Contents
J U LY 2 0 2 1
Events
Features
11
34 36 38
BABY, YOU’RE A FIREWORK
Fourth fests, live music, intriguing art, and more
6 8
VO LU M E 3 8 // I SS U E 7
REFLECTIONS Growing Our Own by James Fox-Smith
NEWS & NOTEWORTHIES
Thinking beyond spaghetti in Hammond’s downtown district by Jordan LaHaye Fontenot
CHEF LAUREN JOFFRION Establishing an air of elevated eclecticism in Bay St. Louis by Alexandra Kennon
by Lauren Heffker
Who boils the best boudin in the land? by Jason Vowell
43
WETLANDS SAKE
46
Understanding the complicated culinary landscape of the Smoked Meat Capital by Jordan LaHaye Fontenot
Louisiana “Pirogue” rice ushers in a new drinking trend by Alexandra Kennon
4
J U LY 2 1 // C O U N T R Y R O A D S M A G . C O M
Arts & Entertainment Editor
Contributors:
Alexander Cardosi, Samantha Eroche, Ashley Hinson, Paul Kieu, Lucie Monk Carter, Dagan and Valli Soileau (Parish Road Media), Jason Vowell
Cover Artist
My mom always told me that I hold my fork weird. She’d urge me, beg me to practice re-maneuvering my fingers into the “proper” cutlery cradling. And I’d roll my eyes, “Whatever Mom, who cares?” and curl my index finger around the stem, bend my wrist, and shovel dinner into my mouth. Well, as they say, folks: Mom is always right. But if you can get past Country Roads’ Managing Editor’s poor table etiquette, you’ll see the real star of the show: Chef Alex Diaz’s gorgeous peaches and burrata plate. Executive Chef at Cena in Hammond, Chef Diaz wins one of this year’s three Small Town Chefs, along with Chef Lauren Joffrion of the Thorny Oyster in Bay St. Louis, and Chef Paolo Cenni of Paolo’s in Ponchatoula. For the eighth year, Country Roads dedicates its annual Cuisine Issue to showcasing culinary groundbreakers doing great things in small towns across the region. We’ve eaten well in the weeks we’ve spent preparing this issue, tiresome work indeed that we hope will encourage you to venture out beyond our area’s culinarily renowned larger cities into the surrounding enclaves, where delectable things are happening, too. And we can assure you—they are worth the drive.
40
Managing Editor
Jordan LaHaye Fontenot
Lucie Monk Carter
Cover by Lucie Monk Carter
THE KITCHEN CULTURE OF EVANGELINE
Ashley Fox-Smith
Kourtney Zimmerman
The face of traditional Italian cuisine in Ponchatoula
THE CUISINE ISSUE
FEAR & LOATHING ON THE BOUDIN TRAIL
Associate Publisher
Creative Director
CHEF PAOLO CENNI
Culture
James Fox-Smith
Alexandra Kennon
On the Cover
Cuisine
Publisher
CHEF ALEX DIAZ
Escapes
50 54
BONNE TERRE A homestead retreat in the heart of Acadiana by Ashley Hinson
PERSPECTIVES Julie Glass: Halfway Between Eunice and Mamou by James Fox-Smith
Advertising
SALES@COUNTRYROADSMAG.COM
Sales Team
Heather Gammill & Heather Gibbons
Custom Content Coordinator
Lauren Heffker
Advertising Coordinator
Kathryn Kearney
President
Dorcas Woods Brown
Country Roads Magazine 758 Saint Charles Street Baton Rouge, LA 70802 Phone (225) 343-3714 Fax (815) 550-2272 EDITORIAL@COUNTRYROADSMAG.COM WWW.COUNTRYROADSMAG.COM
Subscriptions 20 for 12 months 36 for 24 months
$ $
ISSN #8756-906X
Copyrighted. All rights reserved. No portion of this publication may be reproduced without permission of the publisher. The opinions expressed in Country Roads magazine are those of the authors or columnists and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, nor do they constitute an endorsement of products or services herein. Country Roads magazine retains the right to refuse any advertisement. Country Roads cannot be responsible for delays in subscription deliveries due to U.S. Post Office handling of third-class mail.
