Holiday Dining - Brunch with the Grinch

 

Hungry Jr and I discovered Willie's when we started working through our list of trying restaurants that we had not been to in the 225 last year. The pictures they posted on Instagram always looked delicious so we made the leap to try it and were not disappointed. We've been trying to get Momma and Papa Hungry out here for a while, and Brunch with the Grinch finally gave us that opportunity! It was a clever concept, and we enjoyed something a little different than Santa. 

We got there a little before they opened and there was a line already, which we heard is common for brunch and not just with the Grinch. The line moved fairly quickly and it helped that the Grinch was right at the front so you could get a photo op while waiting to see the hostess to be seated. (This may be our virtual holiday card picture this year.)

Hungry Jr wanted an appetizer and surprised everyone when she requested the Cheese Logs. I was positive she was going for the BBQ Frychos (which are a meal in themselves and amazing!) and Momma Hungry really wanted the pork rinds (only served at brunch or happy hour). There were so many good options on the menu, but once you look at these cheese logs, you'll see why they were a solid choice. 

Legit Logs! That marinara is delicious too.

The entrees were the hardest decision. Do we order from the brunch menu? Do we order from the regular menu? Do we do a combo order? SO MANY CHOICES! Momma Hungry opted for a cup of etouffee and the pork rinds (which are served with maple syrup and trust me, it's a combo you didn't know you needed in your life), Hungry Jr got the shrimp kids meal, and Papa Hungry got the Basic B (eggs, bacon, biscuit, and grits). 

I went with a waffle and the spicy chicken biscuit, because you can never have too many carbs at brunch. The chicken biscuit comes topped with white gravy and bacon bits and is served with hash browns. I was a little nervous about there being TOO much gravy (for me that is a thing) but there was a just enough gravy to wet the biscuit a little and provide it some flavor. 

                  

Y'all. I wasn't expecting the thickness of this biscuit, but I'm not upset about it. As you can see, there is some white gravy on the plate, but it wasn't dripping down my arm as I ate. My concern was the gravy overpowering the chicken, but it was just enough to compliment it. *chef's kiss* 

While the chicken biscuit was the star of the show, it's sidekick was delightful as well. The hash browns were not what I was expecting. I'll let them speak for themselves real quick ...

Perfectly cooked mini-french fries! I've officially declared that this is how upscale hash browns should always be cooked from here on out. We overheard other tables make the same comment, about them being mini-french fries not declarations of love and admiration, so it's an accurate description of this friend goodness in a bowl. 

The Hungry fam is already making plans to head back to Willie's and try to the things that didn't make the cut for our brunch selections, and we encourage all of you to follow them on Instagram or check out their website and try to decide before you go so you don't panic order the entire menu. 

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Jed's Local Po'boys

 
Kiddo and I are usually the testers for new restaurants in the city. We had been to Jed's over the summer and both agreed that my folks would love it. To solidify the decision to bring them there, I purchased the 225 Dine deal for Jed's (I'm all about some good deals) which meant we had to go before December 19th.  This is one big story, but please stay to the end to see the bonus thoughts on this place! Or just click here to look at the menu and their hours and go for yourself. 

One thing to note - I'm horrible at checking to see if somewhere is open prior to actually showing up. Kiddo's birthday trip can vouch for that (took her to New Orleans to go to the insectarium and the aquarium, only to found out that all Audubon properties are closed on Mondays...as is most everything else in the city 🤦) Now that you know that about me, let's just say getting my parents to Jed's was a challenge in itself. 

The first time we planned to go, Jed's was closed. Had I checked their Instagram prior to going, I would have seen that they were closed for a few extra days than they had originally planned to be. 

The second time, I blame the governor for. It was right after we went back to our revised Phase 2 of Covid, so their hours had changed and they were not open on Wednesday nights. (Please nobody tell me that they have never been open on Wednesday nights...I'd like to believe that this one isn't my fault!)

The third time was a charm, and I actually double and triple checked that they were going to be open before we went. Success! Even though my mom and I had looked at the menu multiple times that day and were fairly confident we were going to settle on the items we eventually settled on, we debated the entire menu at length. 

Momma Hungry settled on one of the best sellers, the fried shrimp po'boy. It's not something you should go wrong with ordering in Louisiana. The amount of shrimp on the po'boy is what impressed us the most, and is now the standard to compare when ordering shrimp po'boys anywhere else. 

I settled on the pressed meatball po'boy for two reasons. (1) I have a weakness to a good meatball po'boy and (2) it was "cold" outside so I could justify it more in my head because it was a pressed sandwich. I also just love melty cheese. Who am I kidding, meatball po'boys are essentially a great substitute for pizza because you get all the components of a pizza just presented in a different way. 

Papa Hungry got a classic ham and cheese. I feel this was in large part to a bit of order panic and too many options on the menu he wanted and just said the first thing out of his mouth when they asked for his order. Either way, it looks pretty tasty if you like ham (I don't) and are a fan of hot deli sandwiches. 

Kiddo got the kids cheeseburger po'boy, and it's really the best of all worlds. The amazing po'boy bread, an amazing patty of meat with cheese. Also, can we talk about how crinkle cut fries trick your mind into thinking they taste different? Is that just me? 

BONUS THOUGHTS ON JED'S LOCAL PO'BOY'S

As promised, I have some bonus thoughts on why you should check this place out. 

(1) They use Leidenheimer French bread for their po'boys, which is essentially the holy grail of po'boy bread. 

(2) They use Blue Plate mayo, which shows they are in this game to win. If you use anything else, you might as well turn in your Southerner card and move above I-10. 

(3) The smaller po'boy is an 8inch instead of a 6inch. Jed's has discovered the magic length for an adult! A 6inch is too small, but a 12inch is just too much. Especially if you are going to be enjoying the deliciousness of some crinkle cut fries. (Or Zapp's potato chips, or another side of your choice.) 

(4) Most importantly, the people are friendly. We as a Hungry Bunch know that sometimes we are indecisive and ask a lot of questions because we want to make the best choice, not just a good choice. The staff was very patient with all of our questions and even though it was pretty busy, we never went with an empty beverage glass. 

Even if it takes you three times to get there, it's worth the effort! 

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Top 5 Pizza Pies in the 225

 

I've eaten a lot of pizza this year. I went into the year with what my current top 5 pizza places in Baton Rouge were, and it was definitely fun to see that some of the places I thought would definitely stay in the top 5, didn't make that cut once I stepped out of my pizza comfort zone.

In no particular order, my top 5 going into this challenge to eat all the pizza were: 

You may notice that Datz Italian was not on the list of places I ate at this year. That's because their spot in White Star Market (along with the entire market) became no longer earlier this year. There were many times I debated driving out to Walker but their schedule and my schedule never worked out in a way to make that a possibility. 

Fleur de Lis is such an iconic spot in the city, and it was one that going into this year I thought maybe my feelings for it were related more to my memories I made there than the actual pizza itself. It's the main reason I opted to get my pizza to go and eat in my car versus eating in the restaurant. (I tried to make this somewhat scientific)

LIT and Rotolo's are pretty much my go-to spots as they are closest to me and I feel that proximity put them higher up in my feelings than they should have been. 

I love Rocca. Prior to going on this carby, saucy, cheesy adventure, I would have told you that Rocca would definitely be in my top 5 at the end of the year. There is no way that it couldn't be. In my mind prior to this year, it was literally the best pizza in the city. 

My feelings changed. I'm not sure if it was my feelings or just me taking the risk of being more open minded. So, since many of you have asked, in no particular order, here are my new top 5 spots to grab pizza in the city. 

I was shocked that when I looked back over all of the pizza I have eaten this year that my heart knew I couldn't put Rocca back on that list. I'm a mixture of sadness and excitement over this. Will I still go to Rocca for some slices? Absolutely! (Preferably on your dime if you are reading this.) But 3 of these 5 I had never been to prior to this year. 

Fleur de Lis solidified that there is a reason it is consistently ranked one of the top pizza places in the city. It's not because you get nostalgic over the dim lighting and having to remember how to count cash money. The pizza really is just that good. At first I didn't think there was any pepperoni except for the one little one that was cut up across the slices in the middle, but the toppings under the cheese made for a nice surprise. And their sauce is killer. 

Pastime is one that I have not had in probably 10+ years prior to this challenge. I'm going to be honest by saying this is a place that I just don't think about. And when I do think about it, it's never about pizza. That changed this year, as I've realized it really isn't THAT much farther from me than the places I normally go to. The pizza is slightly more of a pan type crust (which I really like) and was loaded down with cheese and super yummy. (Technical terms only here)

And now for the 3 newbies to me that baked their way into my heart ... 

Bistro Italia ... of course I went with friends, which some could say is making me think more fondly of it. It was the final stop, so it's fresh in my mind, some may say. I say, go eat the pizza. It's a little thinner, but a good amount of toppings with an appropriate topping to sauce ratio. And lots of cheese (did I mention that's a plus for me?) I was mentally prepared to be let down by this one because I had built up so much hype surrounding the final spot, but it came through in a big way. 

Isabella's was the place that started the idea of this resolution. Passing by, but never stopping. 225 Dine just happened to put out an offer earlier in the year. Fate is a thing, y'all, and I knew that all of that was fate leading me to this spot. The pizza was good. It was a regular crust (not too thin, not too thick) with an appropriate amount of toppings. A true quality pie that I would like to have over and over. I may have even said, I could have this pie at my wedding. (If that is ever a thing that happens.) 

New York Pizza & Pasta ... the place that I wasn't supposed to end up at that day. There is one place I tried to eat at that refused to serve me (long story that I won't get into now) and it led me to driving to the completely opposite side of the city to here. I'm not an overly big lover of thin crust pizza, but this was delightful. The crust was thin...so thin that it was so light. I planned to bring leftovers home, but wound up eating the whole thing because of it being so light. It had an amazing cheese pull, so it was obviously fresh from the oven, and even with all the cheese (it was a multi-cheese pizza) it still did not feel heavy on my stomach. 

Well friends, this journey has come to an end. Will I eat pizza again any time soon? Absolutely! I'm going to Rotolo's for dinner tonight, actually. There are a few more pizza places slated to open here in the near future, and I cannot wait to dine and tell you all about my thoughts on them!

Stay tuned for what 2021 will be the year of! I've had some great suggestions - burgers, salsa, coffee, pastries/baked goods, pocket foods (dumplings, empanadas, hand pies), and tacos. Some have said to do something non-food related, like local parks or museums. Let me know if you have any suggestions, and we'll see what I pick come New Year's Eve! 

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Final Pizza Destination - Bistro Italia

 

This post is a bittersweet one for me. I've spent almost a week trying to write it, and I'm still at a loss for words on how to sum everything up about this experience. 

Going into the final stop, I knew this was a special moment (for me, not like for the world) in what was a crazy year. I ate at over 30 pizza places in the year 2020, kept my eye on more that will be opening soon in the 225, and have come to appreciate setting a goal that won't crush your soul if you don't complete it. 

I debated for a few weeks about whether to do the final stop on my self-guided Baton Rouge Pizza Tour by myself, or did I want it to be a celebration. Did I want to quietly reflect on this experience, or share it with my people? After I settled on making it a celebration, and sent out invitations...outlook and GroupMe invitations because I felt that it would be a little too over the top to mail actual invitations, but that thought did cross my mind. While not everyone invited showed up (rude...but I get it for most of you) my core crew showed up. 

I also decided to do this during one of the busiest weeks we have had work-wise since we got sent home for the pandemic, so one member showed up late...but that just gave us an excuse to order an appetizer that there is no photographic evidence of. (We were starving!) Just trust me when I tell you to order their focaccia bread. 

Almost everyone decided to order pizza to help celebrate the reason we were all there, so the solidarity warmed my heart and solidified that these are my people. When I ordered my pizza, and asked for the 16 inch, it surprised the waiter because "most people only order the 10 inch for themselves". I had flashbacks to New York when they told me the smallest pizza was a 16 inch at Julianna's and I ate the whole thing while my waiter gave me a look of admiration mixed with disgust. Let's just say, I'm not a quitter when it comes to not having a place to store my leftovers on good pizza. 

However, this time, I was mentally preparing to have lunch for the next couple of days off of this pizza. See, I'm smart! And sometimes I have self control. 

While I had enough self control to not eat the whole pizza in one sitting, I only had leftovers for one day because this pizza was good. I was worried, as I have NEVER been to this place before in my life. Didn't know it existed until I set out on this challenge. And I'm ready to go back...this time for something not pizza related because their chicken parm looked AMAZING. But that's not what you're here for. You're here to see the beauty that ended this crazy journey. 

 It was as delicious as it was beautiful. It was truly one of the best pizzas I've eaten in the 225 this year, and I'm glad I saved a definite top 5 pick for last. I feel like I need to do my top 5 from all of this year in a blind taste test to truly pick what my favorite pizza in Baton Rouge is. 

To the crew who made it out to the final destination, thank you. To those of you who have asked questions about my progress, thank you. Thank you for your non-judgmental attitude towards my love of carby cheesy goodness, and thank you for your belief that I could finish this up, when I felt like I couldn't. 

Some of the best friends anyone could ask for!

Check back next time to see which places made the cut for top 5 in the city! 

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