New Year's Day to start the year off right. But no one says you have to eat these foods in their most basic forms—or that you can't get started on your luck-gathering early. Read the new 225 Dine e-newsletter here for a rundown of some local restaurants and food trucks that will serving up some dishes that just might bring you some luck in 2013.
DDD Executive Director Davis Rhorer was as surprised as anyone when, in the process of doing a television interview Wednesday on new downtown projects, he saw a sign going up for a corner store at Third Street and Florida Boulevard, with an application for a liquor permit pasted to the door. "I checked it out real quick," says Rhorer, who concedes he was initially concerned that the planned establishment would amount to little more than a packaged liquor store. But after talking to the store's owner, Michael Matroodnejad, Rhorer says he is optimistic the store will be more like a New York City¬–style corner store, with a mix of convenience items and groceries. The store will not, however, fill the need for a full-service grocery store, something Rhorer has been trying to bring to downtown for several years. "I am encouraged by what this could mean for downtown," he says. "But we still need a real grocery store." Matroodnejad and his business partner have been invited to address...
Customers of Red Stick Spice Co. may not notice any changes when they go shopping for spice blends, loose teas, infused sea salts, and small portions of freshly ground, exotic spices. But the Jefferson Highway store is under new ownership. Anne Milneck, a professionally trained chef and writer, is taking over as owner of the shop today. She purchased it last week for an undisclosed price from owners Lee and Gloria Easterwood, who opened the store in 2010. The Easterwoods previously told Daily Report they were asking $105,000 for the company's inventory, recipes, branded material, website, and list of nearly 7,000 customer contacts. Milneck grew up in LaPlace and has a culinary arts degree from Nicholls State University. Her husband, Greg Milneck, who owns Digital FX, says she plans to keep the store the same for now but eventually hopes to grow the business,...
Cathy Bryant, 55, had a successful career in the wallpapering business for 30 years before she had her hip replaced. “It was quite a shock to know you can't do it [anymore],” Bryant says. “I was basically unemployed.”
The Chimes is an old friend and a home away from home. It's been there in good times and bad, sickness and health. I've celebrated birthdays, graduations and random Tuesdays within the walls of its famed Highland Road location. It's helped me get over lost loves and revel in new ones. I even met my spouse there. And I would never have survived graduate school without its happy hour.
When it comes to gift-giving, foodies are a tricky bunch. They love all things culinary, but they're quick to rush out and buy the latest gadgets and ingredients on their own. This holiday season, surprise your favorite gourmand with some of these locally focused goods, gifts and nibbles.
Chef Scott Varnedoe got his call to cook in the James Beard House for the first time in May 2010. To the Stroubes chef, the Beard awards are the pinnacle of the culinary world. While cooking in the house is not quite the same as winning one of the top awards, it still holds some exceptional prestige.
When the temperature finally begins to drop around us, our craving for ice cream is quickly replaced by the urge to find just the right hot drink to warm our souls during the typically short winter season. Forget about those watery concoctions mixed with powder packets you’ve found elsewhere. Served in a steamy glass mug, the oversized hot chocolate ($3.75 regular/$4.05 large) at downtown favorite Strands Café is a sweet way to beat the cold.
When she moved to Colorado from Texas, my grandmother was okay with leaving behind the sandblasted prairies and oven heat. But one thing she could never quit was baking. And the thing she baked best was pecan pie.
Ten years ago, entrepreneur Patrick Fellows was looking for the right place to introduce a new restaurant concept—a quick-serve fajita and burrito bar with an emphasis on healthier ingredients. Named Rocket, the restaurant seemed the perfect fit for another pioneering concept, the new Main Street Market in downtown Baton Rouge.
The way to a man's heart is through his stomach, or so the saying goes. “Just make sure you thrust upward through his ribcage,” satirical talk show host Stephen Colbert added recently.
Thanksgiving is truly a lovely holiday and one that seems increasingly overshadowed by the commercialism of Christmas. Don't misunderstand; it's not that we don't love Christmas. It's just that Thanksgiving is about gathering with family and friends to share in a meal and reflect on our many blessings. This act of creating a thoughtful and deliberate meal is, in fact, what the whole concept of Dining In is about. And what better day to dine in but Thanksgiving—the biggest dining-in day of the year.
Red Stick Spice Co, one of the Capital Region's more unique local food retailers, is up for sale, nearly three years after opening its doors at 7970 Jefferson Hwy. Asking price for the company—which sells spices, spice blends, loose teas, sea salts and infused olive oils—is $105,000, and includes the company's inventory, recipes, branded material, website and list of nearly 7,000 customer contacts. "Our initial goal was to stay in south Louisiana and expand the business," says Gloria Easterwood, who opened Red Stick Spice Co. with her husband, Lee Easterwood, in January 2010. "But things didn't work out that way." Lee Easterwood took a job earlier this year with a large credit union in southern California, where the couple lived prior to moving to Baton Rouge, and they decided to relocate there. Gloria Easterwood says business at the company was good and that sales had grown steadily over the past three years. So...
Gary Bauer, owner of Pontchartrain Blue Crab in Slidell, depends on guest workers and says his business can't survive without them. That's because, Bauer says, it's hard to find locals who are willing to do the demanding work, such as standing for hours picking crabmeat or peeling shrimp. Many, if not most, of the seafood processors in Louisiana depend on foreign guest workers to help operate their businesses and meet demand for their products, reports Louisiana Seafood News. Louisiana's crab fishery, oyster fishery, shrimp fishery—and even its alligator farms—rely on those who will travel to and work in the United States by way of an H-2B visa. Each visa is a one-time pass to fill a seasonal job vacancy that cannot be filled by an American worker. A variety of Louisiana industries brought in more than 3,000 H-2B workers in 2011. Though the program has worked well for years, there's growing concern among Louisiana business owners about new regulations established...
In South Louisiana, we defend our hometown teams, our hometown festivals and even our hometown seasonings. The famous Tony Chachere's calls Opelousas home, Slap Ya Mama hails from Ville Platte and Zatarain's (originally from New Orleans) is made across the river in Gretna.
This summer the Greater Baton Rouge Area Food Bank and Together Baton Rouge partnered to launch the Scotlandville Mobile Food Pantry, a roving, volunteer-driven Saturday produce stand in north Baton Rouge.?
While a downtown Baton Rouge grocery store would greatly benefit the 2,200 residents who live in Beauregard and Spanish Town neighborhoods, as well as those who work downtown, DDD Executive Director Davis Rhorer says many people who recently took a DDD grocery store survey say they would prefer it to be locally owned. With developers wanting to bring a grocery store downtown, the DDD last week surveyed 1,181 people and learned that 82% want to see a private store rather than a chain store. Rhorer, who notes 21,638 people live within two minutes of downtown, presented the survey's findings today at the Baton Rouge Press Club. He says last week's announcement of the mixed-use Commerce Building at Laurel and North Third streets bringing 100 more residents to downtown is "huge" for a grocery store. "It invites the private sector to do more," Rhorer says. Among those surveyed, 59% are workers who commute to downtown; 32% say they would buy locally grown food; 48% say they visit their...
A protein found in wheat, barley and rye, gluten can find its way into breads, pastas, cakes, gravies, processed lunch meats, beer and other malt-based drinks, many packaged snack foods, and even medicines and vitamins that use it as a binding agent. In 2004 Heather Feierabend's 4-year-old daughter was underweight and suffering from chronic stomachaches. Her doctor advised eliminating gluten, which quickly helped, so Feierabend decided to make the household completely gluten-free. Her toddler son also seemed to fare better without gluten, a protein that occurs in wheat and other grains, and family solidarity meant the kitchen would be safe from cross-contamination. The lifestyle change could have been a nuisance for Feierabend, an avid cook and food enthusiast. Instead, she took it as a personal challenge. "It was like somebody had double-dog-dared me," Feierabend says. "My family was not going to be deprived, and I was not going to be defeated." Since then, the working mother of two...
Most Baton Rougeans who know the name Wayne Stabiler think of his many successful restaurants—the tasty Le Creole and the successful locations of Italian restaurants The Little Village. But many who know of him have never even heard of his main business—what he refers to half-jokingly as "disaster relief catering." Last month, mere hours after devastating storms left dozens of communities in Ohio, West Virginia and Maryland without power, Stabiler and his crew at Catering Cajun were already on their way to several sites in the hardest-hit areas. With them, they brought food, sleeping trailers, laundry trailers and more—everything you'd need, essentially, to set up a self-contained city for power company workers brought in from surrounding states to fix the problem. Within 24 hours, Catering Cajun was serving up three gourmet meals a day to the exhausted workers, giving them something to look forward to as they worked 16-20 grueling hours in the rising heat to...
Contribute to the fight against cancer by helping the American Cancer Society with its new research study, the Cancer Prevention Study-3. This study will give researchers a better understanding of the genetic, environmental and lifestyle factors that cause or prevent cancer. As a CPS-3 Community Champion, you may either assist with the study's enrollment process and promotional efforts or participate in the study itself, which takes place Sept. 8-15. All follow-up with study participants will be managed by the ACS Epidemiology Program. For more information, contact Demetria Robinson at 767-4558 or demetria.robinson@cancer.org.
In the culinary world, a common adage describes food as equal to art. In Baton Rouge, Grace Emden lives that motto every day. Part artist, part chef and part entrepreneur, Emden provides a refreshing take on what is becoming the new definition of Baton Rouge culture. Her brushstroke on a canvas and her carefully crafted pastries stimulate both the eyes and palate. "As an artist, I naturally fell in love with food," Emden says. Emden began her life in the culinary world as a hostess at the now-closed Blue Fish Grill. The job opened her eyes to the restaurant world, and she fell in love with the atmosphere, in particular the presentation of food on a plate. She spent the next few years serving, bartending and working in kitchens while also exploring her other passions in sculpting and painting. In 2008, while watching the television show Ace of Cakes, Emden found inspiration in the combination of food, sculpture and art. Seeing an opportunity to combine her different passions, Emden...
Combining the efforts of Together Baton Rouge and the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank, a new "mobile pantry" concept has caught on in a big way in Scotlandville. The pantry has served nearly 1,000 people, doling out 41,000 pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables over its first two events. It seeks to solve the problems of food access in north Baton Rouge, which suffers from a lack of full-service grocery stores with fresh produce. The mobile pantry provides residents with free Louisiana fruits and vegetables at St. Michael's Episcopal Church once every two weeks, with the hope of soon increasing the frequency and regularity of the visits. The next events are scheduled to take place this Saturday, Aug. 11 and Aug. 25. To find out how you can contribute or volunteer, e-mail organizer Edgar Cage.
I recently returned from a research trip to Mauthe's Progress Milk Barn in southern Mississippi, currently the only purveyor around consistently making Creole cream cheese. The dish is a tangy, pleasing farmhouse cheese with deep Louisiana roots. Its flavor falls somewhere between sour cream and plain yogurt, but with a consistency like creamy flan. Those who ate it growing up have powerful memories of its silky feel and its ability to be taken in either sweet or savory directions. Many families served with sugar and fresh fruit. Others slapped it on dense bread and topped it with cracked black pepper. Personally, I love it on a sliced, toasted baguette slice with fresh tomato, basil and Kosher salt.
It is 3 p.m. on a weekday afternoon, and the salad you had for lunch is now only a memory. Your stomach growls, reminding you that it's time to refuel, so you head to the office vending machine for a snack.
On a steamy morning in June, Ponchatoula farmer Eric Morrow bags twelve ears of bi-colored sweet corn and four pints of fresh blueberries and hands them to an awaiting customer. The exchange is taking place at the Red Stick Farmers Market's new location, on the grounds of the Pennington Biomedical Research Center, where it holds a market every Thursday with about 25 vendors.
In the culinary world, a common adage describes food as equal to art. In Baton Rouge, Grace Emden lives that motto every day. Part artist, part chef and part entrepreneur, Emden provides a refreshing take on what is becoming the new definition of Baton Rouge culture. Her brushstroke on a canvas and her carefully crafted pastries stimulate both the eyes and palate. "As an artist, I naturally fell in love with food," says Emden. She began her life in the culinary world as a hostess at the now-closed Blue Fish Grill. The job opened her eyes to the restaurant world, and she fell in love with the atmosphere, in particular the presentation of food on a plate. She spent the next few years serving, bartending and working in kitchens while also exploring her other passions, sculpting and painting. Click here to read the rest of this story and the complete 225 Dine e-newsletter.
Whether you have dietary restrictions—due to lactose intolerance or a gluten allergy, for example—or are just looking to eliminate trans fats and added sugar from grocery items you purchase, ShopWell can help. This nifty free app allows you to scan items and will call up red flags based on your preferences so that you don't have to spend time reading the label. And it doesn't merely help you avoid ingredients you don't want; it will also highlight things you do want. Need more protein or calcium in your diet? This app will let you know what to look for and indicate which items scanned will serve you best. You can discover new foods that you might love, generate healthy grocery lists, and much more. The app is available for iPhone. See how it works and download it here; and get more gastronomical news from this week's 225 Dine e-newsletter here.
With a host of new players preparing to enter the Baton Rouge grocery market—including Thibodaux-based Rouses, Costco, an as-yet unnamed gourmet chain and others—established independent neighborhood markets are hoping their brand identity, attention to detail and loyal customer base can carry them through the next big wave of change. "This is a city where independents are strong," says J.H. Campbell, president and CEO of Associated Grocers. There are dozens of emblematic names in the area, including Ralph's Market, Reeves Supermarket, Calandro's, Bet-R-Store, Matherne's, Hi Nabor, Oak Point Fresh Market, LeBlanc's and more. Most have multiple locations throughout the Capital Region. But the presence of Interstate 10, along with a college-age labor force, has historically made Baton Rouge appealing to national chains. In the constant fight for consumer dollars with grocers like Albertsons, Winn-Dixie, Piggly-Wiggly, The Fresh Market and Whole Foods Market, independent...
Independent grocer Calvin Lindsly darts through the tight, neat aisles of his Bocage Village supermarket, pointing out dozens of specialty goods he's ordered over the years in response to requests from customers.
I recently stopped by Calvin's Market at Bocage to interview owner Calvin Lindsly for an upcoming story on independent grocers for the Baton Rouge Business Report. As we stood at the front of the store talking about the supermarket's distinct identity and its staying power in a competitive market, four of five customers in the check out queues were leaving with tubs of Calvin's signature chicken salad.
Baton Rouge patrons ship it to family members overseas. Mothers enhance it for dinner. Party planners scoop it into pastry shells for soirees. LSU sorority girls eat it straight out of the container. Actress Elizabeth Banks even tweeted about it. And certain area restaurants buy it in bulk to serve from their own kitchens.
When the Red Stick Farmers Market was launched in 1996, its goal was to create a personal connection between local farmers and veggie lovers. The Saturday-morning downtown tradition has since expanded to include Thursdays and summer Tuesdays at outlying locations, providing fresh evidence that the “buy fresh, buy local” credo resonates with folks who want to support the area's economy while enjoying food when it's both tastiest and healthiest. 267-5060redstickfarmersmarket.org
A retail development to be built on 15 acres of vacant land at the corner of Airline Highway and Duplessis/Germany Road in Ascension Parish will be anchored by a LeBlanc's Food Store, says Alex Knight of Donnie Jarreau Real Estate. Knight represented Ranmar LLC in its purchase of the 15 acres on Thursday for roughly $3.3 million, or about $221,900 per acre. "Right now it's pretty bare around there for retail, but this will definitely jumpstart retail development in that immediate area," Knight says. Plans are in the preliminary stages for the grocery store and the rest of the retail development; and though no specific timeline has been set, he says, one tentative goal is to have the grocery store open by fall 2013. It will likely measure between 40,000 and 50,000 square feet, Knight says. Headquartered in Gonzales, LeBlanc's Food Store is Associated Grocers of Baton Rouge's largest operators. It will be LeBlanc's ninth store overall and its first new build-out of a store. Three of...
Summer is in full swing now, and if your family is like ours, you may be heading to the beach condo or mountain cabin for a badly needed week of R&R. If you're traveling with a crew or meeting up with friends or relatives, you may have noticed that restaurant dining with a large group—especially if it includes small children—can be a lot less enjoyable than preparing a laid-back meal in the comfort of your vacation digs.
The Latin American supermercado, La Morenita, has a translated placard under its name that reads “meat market,” and sure enough, there is a substantial supply of beef, pork, chicken and fish inside. But ultimately, it's a misleading moniker given the vast amount of tropical produce and other grocery items here, too.
As part of the recent cooking class I taught at Fresina's Pasta Company in Baton Rouge, I incorporated bacon into a dish as my second gluttonous food sin. Bacon is fondly known to me as the candy of all meats. It can be sweet, smokey, spicy, salty, savory, and more. It is great for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert. It pairs with beer, wine, whiskey, vodka, or anything else.
And the winner is … The Louisiana Technology Council, Louisiana Economic Development, Louisiana Business & Technology Center and Business Report announced the winners of the eWards for the Baton Rouge region on Thursday, recognizing the technological achievements of Louisiana's top companies, organizations and individuals. The winners are: Technology Educator of the Year—Dr. James Van Scotter, LSU Master of Science in Analytics Program; Outstanding Leadership in Technology—Charlie D'Agostino, Louisiana Business & Technology Center executive director; "Coop de'Tech" Award—Turner Industries, for CraftTrax Check-in; Technology Product of the Year—Vinformatix, for MedSonic; Best Application of Technology—Harbor Telematics, for Crane Data System. The winners will compete for the Governor's Technology Awards later this summer.
Waiting more than an hour for a table to eat boiled crawfish may seem a little much, but that's exactly what loyal customers will do on busy nights at Sammy's Grill on Highland Road (Map it!). The restaurant and bar, which seems to have been continually expanding in the past decade, started serving crawfish about 15 years ago, and the business has never been better. This spring, the spot that used to be little more than a neighborhood bar with a back patio is serving up nearly two tons of crawfish each night.
The old Calendar's restaurant on Sherwood Forest and Coursey boulevards has received a drastic makeover, reopening last week as restaurant-bar Portico (Map it!). Started by owner-partners Stephen Walker, Kenny O'Neal, Trey Woods and Kyle Edmiston in Monroe in 2006, the concept has proved a hit in both its home city and a location in Ruston, open since 2009. The four partners are hoping Baton Rougeans will also welcome Portico with open arms.
Local lunch spot Uncle O's Café Gumbo and Seafood is set to relocate from its familiar location near the corner of South Harrell's Ferry and Millerville roads, says owner Ouncy Borne. The new Uncle O's will take the space left vacant by departed Brewbacher's Grill at 3410 S. Sherwood Forest Blvd. (Map it!) Hoping to have the new location open by July, Borne says he decided to relocate to avoid traffic congestion and construction in the area, which he says was affecting sales. “Eventually I just got fed up and decided it was time to go,” he says.
Romanian-born LCI graduate Bogdan Mocanu is firing up Baton Rouge's food truck scene with his rolling pizza restaurant, Dolce Vita, a truck custom-built to accommodate a wood-fired pizza oven inside.
Our food critic's name may be false, but the credentials are not. This gastronome has studied the history, cultivation, preparation, science and technology of food for more than 30 years—and makes a delicious Beef Wellington. I've always considered a visit to Latil's Landing at Houmas House Plantation a spectacular treat, and this time was no exception. Named for its original stewards, the Houmas Indians, the plantation comprises several buildings and grounds interspersed with enchanting gardens. Every corner percolates with romance and whispers of intimate liaisons. A man proposing marriage in such a setting would undoubtedly get a “Yes!”
Corn on the cob with basil butter, fresh crudité with homemade hummus, shrimp burgers with lemon aioli: dishes like these spring effortlessly from Louisiana's lush summer bounty. Local farmers markets are at their peak across the state right now, and our Red Stick Farmers Market in Baton Rouge is one of the largest, providing plenty of raw materials for countless warm-weather dishes.
While the national cooking and entertaining magazines are proclaiming that it's finally grilling season, here in sunny south Louisiana, we've been grilling for months. In fact, with our temperate climate, we can enjoy outdoor entertaining year-round.
Bowling for dollars: The United States Bowling Congress Open Championships have been rolling at the Baton Rouge River Center for three months now, and downtown-area restaurants say the influx of bowlers has created a noticeable uptick in business. Mayor Kip Holden credited the national bowling tournament—which began Feb. 11 and runs through July 9—in part for pushing city-parish sales tax collections to a new record in March: $15.5 million. Click here to read the whole story in Daily Report.
Back in the bistro: Galatoire’s Bistro is set to hold an official groundbreaking ceremony signaling the start of the restaurant’s construction on Wednesday, May 30, at the corner of Acadian Thruway at Perkins Road. The venue, set to open this December, will include a restaurant, bar, private...
Mobile farmers market gets ready to roll
One week from today, the Red Stick Mobile Farmers Market will begin bringing locally grown, farm-fresh produce to areas in north Baton Rouge lacking access to grocery stores and other outlets for healthy food. City-parish officials are holding a grand opening event at 1 p.m. today to provide details on the new initiative as well as to cooking demonstrations; they'll also hand out food samples, recipes, nutrition cards, and tips for buying fresh produce. The event takes place at Star Hill Baptist Church, 1400 North Foster Dr., which is among the locations at which the mobile market will make stops starting May 22. Each Wednesday, the market will be open from 9 to 11 a.m. at Scotlandville Branch Library, 7373 Scenic Hwy., and will then be at Star Hill Baptist Church from 1 to 3 p.m. Officials hope to increase the number of weekly stops to between six and eight locations this year. The produce offered at the mobile market will come from the same local farmers who participate in the Red...
Hot and spicy
A camera captured the proud moment two decades ago: Then-Commissioner of Agriculture Bob Odom and a handful of executives from Louisiana's most prominent food manufacturing firms joined forces to launch the “Certified Cajun” logo in hopes of collectively distinguishing authentic Louisiana products on grocery store shelves.
Manda to begin distributing deli meats again
Three weeks since issuing a recall on some of its deli meats and idling its Baker facility, Manda Fine Meats today announced it will begin distributing deli meats again as soon as this weekend. The Baton Rouge-based company says it should be distributing near pre-recall levels "within a few weeks." Manda says it has secured alternative USDA-approved facilities to produce its roast beef, ham, turkey breast, hog head cheese, corned beef, and pastrami products once again. Manda sausage products were not included in the recall issued last month, which came after some cooked roast beef was found to be contaminated with the bacterium known as Listeria monocytogenes. Manda says the continued idling of its Baker facility is expected to result in "minimal decreases in labor hours," adding that the company "will continue to aggressively work toward our goal of employee retention." Manda says an investigation into its Baker facility showed it was "extremely clean," but one of 171 environmental...
Grocery begins filling food void downtown
Toothbrushes, bread and wine have been the hot sellers at Baton Rouge's first downtown grocery store since it opened last Thursday with little fanfare. While not a full-service grocery store, Downtown Grocery at the corner of Third and Florida streets, is the closest thing to it downtown. As evidence of that, the small grocer had completely run out of bread by Saturday. White bread, wheat bread, hamburger buns—it was all gone, says co-owner Michael Matroodnejad. "It's been a good crowd," Matroodnejad says, "a lot better than expected on the first day."
A line and a pole
One of Louisiana's best known and classic food festivals takes place this weekend less than a hour away—the annual Breaux Bridge Crawfish Festival, a event that pulses with Cajun and Zydeco music and features piles of steaming mudbugs and dozens of crawfish dishes.
Downtown Grocery begins filling food void downtown
Toothbrushes, bread and wine have been the hot sellers at Baton Rouge's first downtown grocery store since it opened last Thursday with little fanfare. While not a full-service grocery store, Downtown Grocery at the corner of Third and Florida streets, is the closest thing to it downtown. As evidence of that, the small grocer had completely run out of bread by Saturday. White bread, wheat bread, hamburger buns—it was all gone, says co-owner Michael Matroodnejad. "It's been a good crowd," Matroodnejad says, "a lot better than expected on the first day." Doors opened on Thursday morning for a "soft" opening, but the grand opening and ribbon cutting won't take place until Monday, May 6. In addition to increasing bread supplies, Matroodnejad says he plans to stock more toothbrushes and wine, which have been popular with tourists. DDD Executive Director Davis Rhorer says even though the grocery store is small, it fills a void downtown. The store will stock Louisiana-made items such...
Making groceries
On a warm, clear Thursday morning, the line at Raymond Cutrer's booth at the Red Stick Farmers Market is five customers deep. Cutrer listens intently as one woman shares how she prepared last week's pork chops and asks what cuts of pork and beef he has brought today. There is a lot to choose from: homemade salami, ground beef, soup bones, premium steaks and smoked sausage made with a 100-year-old family recipe. She decides on sausage, salami and more pork chops, telling Cutrer she'll report her culinary results next week.
Grill gadgets
From pizza stones to slider baskets to flexible kabob skewers, there's no shortage of new outdoor equipment that expands the use of the barbecue pit.
Taste the rainbow
This is the time of year when everything at the farmers markets looks delicious—bright greens, ruby reds and all the colors in between.
First, a moment for the snoball…
Since it was born in New Orleans in the 1930s, the snoball has become a summer mainstay in much of Louisiana.
Suit over fish fry hinges on determining true 'original'
Call it the $100 million fish fry war. Two Louisiana food giants—Louisiana Fish Fry Products and Bruce Foods Corp.—are fighting it out in federal court over the right to claim they produce the one, true Louisiana fish and chicken fry. Baton Rouge-based Louisiana Fish Fry Products sued Bruce Foods in the summer of 2011, alleging the St. Martinville company best known for its Cajun Injector products infringed upon the trademark of the former when it launched a new line of batter products under the name "The Original Louisiana Fish Fry Mix" and "The Original Louisiana Chicken Fry Mix." Louisiana Fish Fry Products has used the trademark for its seasoned batter mixes for fish, shrimp and chicken since its formation in 1983. The company also claims that Bruce Foods' assertion that its batters are "the original" is false and misleading, since their arrival in grocery stores trailed Louisiana Fish Fry batters by nearly three decades. For its part, Bruce Foods has filed...
Crawfish Monica's 30th year at Jazz Fest
The 2013 New Orleans Jazz Fest begins next week, and its terminal fans are busy plotting the stages—and food booths—they plan to visit this year. An enduring culinary favorite among festers is Crawfish Monica, crawfish tails bathed in a spicy cream and wine sauce and served over Rotini.
Capitol Grocery sold, to become Spanish Town Market in June
Capitol Grocery, a nearly 100-year-old food and drink store on Spanish Town Road, is under new ownership and will change its name by the first of June. Taylor Blanche, his brother MacKenzie, and his fiancée, Jenna Mouledoux, bought Capitol Grocery from property owner Hamilton Shaw, who had previously leased the store to Mike Herschman. The trio took over operations April 1. On June 1, Mouledoux and Blanche say the grocery's name will be changed to Spanish Town Market. In addition, Blanche says the store will undergo a sizeable renovation. Some of the upgrades include changes to the produce offerings, and the addition of a full-service restaurant serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. More seats, a seated counter area along the wall and bathrooms are also planned, in addition to a handicap-accessible entrance and exit. Blanche says he'd like to offer additional local choices to the grocery as well as deliver food to customers. Blanche, who started working at Capitol Grocery when he was...
Bugs & Brew for Drew Crawfish Cook-off and Beer Festival
The Drew Rodrigue Foundation will be hosting the fourth annual Bugs & Brew for Drew Crawfish Cook-off and Beer Festival, which will take place at a new location on the banks of the Mississippi River at River City Plaza at Mardi Gras World in New Orleans on April 20, 2013 from 11:00 a.m–5:00 p.m. Featuring a crawfish competition, Louisiana beer garden, local music, and children's entertainment, this family-friendly festival will benefit the Drew Rodrigue Foundation, a local non-profit which celebrates heroes in the face of adversity, in honor of Drew Rodrigue, a local football coach who battled against cancer.
Capitol Grocery sold, to be renamed and renovated
Capitol Grocery, a nearly 100-year-old food and drink store on Spanish Town Road, is under new ownership and will change its name by the first of June. Taylor Blanche, his brother MacKenzie, and his fiancée, Jenna Mouledoux, bought Capitol Grocery from property owner Hamilton Shaw, who had previously leased the store to Mike Herschman. The trio took over operations April 1. On June 1, Mouledoux and Blanche say the grocery's name will be changed to Spanish Town Market. In addition, Blanche says the store will undergo a sizeable renovation. Some of the upgrades include changes to the produce offerings, and the addition of a full-service restaurant serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. More seats, a seated counter area along the wall and bathrooms are also planned, in addition to a handicap-accessible entrance and exit. Blanche says he'd like to offer additional local choices to the grocery as well as deliver food to customers. Blanche, who started working at Capitol Grocery when he was...
Manda recalls 10 tons of roast beef
Manda Packing Co. has recalled 20,166 pounds of potentially bacteria-tainted cooked roast beef deli meat. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service says the Baton Rouge-based company is recalling the meat because it may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. Food contaminated with the bacterium can cause a serious infection known as listeriosis, an uncommon but potentially fatal disease. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the disease primarily affects older adults, pregnant women, newborns, and adults with weakened immune systems. The possibly tainted products were packed Feb. 27 and shipped for distribution and to retail deli stores in Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas, Florida, Alabama, Oklahoma, Illinois and Tennessee. The recall includes Manda Supreme Roast Beef, Four Star Cajun Roast Beef, Four Star Roast Beef, Cajun Prize Roast Beef, Manda Supreme Natural Roast Beef, Manda Natural Roast Beef, Manda New Orleans Style Roast Beef,...
The frozen chosen
Armed with plenty of groceries on a recent Sunday, I set aside a couple of hours to cook several dishes that freeze well, including spinach manicotti, kale and black eyed pea vegetable soup and pork piccata. I can't tell you what a relief it's been lately to whip open the freezer door in the afternoon and find those reassuring packages. Busy families don't need to be reminded how unbearably time-pressed weeknights are, but there is hope. All of us can find a block of time a month to cook a handful of dishes and throw them in the freezer. What's more, a growing number of families around the country who still believe in the importance of home cooking are turning the idea of cooking ahead into an opportunity to connect with friends and neighbors. The popular blog sixsisterstuff.com recently discussed neighborhood friends who cooked several batches of their favorite freezable dishes and then gathered to swap. Imagine having a glass...
Baton Rouge up for Foodie City award
ConventionSouth wants to know which Southern cities serve up the best food for convention goers, and the industry trade magazine's editors have included Baton Rouge in the pool of 30 finalists across various subregions in the South for voters to consider. The Capital City is within a subregion that comprises Louisiana, Florida, Alabama and Mississippi. It's the sole Louisiana city in the survey, apart from New Orleans, and it's competing with Jacksonville, Miami and Tampa in Florida; Birmingham and Mobile in Alabama; and Jackson, Miss. Those who complete the magazine's survey will choose which city among those listed "provides the best food options for your attendees." Voting will close and the results will be revealed on Friday. Winners will be included in the May issue of the magazine. You can take the complete survey here.
Blue Bell releases Louisiana-inspired seasonal flavor
Blue Bell Ice Cream has announced the re-release of a flavor with a nod to Louisiana, Creole Cream Cheese. The ice cream was once widely available throughout the state, but lately has been harder to find. After many requests, Blue Bell created an updated take on the classic flavor available only in Louisiana and the Mississippi Gulf Coast region. For more information, click here.
Alexander's Highland Market now open
Alexander's Highland Market, a 37,000-square-foot grocery with café, coffee shop, pharmacy and full-service meat, deli, seafood, floral and bakery departments, is now open at 18111 Highland Rd. For more information about the market and what it offers, check out 225 Dine's coverage here.
Former LSU great expands 'C'mon Man' seasonings line
On the football field, Charles Alexander was known for slicing and dicing defenses with his stellar running game with the LSU Tigers. In the kitchen, he slices and dices just about everything, and launched his own line of spicy seasoning, dubbed “C'mon Man,” last spring.
Hanley's Foods' Sensation salad dressing now in stores
Hanley's Foods' Sensation salad dressing is now in a number of Baton Rouge stores, having grown in popularity through online sales and at the Red Stick Farmers Market. The dressing is available at Our Daily Bread, Calandro's Market, Pam's Capitol Corner, Calvin's Bocage Market, Matherne's Supermarket on Bluebonnet Boulevard and many other stores. For a full list of locations, click here.
Gonzales preps for 45th annual Jambalaya Festival
Spring food festivals are as common as mosquitoes in Louisiana. Not a Saturday goes by when you can't locate a gathering where throngs of happy people are celebrating some aspect of the state's sprawling culinary roster. Gulf seafood, crawfish, suckling pig and more play starring roles at these community events, where thousands gather. Ascension Parish's annual Jambalaya Festival in May is one of the oldest festivals in the state, and it stands out for its staying power, cheery vibe and intractable enthusiasm for a simple, but tricky, dish.
Flavor without a fuss
Louisiana Chef Paul Prudhomme made popular the art of blackening meat and fish in his New Orleans restaurant many years ago, and the cooking method caught on worldwide.
Pepper Seared Fresh Tuna Salad
It's one of Zeeland Street Market's most popular lunchtime items: pepper seared fresh Gulf tuna sliced and served over a bed of mesclun with avocado and grapefruit sections, blue cheese crumbles and drizzles of raspberry walnut vinaigrette.
What's fresh now
Find these at the farmers market this month:
• Mayhaws
• Strawberries
• Celery
• Carrots
• English peas
Dining In: Al fresco dinner
April is one of the prettiest months around here, which makes it hard for us to stay indoors—especially on a temperate evening when the skies are clear.
Off menu but right on target
Sometimes the best dishes at a restaurant are off the menu, and you often have to scratch your head wondering why. In the case of Le Creolé, that dish is the crab cake ($14).
Throw a 'Cupcake War' birthday party
Not long ago a friend of mine threw a birthday party at home for her 11-year-old daughter themed on the popular Food Network series, Cupcake Wars. It was a big success. Even for grumpy middle schoolers, cupcakes slice through boundaries and are universally popular, and an element of culinary competition makes them that much more fun.
Irish-themed recipes at Main Street Market Saturday
Chef Celeste Gill will cook up an Irish menu during the Red Stick Farmers Market's Fresh from the Market cooking demonstration. Gill will kick off the St. Paddy's Day-themed event at 10 a.m. Local musician Mel Chavis will also be performing throughout the morning. For more information, visit redstickfarmersmarket.org.
Wear green; drink red
This weekend's ever-growing Wearin' of the Green St. Patrick's Day parade, which snakes through Hundred Oaks, the Garden District and down Perkins Road, is a great excuse for backyard crawfish boils and green beer. But with its morning time slot, what this parade really demands is a decent Bloody Mary.
'225 Dine': An embarrassment of riches in spring food festivals
From anise cookies to rabbit gumbo to championship crawfish étouffée, the range of foods found at Louisiana's spring festivals—this month alone—seems endless. For starters, there's this weekend's Sicilian Heritage Festival in Independence, where you'll find stuffed artichokes, muffulettas and the same sumptuous Italian cookies that drape St. Joseph altars. Next weekend, Amite holds its annual Oyster Festival; the same weekend, you can head to St. Bernard Parish for the Los Isleños Festival celebrated by descendants of Canary Islanders who immigrated to Louisiana in the 18th century. Also on March 16 are the Cassidy Park Wild Game and BBQ Cook-off in Bogalusa, and the Jumbo Gumbo Cook-off in Thibodaux. In time for Easter, the Iowa Rabbit Festival takes place March 23 and 24, with a roster of rabbit-centric dishes from gumbo to sauce piquante. Chalmette holds its annual Louisiana Crawfish Festival and Redfish Series March 21-24, not to be confused with the Breaux Bridge...
Volunteer with the Scotlandville mobile pantry
The mobile pantry concept caught on in a big way in Scotlandville in the last year, serving thousands of pounds of local fresh fruits and vegetables at often-monthly events at St. Michael's Episcopal Church on Scenic Highway. Now, organizers are formalizing the process, hosting the first orientation and organizational meeting for volunteers next Thursday, March 14, at 6 p.m. at First United Methodist Church downtown. The project, through Together Baton Rouge and the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank, seeks to address food access problems in North Baton Rouge. Organizer Edgar Cage sent an email to volunteers recently noting that, "We have come a long way with our execution of the mobile pantry, from chaos to comfortable." For more information, email Cage here.
Gardener gathering, chili and cars at Parker Coliseum
As early signs of spring appear, take time to beautify your garden during the growing season. Beginning Saturday, the 11th annual Baton Rouge Spring Garden Show will host vendors showcasing a unique array of flowers and greenery at LSU's Parker Coliseum. Browse dozens of plant varieties and yard, garden and patio fixtures during the two-day event. For more information, contact Amy Blanchard at 578-2222, or visit lsuagcenter.com.
'225 Dine': Homebrew competition proves a success
Despite stormy weather and chilly temperatures, more than 500 people turned out for local homebrew club Brasseurs a la Maison's first-ever "Iron Brewer" competition, held last Friday at Tin Roof Brewery. "We were totally overwhelmed by the response," says club founder Blake Winchell. "We weren't even sure that 50 people would show up." The 10 varieties of homebrewed beer on offer, with ingredients ranging from Louisiana peaches to coffee and cayenne, went quickly, with no kegs left untapped at the end of the night. The People's Choice Award went to the Chicory Stout, but the winner of the official "Iron Brewer" title went to the Red Beans and Rice brew, which wowed with savory, smoky flavor. The event, which accepted canned goods in lieu of admission, also raised more than 1,300 pounds of food for the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank, enough to provide 1,090 meals for families in need. The success of the evening has definitely paved the way for future homebrew events, according to...
Charbroiled oysters
Grilled on the half shell with an elixir of butter, cheese and herbs is, hands down, Louisiana's favorite way to prepare an oyster in the modern era.
Super Salad
1½ cup dry quinoa (12 oz package) Rinse unless you purchased the pre-washed.
1-2 bunches of parsley (curly parsley) Cut stems off and put in food. processor to finely chop (can chop by hand if food processor is not accessible)
1-2 bunches of green onions (chopped)
1 cup of chick peas (garbanzo beans) (drained)
1 avocado
Chopped broccoli and cauliflower (slightly steamed)
1 red bell pepper
2-3 cucumbers sliced and cut in half
Cherry tomatoes (I used one container)
Mint (fresh or dried crushed mint)
Salt
Cayenne pepper
Black pepper
Lemon juice
Olive oil
Cavender's Greek Seasoning
Garlic powder
'225 Dine': Alexander's Highland Market to open in March
A new gourmet grocery store is opening at Highland Road and Perkins Road East next month: Alexander's Highland Market. It joins a few big players who have recently announced plans to move into the Capital Region—such as Trader Joe's, Costco and Rouses. The brainchild of Ascension Parish brothers Reid, Lathan and Ryan Alexander, the market will be stuffed with trendy offerings including organic foods, a coffee bar, full-service deli and bakery, and a pharmacy, all under the roof of the 37,000-square-foot building. An extensive wine and liquor selection and another section packed with Gulf seafood are also expected, as well as a wealth of locally grown produce—a boon to those in the area without easy access to a farmers market. The family also owns Murray's Supermarket in St. Amant, an institution that traces its roots back to 1921. Get more details at the new store's website here; and get more local culinary news in...
Have produce, will travel
Once again, the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank and Together Baton Rouge are holding a mobile pantry in Scotlandville that provides fresh produce to the community this Saturday, February 23, and again on March 16, weather permitting. The concept of the mobile food pantry addresses the dearth of fresh fruits and vegetables in Scotlandville, an area comprised of about 18,000 residents in the northwest corner of the city that has experienced serious decline and disinvestment since the sixties and seventies.
Research firm: Raising Cane's No. 1
Baton Rouge-based Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers was ranked the No. 1 quick-service restaurant chain in the nation for 2012 by a national food service research firm, the company announced Thursday. According to the Sandelman & Associates Quick-Track study, Cane's scored the top overall honors along with several first-place awards in the chicken-chain category, such as ingredient quality, accuracy of filling orders and convenience of locations. The 2012 awards are based on surveys of more than 110,000 quick-service restaurant customers covering 1.4 million fast-food visits in over 90 U.S. media markets. Consumers are asked to provide feedback on 16 attributes of their dining experience. According to the study, in 2012 fully 63% Raising Cane's customers rated their most recent visit "excellent" overall (rating of "5" on a 5-point scale), the company says.
Taco Bell 'no más' at LSU 459 Commons
Students living on campus will now have to find a new place for their "fourth meal" as the Taco Bell in 459 Outtakes will live no más. LSU Dining's contract with the Taco Bell franchise has ended, and Friday was the last day Taco Bell was served in 459 Outtakes. There will now be the Sunset Diner, occupying the same location as the Taco Bell did but with food made on the premises and a focus on breakfast items, burgers and sandwiches. Dean Samuels, marketing director, says LSU Dining began online surveys last November to gauge student food interests and satisfaction with the 459 Commons. Through the research, they were able to determine students were looking for a different dining experience. "The menu concept had been floating around for a while. Once we did the research, it confirmed a lot of our beliefs as to what students wanted," Samuels said. Biochemistry freshman Khizir Qureshi says he eats at the Taco Bell location at least twice a week and was not aware the Taco Bell...
New downtown store hopes to stock local produce
While a full-service supermarket is still a pipe dream for downtown Baton Rouge, a corner grocery store scheduled to open this spring on Third Street and Florida Boulevard will attempt to fill the void with merchandise that will include fresh produce from local farmers. That's a far cry from the tobacco and packaged liquor some feared would be the stock in trade of the Corner Grocery when its owners applied for a liquor permit late last year. However, co-owner Michael Matroodnejad and partner Matuz Abusada—who owns Azteca Mexican Restaurant downtown on Lafayette Street—have been meeting since late December with the DDD on developing a base of merchandise that includes farm-fresh products. "We've been meeting with vendors from the Red Stick Farmers Market and also the Denham Springs Farmers Market and will have products from actual farmers who come from this area," says Matroodnejad, who also owns a small grocery store in Denham Springs. "We will have all your normal...
Long Distance: Joshua Kopel
Find out what the former LSU student and bartender/tour guide at Alligator Bayou Bar thinks about B.R. now that he's a California resident.
Homemade cinnamon rolls
Configured to resemble flowers in bloom, Strands' homemade cinnamon rolls are a fresh take on a morning favorite. Pastry chefs and cousins Lilita Blanchard and Linelle Mon, who founded the downtown café four years ago, began serving them “to have something of ourselves on the menu,” says Blanchard. The recipe comes from their grandmother and first kitchen mentor. They roll out sheets of homemade dough, coating one side with sugar, cinnamon and fresh butter; then they coil the sheets into tubes and trim each one into links. The links are arranged like mini bouquets, baked until golden and iced with irresistible butter cream. Each roll contains very little sugar and, like all the recipes here, has no preservatives. Strands' “victory ring” is a cluster of 21 cinnamon rolls. The café serves lunch on weekdays, brunch on Saturday and tea by reservation.
Festive food for February
The carnival season of Mardi Gras is in full swing, and Valentine's Day is right around the corner. I have easy dishes to help you celebrate both. Whether you are spending a quiet evening in front of the fire or having a festive time at a parade, you can enjoy this chilly month with fabulous food.
Pioneering products
For years, Lili Courtney had been making her own marinade-dressings, tangy oil-and-vinegar mixtures she served at home and in her leisure cooking classes at Kitchen Warehouse in Alexandria. But when the facility's director, food entrepreneur Mimi Kirzner, suggested Courtney sell the marinade-dressings on site, it planted an idea she had never considered: to launch her own line of bottled condiments.
Local rice growers hopeful on exports to China
In a solid year of rice production, half of the United States' domestically grown crop is exported around the globe. But China isn't among the countries importing it. However, on Friday, the two nations will come closer to terms of becoming rice traders as the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service issues a preliminary report to China on the pests that potentially could get shipped with U.S. rice, says Jim Guinn, vice president of international promotion at USA Rice Federation. But that doesn't mean Louisiana rice will go to Shanghai anytime soon. Guinn says the United States and China have been in negotiations for several years and that a timetable for when—if any—rice will be shipped to the Asian country is hard to determine. "Right now it is illegal to import rice to China," Guinn says. However, Randy Jemison, director of Louisiana Field Services for the Rice Federation in Crowley, says local growers hope to eventually ship their long-grain rice to China,...
Heavy rains good for farming crawfish, to a point
There has been more rain in south Louisiana in the past four to six months than there was during the same period in the previous two years, says Tony's Seafood co-owner Bill Pizzolato, and that bodes well for the upcoming crawfish season. "We're anticipating a really good year in the ponds," says Pizzolato, noting that the rain keeps ponds full of fresh water. Supplied by farmers, Tony's Seafood typically offers crawfish for sale this time of year, Pizzolato says. Wild crawfish usually become available later in the spring, when rains flood the Atchafalaya Basin. "And that's when prices get really ripe," he says. While heavy rain such as that seen in recent days can be good for crawfish, LSU AgCenter crawfish researcher Ray McClain says, flooding can dampen crawfish production due to overtopped levees—inviting predatory fish—and submerged vegetation. McClain says additional heavy rainfall in the coming weeks could eventually lead to such flooding and damage the crawfish...
Dish: Atlantic Salmon
Sushi Yama is a sage choice for serious sushi aficionados in the Capital City, and one of the restaurant's most popular dishes is its plainly named appetizer Atlantic Salmon. “It's a very simple dish, but it's prepared with the best ingredients,” says Oui Wang, Sushi Yama chef and owner. Wang starts with Scottish salmon, which he says imparts firmer texture and brighter color than other varieties. He arranges petals of the sliced fresh fish on a cold plate over a mint leaf, and then drizzles them with the best white truffle oil he can find. He scatters pine nuts and scallion slivers, and finishes the dish in soy-lime sauce. The flavors explode, and the salmon seems to melt. “It has just the right aroma and texture,” Wang says. “Everything comes together and works.”
'225 Dine': Lucky eats for the New Year
Pork, cabbage and black-eyed peas—according to Southern tradition, these are the foods you must eat on New Year's Day to start the year off right. But no one says you have to eat these foods in their most basic forms—or that you can't get started on your luck-gathering early. Read the new 225 Dine e-newsletter here for a rundown of some local restaurants and food trucks that will serving up some dishes that just might bring you some luck in 2013.
Rhorer: New corner store a good addition to downtown, yet not 'a real grocery store'
DDD Executive Director Davis Rhorer was as surprised as anyone when, in the process of doing a television interview Wednesday on new downtown projects, he saw a sign going up for a corner store at Third Street and Florida Boulevard, with an application for a liquor permit pasted to the door. "I checked it out real quick," says Rhorer, who concedes he was initially concerned that the planned establishment would amount to little more than a packaged liquor store. But after talking to the store's owner, Michael Matroodnejad, Rhorer says he is optimistic the store will be more like a New York City¬–style corner store, with a mix of convenience items and groceries. The store will not, however, fill the need for a full-service grocery store, something Rhorer has been trying to bring to downtown for several years. "I am encouraged by what this could mean for downtown," he says. "But we still need a real grocery store." Matroodnejad and his business partner have been invited to address...
Red Stick Spice Co. under new ownership
Customers of Red Stick Spice Co. may not notice any changes when they go shopping for spice blends, loose teas, infused sea salts, and small portions of freshly ground, exotic spices. But the Jefferson Highway store is under new ownership. Anne Milneck, a professionally trained chef and writer, is taking over as owner of the shop today. She purchased it last week for an undisclosed price from owners Lee and Gloria Easterwood, who opened the store in 2010. The Easterwoods previously told Daily Report they were asking $105,000 for the company's inventory, recipes, branded material, website, and list of nearly 7,000 customer contacts. Milneck grew up in LaPlace and has a culinary arts degree from Nicholls State University. Her husband, Greg Milneck, who owns Digital FX, says she plans to keep the store the same for now but eventually hopes to grow the business,...
Cathy Bryant
Cathy Bryant, 55, had a successful career in the wallpapering business for 30 years before she had her hip replaced. “It was quite a shock to know you can't do it [anymore],” Bryant says. “I was basically unemployed.”
Above board
Troy Deano, chef de cuisine of 18 Steak Restaurant at the new L'Auberge Casino and Hotel, comes by his love of charcuterie honestly.
The Chimes
The Chimes is an old friend and a home away from home. It's been there in good times and bad, sickness and health. I've celebrated birthdays, graduations and random Tuesdays within the walls of its famed Highland Road location. It's helped me get over lost loves and revel in new ones. I even met my spouse there. And I would never have survived graduate school without its happy hour.
Stuffing the Foodie Stocking
When it comes to gift-giving, foodies are a tricky bunch. They love all things culinary, but they're quick to rush out and buy the latest gadgets and ingredients on their own. This holiday season, surprise your favorite gourmand with some of these locally focused goods, gifts and nibbles.
Following his roots
Chef Scott Varnedoe got his call to cook in the James Beard House for the first time in May 2010. To the Stroubes chef, the Beard awards are the pinnacle of the culinary world. While cooking in the house is not quite the same as winning one of the top awards, it still holds some exceptional prestige.
Cold weather indulgence
When the temperature finally begins to drop around us, our craving for ice cream is quickly replaced by the urge to find just the right hot drink to warm our souls during the typically short winter season. Forget about those watery concoctions mixed with powder packets you’ve found elsewhere. Served in a steamy glass mug, the oversized hot chocolate ($3.75 regular/$4.05 large) at downtown favorite Strands Café is a sweet way to beat the cold.
There’s no taste like home
When she moved to Colorado from Texas, my grandmother was okay with leaving behind the sandblasted prairies and oven heat. But one thing she could never quit was baking. And the thing she baked best was pecan pie.
Fresh market, new look
Ten years ago, entrepreneur Patrick Fellows was looking for the right place to introduce a new restaurant concept—a quick-serve fajita and burrito bar with an emphasis on healthier ingredients. Named Rocket, the restaurant seemed the perfect fit for another pioneering concept, the new Main Street Market in downtown Baton Rouge.
Food for thought
The way to a man's heart is through his stomach, or so the saying goes. “Just make sure you thrust upward through his ribcage,” satirical talk show host Stephen Colbert added recently.
A feast for the season
Thanksgiving is truly a lovely holiday and one that seems increasingly overshadowed by the commercialism of Christmas. Don't misunderstand; it's not that we don't love Christmas. It's just that Thanksgiving is about gathering with family and friends to share in a meal and reflect on our many blessings. This act of creating a thoughtful and deliberate meal is, in fact, what the whole concept of Dining In is about. And what better day to dine in but Thanksgiving—the biggest dining-in day of the year.
Owners of Red Stick Spice Co. move, put business up for sale
Red Stick Spice Co, one of the Capital Region's more unique local food retailers, is up for sale, nearly three years after opening its doors at 7970 Jefferson Hwy. Asking price for the company—which sells spices, spice blends, loose teas, sea salts and infused olive oils—is $105,000, and includes the company's inventory, recipes, branded material, website and list of nearly 7,000 customer contacts. "Our initial goal was to stay in south Louisiana and expand the business," says Gloria Easterwood, who opened Red Stick Spice Co. with her husband, Lee Easterwood, in January 2010. "But things didn't work out that way." Lee Easterwood took a job earlier this year with a large credit union in southern California, where the couple lived prior to moving to Baton Rouge, and they decided to relocate there. Gloria Easterwood says business at the company was good and that sales had grown steadily over the past three years. So...
Taking root in restaurants
For Chef Elton Hyndman, Thursday mornings are all about foraging.
Seafood processors say new guest worker rules put businesses in jeopardy
Gary Bauer, owner of Pontchartrain Blue Crab in Slidell, depends on guest workers and says his business can't survive without them. That's because, Bauer says, it's hard to find locals who are willing to do the demanding work, such as standing for hours picking crabmeat or peeling shrimp. Many, if not most, of the seafood processors in Louisiana depend on foreign guest workers to help operate their businesses and meet demand for their products, reports Louisiana Seafood News. Louisiana's crab fishery, oyster fishery, shrimp fishery—and even its alligator farms—rely on those who will travel to and work in the United States by way of an H-2B visa. Each visa is a one-time pass to fill a seasonal job vacancy that cannot be filled by an American worker. A variety of Louisiana industries brought in more than 3,000 H-2B workers in 2011. Though the program has worked well for years, there's growing concern among Louisiana business owners about new regulations established...
The spice is right
In South Louisiana, we defend our hometown teams, our hometown festivals and even our hometown seasonings. The famous Tony Chachere's calls Opelousas home, Slap Ya Mama hails from Ville Platte and Zatarain's (originally from New Orleans) is made across the river in Gretna.
Veggie tales
This summer the Greater Baton Rouge Area Food Bank and Together Baton Rouge partnered to launch the Scotlandville Mobile Food Pantry, a roving, volunteer-driven Saturday produce stand in north Baton Rouge.?
Survey: Locally owned grocery store preferred downtown
While a downtown Baton Rouge grocery store would greatly benefit the 2,200 residents who live in Beauregard and Spanish Town neighborhoods, as well as those who work downtown, DDD Executive Director Davis Rhorer says many people who recently took a DDD grocery store survey say they would prefer it to be locally owned. With developers wanting to bring a grocery store downtown, the DDD last week surveyed 1,181 people and learned that 82% want to see a private store rather than a chain store. Rhorer, who notes 21,638 people live within two minutes of downtown, presented the survey's findings today at the Baton Rouge Press Club. He says last week's announcement of the mixed-use Commerce Building at Laurel and North Third streets bringing 100 more residents to downtown is "huge" for a grocery store. "It invites the private sector to do more," Rhorer says. Among those surveyed, 59% are workers who commute to downtown; 32% say they would buy locally grown food; 48% say they visit their...
'225': Gluten issues lead some on a search for local alternatives
A protein found in wheat, barley and rye, gluten can find its way into breads, pastas, cakes, gravies, processed lunch meats, beer and other malt-based drinks, many packaged snack foods, and even medicines and vitamins that use it as a binding agent. In 2004 Heather Feierabend's 4-year-old daughter was underweight and suffering from chronic stomachaches. Her doctor advised eliminating gluten, which quickly helped, so Feierabend decided to make the household completely gluten-free. Her toddler son also seemed to fare better without gluten, a protein that occurs in wheat and other grains, and family solidarity meant the kitchen would be safe from cross-contamination. The lifestyle change could have been a nuisance for Feierabend, an avid cook and food enthusiast. Instead, she took it as a personal challenge. "It was like somebody had double-dog-dared me," Feierabend says. "My family was not going to be deprived, and I was not going to be defeated." Since then, the working mother of two...
'225 Dine': Serving food in the face of disaster
Most Baton Rougeans who know the name Wayne Stabiler think of his many successful restaurants—the tasty Le Creole and the successful locations of Italian restaurants The Little Village. But many who know of him have never even heard of his main business—what he refers to half-jokingly as "disaster relief catering." Last month, mere hours after devastating storms left dozens of communities in Ohio, West Virginia and Maryland without power, Stabiler and his crew at Catering Cajun were already on their way to several sites in the hardest-hit areas. With them, they brought food, sleeping trailers, laundry trailers and more—everything you'd need, essentially, to set up a self-contained city for power company workers brought in from surrounding states to fix the problem. Within 24 hours, Catering Cajun was serving up three gourmet meals a day to the exhausted workers, giving them something to look forward to as they worked 16-20 grueling hours in the rising heat to...
Meanwhile, Back at Café du Monde ...
When it comes to food and storytelling, Louisiana is in a class by itself, especially when the two are intertwined.
Making it count
Contribute to the fight against cancer by helping the American Cancer Society with its new research study, the Cancer Prevention Study-3. This study will give researchers a better understanding of the genetic, environmental and lifestyle factors that cause or prevent cancer. As a CPS-3 Community Champion, you may either assist with the study's enrollment process and promotional efforts or participate in the study itself, which takes place Sept. 8-15. All follow-up with study participants will be managed by the ACS Epidemiology Program. For more information, contact Demetria Robinson at 767-4558 or demetria.robinson@cancer.org.
Third Street's new wave
'225': B.R. artist creates work on canvas and plates
In the culinary world, a common adage describes food as equal to art. In Baton Rouge, Grace Emden lives that motto every day. Part artist, part chef and part entrepreneur, Emden provides a refreshing take on what is becoming the new definition of Baton Rouge culture. Her brushstroke on a canvas and her carefully crafted pastries stimulate both the eyes and palate. "As an artist, I naturally fell in love with food," Emden says. Emden began her life in the culinary world as a hostess at the now-closed Blue Fish Grill. The job opened her eyes to the restaurant world, and she fell in love with the atmosphere, in particular the presentation of food on a plate. She spent the next few years serving, bartending and working in kitchens while also exploring her other passions in sculpting and painting. In 2008, while watching the television show Ace of Cakes, Emden found inspiration in the combination of food, sculpture and art. Seeing an opportunity to combine her different passions, Emden...
'225 Dine': Mobile pantries delivering to Baton Rouge's food deserts
Combining the efforts of Together Baton Rouge and the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank, a new "mobile pantry" concept has caught on in a big way in Scotlandville. The pantry has served nearly 1,000 people, doling out 41,000 pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables over its first two events. It seeks to solve the problems of food access in north Baton Rouge, which suffers from a lack of full-service grocery stores with fresh produce. The mobile pantry provides residents with free Louisiana fruits and vegetables at St. Michael's Episcopal Church once every two weeks, with the hope of soon increasing the frequency and regularity of the visits. The next events are scheduled to take place this Saturday, Aug. 11 and Aug. 25. To find out how you can contribute or volunteer, e-mail organizer Edgar Cage.
The Curious Case of Creole Cream Cheese
I recently returned from a research trip to Mauthe's Progress Milk Barn in southern Mississippi, currently the only purveyor around consistently making Creole cream cheese. The dish is a tangy, pleasing farmhouse cheese with deep Louisiana roots. Its flavor falls somewhere between sour cream and plain yogurt, but with a consistency like creamy flan. Those who ate it growing up have powerful memories of its silky feel and its ability to be taken in either sweet or savory directions. Many families served with sugar and fresh fruit. Others slapped it on dense bread and topped it with cracked black pepper. Personally, I love it on a sliced, toasted baguette slice with fresh tomato, basil and Kosher salt.
Junking junk food
It is 3 p.m. on a weekday afternoon, and the salad you had for lunch is now only a memory. Your stomach growls, reminding you that it's time to refuel, so you head to the office vending machine for a snack.
Growing local
On a steamy morning in June, Ponchatoula farmer Eric Morrow bags twelve ears of bi-colored sweet corn and four pints of fresh blueberries and hands them to an awaiting customer. The exchange is taking place at the Red Stick Farmers Market's new location, on the grounds of the Pennington Biomedical Research Center, where it holds a market every Thursday with about 25 vendors.
'225 Dine:' A treat for the eyes and the palate
In the culinary world, a common adage describes food as equal to art. In Baton Rouge, Grace Emden lives that motto every day. Part artist, part chef and part entrepreneur, Emden provides a refreshing take on what is becoming the new definition of Baton Rouge culture. Her brushstroke on a canvas and her carefully crafted pastries stimulate both the eyes and palate. "As an artist, I naturally fell in love with food," says Emden. She began her life in the culinary world as a hostess at the now-closed Blue Fish Grill. The job opened her eyes to the restaurant world, and she fell in love with the atmosphere, in particular the presentation of food on a plate. She spent the next few years serving, bartending and working in kitchens while also exploring her other passions, sculpting and painting. Click here to read the rest of this story and the complete 225 Dine e-newsletter.
'225 Dine': App-etite
Whether you have dietary restrictions—due to lactose intolerance or a gluten allergy, for example—or are just looking to eliminate trans fats and added sugar from grocery items you purchase, ShopWell can help. This nifty free app allows you to scan items and will call up red flags based on your preferences so that you don't have to spend time reading the label. And it doesn't merely help you avoid ingredients you don't want; it will also highlight things you do want. Need more protein or calcium in your diet? This app will let you know what to look for and indicate which items scanned will serve you best. You can discover new foods that you might love, generate healthy grocery lists, and much more. The app is available for iPhone. See how it works and download it here; and get more gastronomical news from this week's 225 Dine e-newsletter here.
Independent grocers gear up for the next influx of big competitors in B.R.
With a host of new players preparing to enter the Baton Rouge grocery market—including Thibodaux-based Rouses, Costco, an as-yet unnamed gourmet chain and others—established independent neighborhood markets are hoping their brand identity, attention to detail and loyal customer base can carry them through the next big wave of change. "This is a city where independents are strong," says J.H. Campbell, president and CEO of Associated Grocers. There are dozens of emblematic names in the area, including Ralph's Market, Reeves Supermarket, Calandro's, Bet-R-Store, Matherne's, Hi Nabor, Oak Point Fresh Market, LeBlanc's and more. Most have multiple locations throughout the Capital Region. But the presence of Interstate 10, along with a college-age labor force, has historically made Baton Rouge appealing to national chains. In the constant fight for consumer dollars with grocers like Albertsons, Winn-Dixie, Piggly-Wiggly, The Fresh Market and Whole Foods Market, independent...
Indie Grocers
Independent grocer Calvin Lindsly darts through the tight, neat aisles of his Bocage Village supermarket, pointing out dozens of specialty goods he's ordered over the years in response to requests from customers.
Latte e Miele Gelato
Owner Luca di Martino shares the scoop on his authentic gelato and the upcoming opening of the Jefferson location.
The Chicken Salad Template
I recently stopped by Calvin's Market at Bocage to interview owner Calvin Lindsly for an upcoming story on independent grocers for the Baton Rouge Business Report. As we stood at the front of the store talking about the supermarket's distinct identity and its staying power in a competitive market, four of five customers in the check out queues were leaving with tubs of Calvin's signature chicken salad.
Deli delight
Baton Rouge patrons ship it to family members overseas. Mothers enhance it for dinner. Party planners scoop it into pastry shells for soirees. LSU sorority girls eat it straight out of the container. Actress Elizabeth Banks even tweeted about it. And certain area restaurants buy it in bulk to serve from their own kitchens.
Get your greens
When the Red Stick Farmers Market was launched in 1996, its goal was to create a personal connection between local farmers and veggie lovers. The Saturday-morning downtown tradition has since expanded to include Thursdays and summer Tuesdays at outlying locations, providing fresh evidence that the “buy fresh, buy local” credo resonates with folks who want to support the area's economy while enjoying food when it's both tastiest and healthiest. 267-5060 redstickfarmersmarket.org
LeBlanc's Food Store to anchor development on Airline in Ascension
A retail development to be built on 15 acres of vacant land at the corner of Airline Highway and Duplessis/Germany Road in Ascension Parish will be anchored by a LeBlanc's Food Store, says Alex Knight of Donnie Jarreau Real Estate. Knight represented Ranmar LLC in its purchase of the 15 acres on Thursday for roughly $3.3 million, or about $221,900 per acre. "Right now it's pretty bare around there for retail, but this will definitely jumpstart retail development in that immediate area," Knight says. Plans are in the preliminary stages for the grocery store and the rest of the retail development; and though no specific timeline has been set, he says, one tentative goal is to have the grocery store open by fall 2013. It will likely measure between 40,000 and 50,000 square feet, Knight says. Headquartered in Gonzales, LeBlanc's Food Store is Associated Grocers of Baton Rouge's largest operators. It will be LeBlanc's ninth store overall and its first new build-out of a store. Three of...
Dining In: At the Beach
Summer is in full swing now, and if your family is like ours, you may be heading to the beach condo or mountain cabin for a badly needed week of R&R. If you're traveling with a crew or meeting up with friends or relatives, you may have noticed that restaurant dining with a large group—especially if it includes small children—can be a lot less enjoyable than preparing a laid-back meal in the comfort of your vacation digs.
Avocado deal! Value at ethnic grocers
The Latin American supermercado, La Morenita, has a translated placard under its name that reads “meat market,” and sure enough, there is a substantial supply of beef, pork, chicken and fish inside. But ultimately, it's a misleading moniker given the vast amount of tropical produce and other grocery items here, too.
Three Gluttonous Sins: Bacon
As part of the recent cooking class I taught at Fresina's Pasta Company in Baton Rouge, I incorporated bacon into a dish as my second gluttonous food sin. Bacon is fondly known to me as the candy of all meats. It can be sweet, smokey, spicy, salty, savory, and more. It is great for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert. It pairs with beer, wine, whiskey, vodka, or anything else.
News roundup: B.R. eWards recipients announced … Piccadilly Restaurants expands food service in Memphis … Tony Chachere's rolling out new sandwich sauce line
And the winner is … The Louisiana Technology Council, Louisiana Economic Development, Louisiana Business & Technology Center and Business Report announced the winners of the eWards for the Baton Rouge region on Thursday, recognizing the technological achievements of Louisiana's top companies, organizations and individuals. The winners are: Technology Educator of the Year—Dr. James Van Scotter, LSU Master of Science in Analytics Program; Outstanding Leadership in Technology—Charlie D'Agostino, Louisiana Business & Technology Center executive director; "Coop de'Tech" Award—Turner Industries, for CraftTrax Check-in; Technology Product of the Year—Vinformatix, for MedSonic; Best Application of Technology—Harbor Telematics, for Crane Data System. The winners will compete for the Governor's Technology Awards later this summer.
Bites: Sammy's Grill
Waiting more than an hour for a table to eat boiled crawfish may seem a little much, but that's exactly what loyal customers will do on busy nights at Sammy's Grill on Highland Road (Map it!). The restaurant and bar, which seems to have been continually expanding in the past decade, started serving crawfish about 15 years ago, and the business has never been better. This spring, the spot that used to be little more than a neighborhood bar with a back patio is serving up nearly two tons of crawfish each night.
Portico opens on Coursey
The old Calendar's restaurant on Sherwood Forest and Coursey boulevards has received a drastic makeover, reopening last week as restaurant-bar Portico (Map it!). Started by owner-partners Stephen Walker, Kenny O'Neal, Trey Woods and Kyle Edmiston in Monroe in 2006, the concept has proved a hit in both its home city and a location in Ruston, open since 2009. The four partners are hoping Baton Rougeans will also welcome Portico with open arms.
Uncle O's moving into former Brewbacher's on Sherwood
Local lunch spot Uncle O's Café Gumbo and Seafood is set to relocate from its familiar location near the corner of South Harrell's Ferry and Millerville roads, says owner Ouncy Borne. The new Uncle O's will take the space left vacant by departed Brewbacher's Grill at 3410 S. Sherwood Forest Blvd. (Map it!) Hoping to have the new location open by July, Borne says he decided to relocate to avoid traffic congestion and construction in the area, which he says was affecting sales. “Eventually I just got fed up and decided it was time to go,” he says.
What's New
Romanian-born LCI graduate Bogdan Mocanu is firing up Baton Rouge's food truck scene with his rolling pizza restaurant, Dolce Vita, a truck custom-built to accommodate a wood-fired pizza oven inside.
How to be a road foodie
Latil's Landing at Houmas House Plantation
Our food critic's name may be false, but the credentials are not. This gastronome has studied the history, cultivation, preparation, science and technology of food for more than 30 years—and makes a delicious Beef Wellington.
I've always considered a visit to Latil's Landing at Houmas House Plantation a spectacular treat, and this time was no exception. Named for its original stewards, the Houmas Indians, the plantation comprises several buildings and grounds interspersed with enchanting gardens. Every corner percolates with romance and whispers of intimate liaisons. A man proposing marriage in such a setting would undoubtedly get a “Yes!”
Grape Crush: White Hot Summer
Corn on the cob with basil butter, fresh crudité with homemade hummus, shrimp burgers with lemon aioli: dishes like these spring effortlessly from Louisiana's lush summer bounty. Local farmers markets are at their peak across the state right now, and our Red Stick Farmers Market in Baton Rouge is one of the largest, providing plenty of raw materials for countless warm-weather dishes.
Mixed Grill
While the national cooking and entertaining magazines are proclaiming that it's finally grilling season, here in sunny south Louisiana, we've been grilling for months. In fact, with our temperate climate, we can enjoy outdoor entertaining year-round.
Roundup: Restaurants say USBC championships helping sales ... Galatoire's Bistro to break ground Wednesday
Bowling for dollars: The United States Bowling Congress Open Championships have been rolling at the Baton Rouge River Center for three months now, and downtown-area restaurants say the influx of bowlers has created a noticeable uptick in business. Mayor Kip Holden credited the national bowling tournament—which began Feb. 11 and runs through July 9—in part for pushing city-parish sales tax collections to a new record in March: $15.5 million. Click here to read the whole story in Daily Report.
Back in the bistro: Galatoire’s Bistro is set to hold an official groundbreaking ceremony signaling the start of the restaurant’s construction on Wednesday, May 30, at the corner of Acadian Thruway at Perkins Road. The venue, set to open this December, will include a restaurant, bar, private...