2023-01-13 04:25:56
LOUISIANA’S TOP TASTES Phenomenal food abounds in Louisiana. This is Cajun/Creole/Southern Country, y’all, and here’s a serving of some of the state’s most iconic dishes! Dive into a bowl of gumbo, a dark rich stew of stock, meat, seafood, celery, peppers and onions – it’s so popular it’s the official state food. But don’t confuse it with étouffée, a rice dish smothered with crawfish or shrimp simmered in a lighter roux, or jambalaya, a seasoned rice studded with chicken and smoked sausage. Po’boys may very well be the unofficial state sandwich, a glorious handful of meat or fried seafood stuffed inside a wedge of French bread featuring a soft center and crispy crust. Created in New Orleans, the popular Superdome-shaped muffuletta sandwich is stuffed with Italian deli meats and cheeses spiked with a tangy olive spread. Although boudin may not seem like a hand-held treat, this sausage of seasoned cooked pork, rice, onions and peppers is often a finger food for the locals. So are crispy cracklins, addictive little bits of pork fat and skin that are deep-fried until golden delicious. When it comes to dessert, you can’t get much more “Louisiana” than bananas foster. Invented in New Orleans and often flambéed and served tableside, the showstopping dish features bananas cooked in butter and sugar, then topped with a warm sauce made with butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, dark rum and banana liqueur. And you can either start or end your day with a plate of pillowy, powdered-sugary, deep-fried beignets, which will turn you against plain donuts forevermore. Trending Tables Louisiana is famous for its century-old restaurants, but we don’t rest on our laurels. There’s always someplace new to discover. In North Louisiana, get back to nature outside and in with a yummy plant-forward menu from Glow Alchemy Kitchen in Shreveport, where Chef Jessica Comegys is taking sustainability and wellness to delicious heights. Trendy taqueria The Pink Agave in Ponchatoula offers an explosion of colors through both the art on its walls and the rainbow of Instagrammable margaritas customers love. Their following has grown so much that they’ve opened a second location in Covington. Swanky Jewel of the South in New Orleans has received multiple awards for its bartender and innovative cocktails, including Esquire’s coveted “Best Bars in America” in 2022. From trending tables to trending … trucks? Main Street Truck Park in Pineville is on a roll as a popular gathering spot for live entertainment and rotating food vendors offering an ever-changing lineup of good eats. For more tasty treats, visit LouisianaTravel.com/Culinary! FISHING FOR A FEAST From pier to plate, you’ll find the tastiest seafood in the Bayou State. Louisiana’s location on the Gulf Coast makes it a prime spot for some of the freshest seafood in the world. Within its 7,700-mile-long shoreline you’ll find waterways teeming with marine life that make the state not just a phenomenal fishing destination, but one of the world’s premier culinary destinations for seafood lovers. You don’t have to look far to see what we mean. North and Central Louisiana’s waters are filled with delectable sac-á-lait, bass, catfish and bluegill, all of which have become the staples of Louisiana soul food. Of course, there’s the Gulf of Mexico itself, which has made Louisiana the nation’s secondlargest seafood supplier. Guess that’s also why we have oh-so-many seafood festivals and world-renowned seafood restaurants for you to enjoy. Here’s where to catch, where to enjoy and how to celebrate the best Louisiana seafood! Score a great catch at LouisianaSeafood.com! TIME FOR A DRINK, YA’ THINK? If the phrase “it’s 5 o’clock somewhere” wasn’t invented here, it should’ve been. Louisianans love to let the good times roll with a delicious libation, from classic brunch cocktails in the morning, to frosty afternoon craft beers on the water, to a one-of-a-kind nightcap in a jazz lounge. Cheers! Toast a New Day It’s said brunch was invented in the French Quarter and it’s now been reinvented at Atchafalaya, tucked inside a Creole cottage in New Orleans’ Irish Channel neighborhood. A lively affair, brunch here features excellent entertainment and cocktails paired with worldly dishes like Tuscan eggs over polenta, zesty Huevos Rancheros and plantain-crusted Gulf fish with Spanish rice. Further north in Alexandria, The Bentley Room is known for its Hangover Burger and Bacon Jalapeno Bloody Marys. Love you some bottomless mimosas? Climb into the Frozen Pirogue in Bossier City. Craft Your Lunch Hour Brewski, barley pop, hop juice … nothing beats an ice-cold beer during the lunch hour. On Tchoupitoulas Street in New Orleans, you’ll find several places to imbibe, including NOLA Brewery, Urban South and Port Orleans Brewing Company. Farm fresh never tasted so good at Istrouma Brewing in St. Gabriel. And don’t be fooled by the name: The Wurst Biergarten in Lafayette is the best. In Shreveport, soak up art, live music, food and craft beers in the taproom, patio or garden at The Seventh Tap Brewing Project. On the other side of the Red River there, sip a hand-crafted cocktail at BeauxJax Crafthouse, just one reason it was named “Bossier’s #1 Overall Restaurant.” Up for a Night Cap? You find the libations and entertainment are fine at Brass Monkey Pub & Patio in Monroe. And the Hayride Scandal in Baton Rouge claims to be a haven of red velvet, white marble and dark secrets. Drink it all in. Distill My Heart Think Louisiana sugarcane is just for iced tea? Not so fast. It also makes some superior rum. At Wildcat Brothers, Acadiana’s first craft rum distillery, you can pick up offerings like Sweet Crude, the rum of the official Lafayette cocktail, The Rouler. But rum isn’t all we do. Yellowfin Distillery in Sulphur is the maker of Yellowfin Vodka, applauded for its rich, clean flavor. At Bayou Terrebonne Distillers in Houma, you’ll hear about the owner’s great grandmother, Lily, a Mardi Gras Queen and moonshiner. Contraband, their Louisiana corn whiskey, is a most-drinkable souvenir. In Baton Rouge, Oxbow Rum Distillery has been raising sugarcane on the banks of an ancient Mississippi River oxbow since 1859. And as you might expect, there are several distilleries in New Orleans. Atelier Vie’s Riz Louisiana Rice Whiskey won the prestigious Double Gold Medal at the 2021 San Francisco World Spirits Competition. Toast a good time at Libations.LouisianaTravel.com!
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Food & Drink
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