Jenn Ocken
When the COVID-19 crisis began, photographer Jenn Ocken jumped into action to document families and community members in their homes and businesses in special, free “porch portraits”. For our May issue, Ocken brings her portraiture to the restaurant scene, capturing three of our msot beloved eateries and the heads, hearts, and hands behind them. Pictured here: Owners of BLDG 5 Brumby and Misti Broussard.
When BLDG 5 opened late last year beneath the college-town eaves of the Perkins Overpass, it stood out as one of the most stylish and innovative new restaurants in Baton Rouge. Under the leadership of Brumby and Misti Broussard, a southern-raised and California-seasoned couple, its salvaged decor and vintage restoration vibes turned its plant-laden patio, gleaming bar, and grab-and-go marketplace into the perfect place to swing by with friends, and to gather around hefty “grazing boards” and globally-inspired cuisine. Before COVID-19 changed up the world’s business model, BLDG 5 was supposed to be the star of the show at Country Roads’ now-cancelled People & Plants Supper Club, a tribute to the intricacies of vegetarian cooking against the beautiful spring foliage of the Hilltop Arboretum. Now, in the service of Change, that pesky muse of modern times, BLDG 5 and kindred businesses around Baton Rouge have risen to the challenge, continuing to serve the communities that support them.
“I get to light up my Green Egg, roll out dough with my kids. We used to only see them when we dropped them off and picked them up from school, but now the comfort is getting to be with them all the time." —Brumby Broussard
“We decided from the very beginning that we weren’t going to curl up in a ball,” said Brumby. “We were going to roll with the punches. Customers want to see you have a positive attitude so that they feel good being there for you. The last thing they want is somebody or something negative around them.”
While navigating take-out and delivery orders, Brumby and Misti have found themselves with more time at home than ever before, and more chances to cook with their children and indulge in one of their favorite comfort foods: Neapolitan-style pizza.
“Now that we’re working fifty to fifty-five hours a week instead of the usual eighty-five, we’ve put up a hammock, added a swingset to the tree house—just trying to spend time in the yard with the great weather,” said Brumby. “I get to light up my Green Egg, roll out dough with my kids. We used to only see them when we dropped them off and picked them up from school, but now the comfort is getting to be with them all the time."
Get Broussard's recipes for Margherita Pizza and Pizza Dough, here.
Jenn Ocken
Jimmy Wetherford, owner of Louie’s Cafe.
To call Louie’s Cafe a Baton Rouge institution would be an understatement For nearly eighty years, the diner has made a name for itself as a pinnacle for the hungry collegiate crowd of Louisiana State University’s “North Gate” area, longstanding for its legendary biscuits, crispy hash browns, and the motivating scent of fried deliciousness which to this day likely lingers on a few threadbare sweatshirts thrown on en route to a late-night fix. For a 24-hour restaurant so close to LSU’s campus, which languishes in uncharacteristic silence these days, the COVID-19 crisis has been an especially drastic upheaval. Owner Jimmy Wetherford has taken the opportunity to continue take-out services, as well as making some necessary renovations in some of the restaurant’s interior. But he’s also turned an eye beyond the walls of Louie’s, looking for ways to give back to the essential workers keeping the crisis at bay.
“We’re just trying to give back to people on the front lines, and we’re committed to doing that until this crisis is over.”
“We obtained a sponsor that helped us make mass quantities of jambalaya meals with white beans and corn bread and salad, and we sent them over to Baton Rouge General Mid City,” said Wetherford. “And in late April, we kicked off our adopt-a-hero program. A sponsorship of $100 will get you twenty jambalaya dinners delivered to whatever first responder, hospital, firefighter, or any essential-worker group that you want, and we’ll deliver those meals to them. That’s what comfort food is, something that can help someone feel a little bit better.”
Louie’s has also offered special days where essential employees can show their ID at the drive-thru window to receive a free meal, something Wetherford aims to continue through the crisis.
“We’re just trying to give back to people on the front lines, and we’re committed to doing that until this crisis is over,” he said. “We don’t make money off those specific services, of course, but it spreads a little cheer. And it’s good jambalaya, too, I must say.”
Get Wetherford's jambalaya recipe, here.
Jenn Ocken
Jim Urdiales, owner of Mestizo.
A pillar of Louisiana-meets-Mexican fusion cuisine in Baton Rouge for over twenty years, Mestizo is also a leading advocate for healthy, locally owned eateries in the city. The Acadian Thruway staple has, under the direction of owner Jim Urdiales, metamorphosed through the decades into a restaurant fully engaged with its clientele, from trusty regulars to a steady stream of students and young people looking for a fresh take on old favorites—plus some innovative incorporation of keto, gluten-free, and vegetarian recipes. Well-known for his community involvement and support of various charities in the city, Urdiales retains a sense of integrity that persists, even in difficult times.
"This is where you learn the weaknesses of your business, and take this time to focus on what you don’t have, revamp, and hopefully come back stronger.”
“We’re lucky that we had already built up a local clientele who frequently used our to-go order option,” said Urdiales. “We had offered family-style meals in that third-party app for a few years, so all we did for the current situation is retool them.”
Urdiales has also noted the increase in camaraderie between restaurant owners, and finds himself banding together with his cohorts more than ever.
“It’s like being a restaurant therapist,” he said. “A lot of people are thinking of changing their business model for the long-term. This is where you learn the weaknesses of your business, and take this time to focus on what you don’t have, revamp, and hopefully come back stronger.”
As for his favorite comfort food while the world works itself out?
“Honestly, it’s the simplest thing, but I’ve really fallen in love with guacamole and chips. I just can’t get enough of it.
