The theme of my trip to Baton Rouge, Louisiana was eating and drinking way past the point of normal human capacity. It all started with Fete Rouge, the city’s biggest celebration of food and wine, bringing together local chefs. I also got a chance to visit the area’s beloved restaurants and even a craft brewery, so here are my favorite meals from my weekend in Baton Rouge.
Favorite dishes from the night were classics like barbecue shrimp on rice, seafood bouillabaisse, alligator tacos and the dessert you see above, a chocolate cake with a test tube of caramel for the diner to inject into the cake and on top of it. You’ve got to love the innovation.
It’s hard to get good seafood in Atlanta, so I was excited about gorging myself on it. A stop at Tony’s Seafood Market, one of the largest in the country and home to the original Louisiana Fish Fry, provided me with fried shrimp, catfish and boudin balls, which are sausage casings stuffed with various cuts of meat with rice and seasonings, a Louisiana specialty.
On our final night in Baton Rouge, we went to White Oak Plantation for an event held by Chef John Folse, the original Louisiana chef known worldwide for his expertise in Cajun and Creole flavors. He’s cooked for the Pope and has published countless cookbooks. It was an honor to meet him and get to try signature dishes like jambalaya.
No weekend should end without a pop-up Sunday brunch and this one was organized by Chef Jay Ducote of Bite and Booze, Chef Chris Wadsworth of Restaurant IPO and the folks at Doe’s Eat Place. The six course affair was paired with beers from Tin Roof Brewing Company, incorporating my two favorite things: beer and brunch.
We dabbled in quail with sweet potato pancakes and local honey, classic beignets with an amber beer sauce and many other favorites. While I can rarely eat this much food, I wouldn’t mind another visit to Baton Rouge very soon.
Which dish looks best to you?
My stay, and decadent meals, were organized by Visit Baton Rouge, but all opinions are my own.
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