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Foodie Finds

A guide to eating and drinking your way through Lake Charles, Louisiana

CultureMap Create
Mar 8, 2019 | 12:00 pm

Food and drink are Louisiana's equivalent to heart and soul. While there are several local staples that cannot be missed — a "Darrell's Special" po' boy, an extra-large seafood platter from Steamboat Bill's on the Lake, and boudin and cracklins' along the Southwest Louisiana Boudin Trail — there are also loads of new local culinary treats worthy of the trip to Lake Charles.

Crying Eagle Brewing Co. is one of the newest additions to the Louisiana Brewery Trail, and it's easy to spend a lazy afternoon hanging out at the taproom. A local favorite is the crisp Louisiana Lager, which pairs perfectly with Cajun seasonings like cayenne, fresh herbs, and The Trinity. Take a tour or just enjoy a few brews, live music, or a stone-fired pizza from The Bistro, located inside the taproom.

While you're sampling the local libations, make sure Yellowfin Vodka and Bayou Rum are on the list. Both are distilled using 100 percent Louisiana sugarcane, and are 100 percent delicious. Take a tour to learn how these craft spirits are made and hear the from-the-ground-up stories of both these businesses while sipping on a few samples.

If you add Acadian Coffee Roasters to your list of stops, you will effectively visit the Southwest Louisiana Brews & Spirits Trail — after all, coffee is a "brew," too. You can get a nice cup of their brew at The Bekery.

There are also several farmers markets to be explored, with a proud community of local producers bringing in fruits, vegetables, meats, honey, jams, and spices.

Pops and Rockets freezes up more than 40 great flavors of gourmet popsicles, all with names inspired by epic '80 tunes, while organic juicers Pure Press Juicery has taken its farmers market popularity and grown into a full culinary experience that can be enjoyed outside of market days and at storefront as well.

Craving Creole? Check out more delicious finds for Creole cooking while in the Lake Charles area here.

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If you're thinking of a spring trip, mark your calendar for the Louisiana Pirate Festival on May 2-5. This family-friendly event features live music, cannon demonstrations, costume contests, local arts and crafts, themed souvenirs, a boat parade, games, carnival rides, and more.

Recover from all that eating at the Golden Nugget's pool.

Golden Nugget pool in Lake Charles, Louisiana
Photo courtesy of the Golden Nugget
Recover from all that eating at the Golden Nugget's pool.
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Movie review

The Good Nurse flatlines as a great serial killer movie despite Oscar-winning stars

Alex Bentley
Oct 26, 2022 | 3:10 pm
The Good Nurse flatlines as a great serial killer movie despite Oscar-winning stars
Photo by JoJo Whilden / Netflix

Eddie Redmayne and Jessica Chastain in The Good Nurse

It could be argued that American audiences and content makers have an uncomfortable obsession with serial killers. That fixation has only grown through years with the proliferation of true crime podcasts and streaming shows, each of which has returned to mass murderers repeatedly. A relatively recent killer with an unusual method is showcased in the new Netflix film, The Good Nurse.

But anyone expected a dark and gritty film may be disappointed, as the film shifts focus from the killer, Charlie Cullen (Eddie Redmayne), to one of his co-workers, Amy Loughren (Jessica Chastain). A nurse at Parkfield Memorial Hospital in New Jersey in 2003, she becomes quick friends with Charlie after he starts there as a night nurse.

Their bond, one which becomes tighter after Charlie helps hide the fact that Amy has a debilitating heart condition, keeps her from understanding that Charlie is killing patients, poisoning them by injecting insulin into random IV bags in the hospital’s storage room. It’s only when an internal hospital investigation triggers a police inquiry led by detectives Tim Braun (Noah Emmerich) and Danny Baldwin (Nnamdi Asomugha) that Amy starts to have her doubts.

Directed by Tobias Lindholm and written by Kristy Wilson-Cairns, the film is well done, but never achieves the gravitas that would transform it into something great. Part of this is because the filmmakers never show Charlie as having any outward signs of being evil. He has a bland niceness about him that conceals his lurid impulses; that’s an effective way of showing that you can never know what’s happening in another person’s mind, but an ineffective way of building drama in a film.

The telegraphed nature of Amy and Charlie’s friendship takes on the feel of a slightly higher-class Lifetime movie, one that doesn’t quite fit the expectations brought by two Oscar winners in the lead roles. What ends up being more compelling is the hospital administrators, led by Linda Garran (Kim Dickens), covering up Charlie’s crimes for unknown reasons, and the doggedness of the two detectives trying to discover what exactly is happening.

On another note that’s admittedly a minor quibble, the film’s title does the story no favors. Using The Good… as the start of a title is a vastly overused crutch. Recent examples on both TV and in movies have included The Good Doctor, The Good Fight, The Good Wife, The Good Place, The Good Boss, and The Good House. Sometimes a film can overcome the plainness of such a title, but The Good Nurse is hampered by it.

Chastain and Redmayne each give respectable performances, but they’re nowhere near the award-worthy ones they’ve put on in the past. The most notable actor in the film winds up being Asomugha, a former NFL player who’s been inching into the entertainment industry over the past decade. He’s flat-out great in this role and could use it as a springboard to bigger and better parts.

The Good Nurse has its fair share of interesting moments and accomplished actors to bring them to life, but it falls short of being a must-watch. It’s a serial killer movie that mostly omits the killing, taking most of its reason for being with it.

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The Good Nurse is now streaming on Netflix.

Eddie Redmayne and Jessica Chastain in The Good Nurse

Photo by JoJo Whilden / Netflix

Eddie Redmayne and Jessica Chastain in The Good Nurse

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NEWS YOU CAN EAT

8 things to know in San Antonio food right now: Neighborhood bar wiggles back to Broadway

Brandon Watson
Oct 26, 2022 | 11:29 am
The Pigpen Neighborhood Bar has reopened after a prolonged hiatus
The Pigpen Neighborhood Bar/ Facebook
The Pigpen Neighborhood Bar has reopened after a prolonged hiatus.

Editor’s note: We get it. It can be difficult to keep up with the fast pace of San Antonio’s restaurant and bar scene. We have you covered with our regular roundup of essential food news.

Openings and closings

The Pigpen Neighborhood Bar is wiggling its way out of a lengthy Covid closure. The Broadway mainstay took to Facebook on October 24 to announce it had ended its two-year hiatus. The family friendly destination has been on hold since June 2020, when Governor Greg Abbott closed Texas bars a second time in response to the pandemic. Although the post did not elaborate on the prolonged absence, it revealed that it would serve the same menu as before.

Southerleigh Fine Food & Brewery also reemerged on October 24 after a brief reset. The Pearl staple shuttered on August 22 to undergo a few improvements. Among them were a few new menu items like stuffed ruby red trout, fried calamari, and classic Southern barbecue shrimp.

A new Peruvian concept has pounced on the former location of Tutti’s: A Place for Foodies in Southtown. Leche de Tigre, at 318 E. Cevallos St., is keeping its opening date mum. Still, diners can water their mouths by perusing an online menu full of cebiches, traditional favorites like lomo saltado, and pisco-based cocktails.

Anticipated arcade bar Be Kind & Rewind is officially pressing play at 115 Alamo Plaza on October 28. Owner Alex Amaro has stripped the former Fuddruckers of its workaday vibes, replacing it with neon and blacklight. Opening weekend will take full advantage of the retro set with an ‘80s night on Friday, a ‘90s/ Y2K party on Saturday, and karaoke on Sunday. Expect at least one version of “I Want it That Way.”

East Side spot Truth Pizzeria has bid arrivederci to San Antonio, according to an October 13 social media post. The small restaurant opened in the heat of the pandemic in June 2020, serving a menu of Neapolitan pies. The message did not offer an explanation for the sudden closure.

In brighter East Side news, trailblazing food truck park the Boardwalk on Bulverde is set to reopen in 2023. The space opened in 2011 as San Antonio’s first food truck park, closing in 2016 so the owners could focus on their Cruising Kitchens business. In a social media post, the team shared that it brought the concept back to address a need for “more impactful community activities.”

The Hill Country will taste la belle vie on November 1 when Bakery Lorraine opens its sixth location in Boerne. Located at 134 Oak Park Dr., the shop will serve the same sandwiches, salads, and pastries as the other outposts. Following the unveiling, guests can get their macaron fix Monday through Thursday from 7 am-6 pm. and Friday through Sunday from 7 am-8 pm.

Ahead of its first anniversary, Bubby’s Jewish Soul Food is getting a facelift. Owners Jason and Charlie Nuttall-Fiske announced the temporary closure on October 25, explaining the move is intended to “amp up [the] Bubby’s experience.” An expanded menu, gussied-up interior, and other improvements will be unveiled at a birthday celebration on November 14.

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Round Top Tips

Texas designer shares top tips for making the most of Round Top 2022

Hannah J. Frías
Oct 26, 2022 | 9:34 am
Blair Burton Round Top
Photo courtesy of Blair Burton
Austin-based interior designer Blair Burton has been traveling to Round Top for years.

The fall iteration of Texas' most famous antique fair kicked off this past weekend in Round Top and runs through October 29. Starting in 1968, Round Top has become one of the largest antique shows in the country, drawing the likes of high-profile interior designers like Kelly Wearstler and Ken Fulk, who sourced several ideas for his work at the Commodore Perry Estate from the show.

Over its five-plus decades, one venue multiplied to miles of sites along Highway 237, where shoppers can scour for antique treasures in fields, barns, and tents. The two largest are the Continental Tent and the Big Red Barn, which comprises 30,000 square feet of textiles, art, furniture, and accessories. Overwhelmed already? Us, too.

Thankfully, one Austin-based interior designer Blair Burton, who has been traveling to the show for years on behalf of her clients, reached out via email to share all her tips and tricks.

Here are her top three insider secrets for making the most of the show:

Favorite venues
"My favorite venues are Marburger (of course), the Compound, the Arbors, and Blue Hills," Burton shares. "They all do such a great job of curating a lovely shopping experience. It's exciting to see how much The Compound has grown, it keeps getting bigger! I have found so many treasures for projects at Blue Hills, especially case goods, artwork and rugs."

Where to eat
"Royers in RoundTop is an institution (restaurant and pie shop), and for good reason," according to Burton. "The people and the food are top notch. Below is a picture of me with Bud Royer, the owner and such a gem."

Royers Round TopBlair Burton poses with the owner of Royers, a great place to replenish between browsing.Photo courtesy of Blair Burton

"The venues have great food options now, too. Kettle corn is a must, and I always seem to need a little pick-me-up (or cool down) with homemade lemonade. Finish the day with Wildflyer Mead at Blue Hills, or a cocktail at the Ellis Motel in the middle of Henkel Square."

How to make the most of browsing
"The thrill of the hunt is invigorating," says Burton. "There is nothing better than finding the most unique pieces that *make* a space. I bring a list for each project, but also hold the list loosely, as we never know what we will find. Right now we have a long list for about 10 projects!"

To download a full .pdf guide to Round Top, check out the show's website and head to the homepage to buy tickets ahead of time.

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