St. James gumbo, plus free chicken if you're a Leap Year baby: Bon Vivant (2024)

Food adds so much to the equation of living well. It can be all the things — luxurious, cheap, communal, intimate, simple and complex. In Baton Rouge, the culinary scene ranges the complete spectrum of senses.

This weekly space brings you insider foodie news, helpful tips and details of food/wine events for all of your bon vivant aspirations.

In the know

Looking to wind down? Enjoy Wednesday Wine Down at The River Room, 222 Laurel St., Baton Rouge, with $8 glasses of wine and half-priced bottles of wine all night.

Geisha, Sushi with a Flair, with locations in Prairieville and Denham Springs, has a lunch special 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday: order your choice of two half rolls (crunchy, California, snow crab, spicy tuna or dynamite roll) and receive one tempura shrimp, two pork dumplings and your choice of miso or clear soup for $11.

Enjoy live music 6 to 9 p.m. every Thursday at Thai Kitchen, 4550 Concord Ave., Baton Rouge. Britton Major will perform Feb. 22, while "2 Domestic 1 Import" will perform Feb. 29.

Are you a Leap Year baby? If so, Cowboy Chicken, 6555 Siegen Lane, Baton Rouge, is offering one free whole chicken per person to those whose birthday falls on Feb. 29. No purchase is required, and the recipient must show identification verifying birthday. Only one free chicken per person.

Smoke N’ Funk Fest: noon to 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 24, at Beauvoir Park, 2834 Greenwood Drive, Baton Rouge

Chow Yum and Be Positive are kicking off springtime with an afternoon of live music, barbecue from Oak and Smoke BBQ Company, drinks and good times at the Smoke N’ Funk Fest. The live music lineup includes Funk Monkey ft. Arsene DeLay, Pocket Chocolate and young musicians from BR Music Studios.

General admission tickets are $20, while VIP tickets are $100, available for purchase at bontempstix.com.

Gumbo 2024: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday, Feb. 23 and March 8, at St. James Episcopal Church, 205 N. 4th St., Baton Rouge

Hundreds of volunteers serve thousands of bowls of gumbo to raise money for church ministries at St. James. Enjoy food and fellowship with either shrimp or chicken and sausage gumbo— take-out, drive-thru and dine-in options are available. The boxed lunches include gumbo, rice, coleslaw, bread and dessert.

Gumbo boxed lunches, available March 8, are $12. A gumbo quart is available for $18, a rice quart for $2, a gumbo pink for $12 and a rice pink for $1. Order online at stjamesgumbo.org or call 225-387-5141.

Lenten menus

SoLou, 7246 Perkins Road, Baton Rouge, has a special 3-course menu on Fridays during Lent. The menu includes crawfish cakes, shrimp scampi, oysters and brie bisque, crabmeat quesadillas, a lobster sandwich, tuna tacos and more.

Order a plate of shrimp and pesto lasagna every Friday at Anthony's Italian Deli, 5575 Government St., Baton Rouge, or take and bake a tray at home.

Some of Lent features at Proverbial Wine Bistro, 9659 Antioch Road, Baton Rouge, include scallops, pecan crusted gulf fish and shrimp and cabbage salad.

Wine and spirits

Bourbon and Boucherie: 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 24 at White Oak Estate and Gardens, 17660 George O’Neal Road, Baton Rouge

Approximately 100 butchers and chefs will gather for chef John Folse’s Bourbon & Boucherie event. Tickets are $85, available at eventbrite.com, which include a “Spoils of the Boucherie” lunch, lectures and cooking demonstrations and access to boucherie cooking stations.

Bourbon tasting: 5:30 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 29, at Martin's, 1670 Lobdell Ave., Baton Rouge

New Riff Distilling, a Kentucky-based, family-operated distillery, has a new lineup of bourbons, whiskies and gins available for this guided tasting with in-house expert Keaton McCrory. Snacks will be provided. Tickets are $35, available for purchase at eventbrite.com.

Mark your calendar

Dine at Carrabba's Italian Grill, 7275 Corporate Blvd., Baton Rouge, Sunday, March 3, and the restaurant will match $3 to the Triple Negative Breast Cancer Foundation for every "Trio for a Cure" dish ordered. Included dishes are the classic combinations appetizer, chicken trio and "The Johnny Trio."

Beyoncé trivia series: 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, March 6, 13, 20 and 27, at Tap 65, 515 Mouton St., Baton Rouge

Get ready, BeyHive. Show off your love and knowledge for all things Queen Bey every Wednesday in March at Tap 65 with Queens of Louisiana. Enjoy music, Beyoncé-themed co*cktails and more. The event is free to enter, and seating is first-come, first-serve, but reservations are available at tap65.com.