Story by Matt Robinson
 

Eating Your Way Through Shreveport

If you should ever find yourself in Shreveport, LA (and, considering the Bruins won the Cup, stranger things HAVE happened!), you may not recognize it from films like “W” and “Battle Los Angeles”, as the site of one of the second-largest Mardi Gras celebrations in the nation or as the place where a then unknown guitar player named Elvis was officially introduced to the nation at the Municipal Auditorium on a show called “Hayride,” but have no fear- there is still plenty to do, especially for the gourmands among you.

Though there may be no places owned by Emeril, Wolfgang, or even Todd, the array of locally owned, nationally-known eateries is impressive and, for many, worth the trip on its own.

While it is possible to find your favorite franchises in Shreveport, most of the places in town are family-owned and offer the hospitality and personal attention for which the South is rightfully famous. For lunch, there is no other place to go than Fertitta’s (1124 Fairfield Avenue), an Italian sandwich shop that has been serving up over one million of their one-of-a-kind “Muffy”® sandwiches (which are still made with Papa Fertitta’s secret olive mix) to locals, tourists, and presidents for over 50 years. After lunch, the choices get more difficult, as Shreveport is home to a number of famous pie-eries and other “sweet shoppes”. Among the most popular of these are Strawn’s (125 Kings Highway), a diner-y hang known for its fresh and refreshing “Ice Box” pies, and the close-enough-for-a-taste-test George’s (175 Kings Highway), which has more of a restaurant vibe and is also known for its hand-cut fries. If you are en route to somewhere else (as many are when they come through Shreveport, as it borders Texas and Arkansas and the song-inspiring Red River Valley), be sure to follow your Muffy with at least a dozen dripping hot donuts from Southern Maid (six locations, including 3505 Hearne Avenue), each of which will make even the most Dunky-dedicated diner think twice about their daily deal.

If you are able to make a day of it and take some time to see the historic neighborhood (much of which seems to be stuck in the 1950s, which may explain why it is so often used as a film site) and to visit places like the Louisiana Boardwalk (and outdoor mall alongside the River), the Louisiana State Exhibit Museum (3015 Greenwood Road) or (when available) the Mardi Gras Museum (2101 East Texas Street in neighboring Bossier City) or even Chimp Haven (13600 Chimpanzee Place in nearby Keithville) where acting and performing monkeys go to retire in style, make a dinner reservation at places like the family-owned Mexican eatery Trejos (three locations, including 9122 Mansfield Road) or Anvil (6301 Line Avenue), another Fertitta family find that combines a front-room sports bar with a romantic rear dining hall and offers some of the area’s best steaks, pastas and inventive drinks. After dinner, the entertainment options open up again, as Shreveport is home to a solid handful of casinos at which many national music acts regularly stop, as well as the minor league Shreveport Captains and the Robinson Film Center (617 Texas Street), an art-house complex that offers everything from first-runs to classics and cult films and encourages alcohol consumption during the shows!

So if you should find yourself in Shreveport and find the pace to be a bit slower than you might be used to, never fear- At least you will not leave hungry!

© August 2011 LuxuryWeb Magazine. All rights reserved.