What to do in Lousiana and Texas in november

Im traveling to the south with some friends soon and Id love some tips on what to see while Im there. Im interested in all things related to this site, of course, but Id also like to see country fairs and other nice southern traditions. Fleamarkets would also be nice. And of course Id kill for a food festival!

Ill be traveling between Austin, Shreveport and Dallas, but Id go far for something special. Mayby theres a chili-cookout somewhere? Also please let me know of food joints I shouldnt miss.

Thanks in advance!

Oh, I forgot. Im also a food coloumn writer here in cold, cold Norway, so anything you can think of thats worth a line and some pictures would help. Im thinking on visiting Avery Island and doing a Tabasco article. Also one of my friends that Im traveling with has a grandpa that runs a fishmarket outside Shreveport that Id like to document. Apparently its been there for ages, and hes supposedly a real character. Since I havent been there before Im sorta blank on ideas on stuff to write about, but something always pops up, dont you think?
Let me know if you have something neat I should check out!

What are your dates? Are you in the states over Thanksgiving?
That comes first on the food list. Football and food. Two big traditions.

I'm going to be blunt here. If you are a food writer--or even just unusually interested in food--you simply shouldn't go anywhere near Louisiana and never go to New Orleans unless you have already been there so many times you're jaded (and that's hard for me to imagine). But you say you haven't been to LA so no excuses--none!

Not only is the food in "the Big Easy" extraordinarily delicious, but it's a unique and nearly universally envied food tradition in America, being as it is an extraordinary blend of French, Spanish, Caribbean and black African culinary traditions found nowhere else. If you don't already know the history of this area, I can go on . . .and on . . .and on. I love the place. I can't think of anywhere else in America where it's as difficult to have a bad meal. If you stay away from chains in NO, I'm not sure it's possible to eat badly.

If you go there, the first thing to keep in mind is that this city is the poster child for decadence. The city is, quite literally decaying: moulding, rotting and sinking into the bayous from which it arrose--and has to have pumps at the ready to keep even a modest rainstorm from turning it into part of the nearby Mississippi River. The obvious transience of everything there seems to give people a very Latin determination to enjoy themselves and they allow, even encourage visitors to participate (I am not at all just talking about during the well-known Mardi Gras festival).

This impermanence also seems to mean that folks there just make do, for example continuing to occupy and use buildings that anywhere else in the 1st world would have long since been torn down and replaced. Some of the best restaurants look like dumps. Some people might be afraid to get near them. But the people inside are not only friendly as can be but among the world's best cooks. So in NO, never be afraid to enter a fallen down shack if you've been told the food inside is great.

So where to go? Off the top of my head: Uglesich's is, in my opinion, the ONE place nobody should miss, not only because they make some of the best Cajun-Creole food I've ever eaten but because it's cheap, friendly and may not be around much longer since the owner has told just about everyone within earshot that he plans to retire. There are 4 well-known temples of haut creole food, any one of which would eductate your palate on that food genre and be worth writing about: Arnaud's, Antoine's, Galatoire's and Commander's Palace. Of the 4, Commander's Palace is the most expensive and probably gets the best press, but I personally prefer Galatoire's which seems to be where the old money of NO hangs out and socializes (by US urban standards, none of these places are really all that expensive). Then there are all sorts of newer places, many with famous chefs, like Emeril Legasse, Paul Prudhomme, Susan Spicer and many more. The Brennan family runs several restaurants around town and their eponymous Brennan's is best known as THE place for breakfast or brunch.

Then we get to what might be called "roadfood"--the small, cheap, great places to eat. There are many, many of them serving such delights as red beans and rice, assorted "po boy" and muffaletta sandwiches, and all manner of fantastic seafood (cooked a variety of ways and put into "gumbo" soups and "jambalaya" rice dishes which resemble paellas).

Finally, there are NO riffs on more common American foods like pastas (Irene's Cuisine is an example) but often using local ingredients like Creole tomatoes that give an unusual character to the result.

Like I said, I could go on and on. I'm planning to go back in January myself and, if you're interested, I'll let you know where I want to eat this time as I figure that out.

Drop by the Wurstfest in New Braunsfels,Tx the first two weeks in November. Polka, sausage, beer, potato pancakes, and potato soup. Lots of fun.

Jake, Dallas and Austin have been discussed many many times over the past year on these boards. Use the search function in the top right corner, and plug in those 2 cities indivually. You'll have hours of reading and some suggestions and reviews of all the most well known roadfood stops.

I hope you like chicken fried steak and beef brisket, because those are the 2 musts during your visit.

The places I would classify as "don't miss" for down home Texas eatin' are:

Dallas - the orginal Sonny Bryan's on Inwood
the Mecca coffee shop on Harry Hines Blvd. for Chicken Fried steak
Gennie's Bishop Grill in Oak Cliff
(all of the above close after lunch)

Austin - Threadgill's
Guerro's for a great Tex Mex breakfast (enjoy the funk of S. Congress)
for brisket, head a little out of town to Taylor to Louie Mueller, or to Lockhart to Kreuz Market or Smitty's

WOW! Of all the boards Ive been to, this is by far the best posting ever, BT! Thanks a million. Il be sure to check out the places youve mentioned. As a food writer, I write about recipes and the culture around food, not restaurants. Im not a restaurant critic. The very woord appals me ;)
Please let me know if you think of anything else. Your post is invaluable.
Maynerd, that sounds very fun. Does it have a webpage or is there anywere I can find out more about it? Location, dates etc?
Keep it coming, guys! You are making my trip better with every post!

quote:

Originally posted by Big Jake
As a food writer, I write about recipes and the culture around food,
Keep it coming, guys! You are making my trip better with every post!

OK, here's an example of why the south Louisiana food culture is so interesting (sorry if I'm telling you things you already know). Here's a recipe:

Alligator and Sausage Jambalaya

Serves
4 to 6

Ingredients:
1 pound alligator fillet, cut in small pieces
1 pound smoked or hot sausage, sliced pieces
3 tablespoons oil
2/3 cup chopped bell peppers
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/4 cup chopped celery
2 16 oz. Cans tomatoes
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup chopped green onion
1-1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoons oregano
salt to taste
1/2 teaspoons each red pepper, black pepper, and garlic powder
2 cup uncooked rice

Directions:
In a 4 quart heavy pot, sauté bell pepper, garlic, parsley and celery. Chop tomatoes and reserve liquid. Add tomatoes, tomato liquid, stock, and green onion to pot. Stir in thyme, bay leaves, oregano, salt, red pepper, black pepper, and garlic powder.
Add rice, sausage, and alligator. Cook covered until liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes.
Transfer to a baking dish and bake in oven at 350ºF for 25 minutes. Remove bay leaves and serve.

Thanks to: Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board



First of all, it contains one obvious ingredient I doubt is common in Norway--or anywhere else other than south Louisiana (they might have the meat in Florida, but not the tradition to create the dish). I mean, of course, American alligator meat. But what makes the dish interesting is that the name, "jambalaya" probably derives from the French jambon (ham) with which the dish might originally have been made. But the French settlers--the Acadians involuntarily transferred from French Canada after the English conquest of that country--obviously would have used ingredients they had locally, hence alligator meat (and the rice, grown in local marshes). Otherwise, the dish is pretty much a type of paella--showing also the Spanish influence in the area (Spain ruled it from 1763 to 1800).

Anyway, if you are going to Louisiana, you've got a chance to sample this kind of edible history. I just can't get enough of it myself.

quote:

Originally posted by Big Jake

Also one of my friends that Im traveling with has a grandpa that runs a fishmarket outside Shreveport that Id like to document.

I'm not even going to assume there's a margin of error in what I'm about to say: You must be speaking of DuPont's Fish Market, and you must be travelling with a young woman named Sandy.

Im rubbing my eyesThis is as correct as it can be! Now who are you? Its a small small world...

quote:

Originally posted by Big Jake

Its a small small world...

It may be a small world, but I wouldn't want to paint it. Sandy is an old friend of mine (I bet it comes as no surprise that we met in a bar). My name is David, but she'd call me Fish (or possibly Nobody).

While visiting her family near Ruston, you'll have to have some soul food with me. I'll buy.

Thats crazy...Sandys is telling me to suggest a beer! HAHA, Im on the phone with her now...hehe
Sandy says hi; No body, no crime...hehe ;)
See you in a couple of weeks....wild....

quote:

Originally posted by Big Jake

Thats crazy...Sandys is telling me to suggest a beer!

Beer it is, then. my e-mail is cleveland_fisher@yahoo.com

keep me advised.

WURSTFEST!!!!

You will have a fabulous time and be amongst happy Texans in the beautiful Texas Hill Country enjoying the best of our German and Czech heritage.

http://www.wurstfest.com/

http://www.tourtexas.com/

http://www.state.tx.us/category.jsp?language=eng&categoryId=12.2

Neither one of these has that much on food festivals; there's another site that does, but I'm not finding it tonight.

Here's another one that just has listings for September as of now but will be updated monthly so you can come back to it:

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/travel/2759757

(You may have to register eventually; it's free).

You might be interested in Clifton, the "Norwegian Capitol of Texas." Their Oktoberfest is listed under October events on the first site.

Take a side trip from Austin to Shiner to tour the Spoetzl brewery.

There was a lot of good stuff on this thread:

http://www.roadfood.com/Forums/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=741

If you have any specific food/fun requests around Austin, email me near the time you'll be here, and I'll fix you up.

Have fun. We're proud of our state, and we're all happy to share it with you.

Having being burned by Aida I hestitate to post but Texas hospitality requires that I respond to Big Jake's desire for (1) something special (2)a chili cookoff (3) he would go afar.

The Chili Appreciation Society International will host the legendary Terlingua International Chili Championship in Terlingua culminating November 6th, 2004.

Big Jake; Terlingua is over 450 miles (970km) from Austin but the scenery and the event would be something you would remember forever.

You probably won't see Terlingua or nearby Lajitas on many maps but check for Alpine or Marfa which are about 90 minutes away.

Try http://www.chili.org/terlingua.html

BT left out the Formosan termite, which is intent on eating the structures in New Orleans before we can sample their cuisine!

Natchitoches (where I live) is about 70 miles south of Shreveport on I-49 and is always fun to visit, though there are only three places I'd recommend without reservation. The "fancier" places here are okay; the food gets monotonous at one, though the other is pretty good.
[url='http://www.roadfood.com/forums/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=4419']This[/url] thread has a couple of links; the third is to the state site.

Beer/ One word says it all:Abita!

quote:

Originally posted by Rick F.
Beer/ One word says it all: Abita!

Rick, as I'll probably be lead into some misadventure with Jake (considering he's traveling with one of my oldest friends), I'll do my best to force a couple bottles of Turbo Dog on him!!!

quote:

Originally posted by cleveland66 Rick, as I'll probably be lead into some misadventure with Jake (considering he's traveling with one of my oldest friends), I'll do my best to force a couple bottles of Turbo Dog on him!!!

Do it! Gimme a call if you head this way. I'm in the book.

Be sure to visit the egret rookery near the Tabasco plant. Also, pick up a supply of tabasco chili mash in their company store. It really makes for a good shrimp boil.

If you're looking for unique food items to write about, check out some Louisiana meat market and do an in-depth on making boudin.

Rick, what about those meat pies??

Melrose plantation was a place I enjoyed visiting. I went to some Bonnie and Clyde museum out that way too. You could buy Chiclets and an alligator foot necklace at the cash register.

Maynerd, that sounds very fun. Does it have a webpage or is there anywere I can find out more about it? Location, dates etc?

Here ya go...
http://www.wurstfest.com/

EDIT: the fabulous Lone Star beat me to it. Have fun (you will) if you go!

quote:

Originally posted by Lone Star

I went to some Bonnie and Clyde museum out that way too. You could buy Chiclets and an alligator foot necklace at the cash register.

There's a Bonnie & Clyde museum, historic marker, and a flea market (Bonnie & Clyde Trade Days), about 20 miles from where I live (Ruston, LA)...The flea market, of course, handles pretty standard fair food, but they have a fried chicken/onion/pickle affair that's out of this world. Of course it's served on a stick...

Does anyone have any unique places especialy seafood to eat at in New Orleans than the 13 I received...