Shreveport - Bossier, Louisiana's Other Side

Photo courtesy of Rockin' J Rodeos.

I grew up on small town rodeos. Barrel racing, calf roping, and running poles were just a few of the exciting events that I happily ignored as a child, choosing instead to run around the arena with all of the other kids, making repeat visits to a Lions' Club-run concessions stand while waiting for the Calf Scramble. During the Calf Scramble, dozens of children would chase tiny calves around the arena, competing for the grand prize of a one-dollar bill. You'd think that such old-fashioned entertainment would have gone the way of the buffalo by now, put out of business by XBOX 360s and 3-D movies. But J.E. Jorden, organizer of this weekend's 2nd Annual Ray Forcier Memorial Rodeo in Benton, is a long way from hanging up his spurs.

“I like to see young people who’ve never been to a rodeo come out, because they’re seeing something they’ve never seen,” said Jorden. “Lots of kids these days have never done anything like it. I’ve given away many a dollar bill during the Calf Scramble. It’s worth it.”

In addition to the Calf Scramble (which probably isn't a "main attraction" to anyone but me!), there will be bareback bronc riding, steer wrestling, team roping, bull riding, and performances by acclaimed rodeo comedian and barrel man Rudy Burns. The rodeo will be held at Willie Waggoner Arena, 221 Rubicon Road in Benton, beginning at 8 p.m. tonight and Saturday night. Admission is $8 for adults, $5 for children 12 and under.

Lagniappe
Visit the Rockin' J Rodeos website.    

'Fall for Dance' formerly known as Ballet Under the Stars is this Saturday, Sept. 17.

The Municipal Auditorium has seen some of the most famous performers and performances in the nation, and it seems that lately the historic site has been more in demand than ever. This Saturday, Sept. 17, the Shreveport Metropolitan Ballet or SMB will promenade across the stage beginning at 7:30 p.m. for their upcoming performance of ‘Fall for Dance’ at the Municipal in downtown Shreveport.

Dance enthusiasts get excited because this is the kick-off performance of the SMB’s upcoming season which includes all-time favorite, The Nutcracker coming December of this year and in April 2012, Cinderella. In its 38th season, SMB was created to give local dancers an outlet for their talent. And aren’t we glad they did? The Saturday performance will feature New Orleans dance company Delta Festival Ballet, Louisiana’s only professional ballet company and a lineup of area performing dance groups.

For the first time ever, this year the SMB’s kick-off will offer a pre-performance dinner package. There are only 20 tickets left, so if you’re interested in a little dinner-theatre action, hurry to reserve a spot. Dinner package tickets are $15 for children and $25 for adults. General admission and tickets are $10 for adults and all children 12 and under get in for free. For ticket information for ‘Fall for Dance’ call (318) 221-8500 or click here.

To see a slideshow of Shreveoprt Metropolitan Ballet images click here.

A quarter-chicken meal from Rosticeria el Novillo (2100 Benton Road, Bossier City), served with charro beans, rice, salad and tortillas.

When I learned that the same family who own and operate the fantastic Mariscos La Jaibita had opened a new restaurant, this one specializing in roasted chicken in the same way that Mariscos La Jaibita specializes in seafood, I had to try it. Rosticeria el Novillo (2100 Benton Road, Bossier City) is so new that it's presently un-Google-able, and the humble storefront definitely looks as if they're still getting set up. But food is being served, and it's fascinating, delicious food, at that.

I ordered the quarter-chicken rotisserie meal ($6.99), which came with delicious charro-style beans, yellow rice, salad, and corn tortillas, as well as two sides of sauce. The simpler of the two sauces, a concoction of lime juice, garlic, jalapenos, and oil, was really the MVP of the meal, in my opinion. Without it, the meal wouldn't have been as special. If you're shredding the chicken to eat as tacos, you'll want to drizzle this delicious sauce on top. 

One word of warning: On my recent visit (September 12), the ventilation system didn't seem to be quite working, so the entire place smelled extremely strongly of delicious roasted chicken. This wasn't an issue in the restaurant, in fact it was kind of pleasant. But back at the office an hour later, I could hear co-workers in the hallway mumbling to themselves "Smells like roasted chicken..."

I have to say, the meal was fun, different, and worth smelling of chicken all day long. And my dog was really, really happy to see me when I came home.

"Landscape" by Edwin Pinkston:A glimpse of the Gallery Fine Art Center's newest exhibit

Shreveport-Bossier is home to many galleries and museums that host incredible art and exhibits year round. One of the newest and most modern galleries is located in Bossier City at 2151 Airline Drive in Suite 200. The Gallery Fine Art Center is a contemporary art gallery featuring local, regional and national artists most of whom live and work in the community. Affiliated with the Brunner Gallery, one of Louisiana’s most popular and well recognized contemporary fine art galleries, the Gallery Fine Art Center is dedicated to giving local artists an outlet for their work.

“The Brunner Gallery has done a great job of gathering contemporary artists in the state and getting them involved in the arts scene,” said Jennifer Robison co-owner of the Gallery.

In addition to modern art, the Gallery is home to Robison’s photography business JRobison. Perhaps this is the only gallery in town where you can find modern photography, enjoy exquisite art collections, buy a piece that inspires you, and have a conversation with the artist all under one roof. And if you would in fact like to have a conversation with an artist, stop by the Gallery Fine Art Center on Thursday, September 22 from 6-8 p.m. to hear Edwin Pinkston discuss his new exhibit. We heard he is, “really interesting to listen to.” It will be on display from Sept. 20-Oct. 28. For more information about the Gallery Fine Art Center and upcoming exhibits click here.

The 2010 Red River Dragon Boat Festival. Photo by Jim Huckabay.

The Red River Dragon Boat Festival returns 8:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m., Saturday, September 10. Dozens of dragon boat teams from Shreveport-Bossier, as well as visiting teams from places like Lafayette, LA and Houston, TX, will compete. In addition to the competition, there's a festival vibe to the event. Last year, I showed up early, set up lawn chairs, grabbed a tasty breakfast taco from Columbia Cafe, and enjoyed some great company while watching the teams battle it out. Admission is free, and the weather should be incredibly nice (i.e. still in the 70's and 80's) for this kind of event. As is detailed in today's story in The Times, there's a dynasty champion here - the Shreveport Fire Department have walked away from this event as champions every year to date. Several teams have been very public about seizing the title this year, but none of them strike me as having anywhere near the combined muscle mass of the SFD gang. We'll see!

Whether you're a dragon boat enthusiast or a complete newcomer, this event makes for a great excuse to enjoy the riverfront that we're so lucky to have in Shreveport-Bossier. I recommend bringing lawn chairs, sun block, and possibly a bullhorn with which to encourage (or discourage) the team of your choice.      

A view of the main room at the McNeill Street Pump Station, snagged from an anonymous Flickr profile.

On Friday, October 14, Shreveport's McNeill Street Pumping Station (142 North Common Street) will host the 2011 MSPS New Music Festival, an evening-long showcase of site-specific performances, installations and recorded compositions by some of the world's most revered experimental musicians and sound artists. The roster of performers has been finalized, and includes the likes of ambient music legend Tim Hecker, multimedia artist Mark Fell, and a smorgasborg of about 26 others, including locals like Pete Fetterman and Dacoda Montana. The theme of the exhibition is “Architectural Explorations in Sound” and the concept of the entire show is to "play the building" as an instrument. At a planning meeting last night, event co-curator Bob Greenwood said that two performers were planning to string 100 foot-long piano strings between buildings at the Pumping Station and pluck them using pulleys of some sort. Another act will perform utilizing an eight-channel mix - an 8.1 surround sound system. It all sounds pretty fantastical and completely strange and wonderful.

The fest will run 7 p.m.-11 p.m. Admission will be $10. Carpooling is highly recommended. If you're not familar with the McNeill Street Pumping Station, an 1887 steam-powered water works that was retired in 1980, take a look at their website. To get a sense of the beauty of the building, I recommend checking out this Flickr photoset.

Lagniappe
Visit the McNeill Street Pumping Station website
Visit the MSPS New Music Festival 2011 website
"Like" the festival on Facebook

A cheeseburger, a picnic table, and a sunny, 76-degree day. What more can you ask for?

Every Tuesday this month, I'll be writing about some of Shreveport-Bossier's more off-the-beaten-path eateries. With the arrival of cooler temperatures making outdoor dining much more appealing than it was even a week ago, I thought I'd kick off this series with a visit to one of my favorite outdoor lunch spots in Shreveport: Gullo's Produce and Bake Shop. Located at 724 E. Flournoy Lucas Rd., Gullo's is a fresh produce stand that also sells hot plate lunches, burgers, and salads, 11 a.m.-2 p.m., Monday-Friday.

One factor that makes Gullo's especially interesting to me is the lack of a dining room and servers. Patrons pick up their lunches inside and have the option of eating at picnic tables beneath some huge, old oak trees in the back yard. Calling ahead is recommended, as the food here is definitely hand-made to order. A cheeseburger and fries will run you about $7.50, and is well worth it. Everything I've eaten here has been decadent, especially these burgers - the buns are buttered and toasted on both sides and dressed with tons of pickles, lettuce, tomatoes, and onions. They're big, messy, down-home burgers - grab some paper towels on your way to the picnic tables.

The plate lunches can be pretty special here because many of the vegetables are grown on the premises. Plate lunches are $8.60 and offerings change daily. To order or find out what's cooking, call (318) 797-0361. For first-time visitors, Gullo's can be easy to pass up, as it resembles a house. Just watch for the sign near the road. If you go, take a few moments and look around the produce shop, where you'll find everything from blueberry wine jam to old-fashioned chow-chow relish.     

DJ Quickie Mart, better known to many locals as Shreveport native Martin Arceneaux, will preside over a hip-hop/dubstep/ghettotech showcase at Fatty Arbuckle's on Saturday night.

Local boy makes good hip-hop/dubstep/electronic music, and makes time to share it with a hometown crowd. Shreveport native and Los Angeles/New Orleans resident DJ Quickie Mart, who (as always) appears to be in the midst of a never-ending world tour, will bring his unique fusion of hip-hop, grime, and dubstep to Fatty Arbuckle's Pub on Saturday night. The show will kick-off around 10 p.m., so there's time for both LSU football and an off-the-chain DJ performance. Quickie Mart's skills behind two turntables and a microphone have taken him a lot of places: Resident DJ for a season on Last Call with Carson Daily, performing at large events like SXSW and the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, touring with Q-Tip and The Cool Kids, performing on-stage with the legendary Dr. John...the list goes on and on. According to Facebook, he's bringing a troupe along this time. The show at Fatty Arbuckle's will also feature Corey G, Piranha, Mr Smith, Shorty D Techknowledge, and Ronnie Lopez, and will last "all night long."

Fatty Arbuckle's Pub is located in the Red River Entertainment District at 450 Clyde Fant Parkway in downtown Shreveport. Admission prices aren't listed anywhere, but cover is usually $10 at a larger show at Fatty's. 21+.

Visit DJ Quickie Mart's site for recent music, performance videos, and more.
Quickie' Facebook page and his Twitter are both pretty active.

Shreve Memorial Library patron Michael McCrary, in costume as a zombie, displays a graphic novel from the new collection.

Yesterday, the downtown/main branch of Shreve Memorial Library debuted their new graphic novel collection during an event called "Zoom! Bang! Kapow!: A Graphic Novel Explosion." The collection, which includes $25,000 worth of graphic novels ranging from illustrated classics to Japanese Manga, has an interesting story of its own. Librarian Levette Fuller won the collection while attending the 2011 American Library Association Annual Conference. Fuller was one of 15,000 librarians who entered the contest, and one of 100 finalists. The books are now available to be checked out.

Looking for a good excuse to head downtown and browse the collection? Local author John Corey Whaley will read from and sign his acclaimed new novel "Where Things Come Back" at the library, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 27. Shreveportblog's own Robert Trudeau will be hosting. Here's more info on the reading.

Here's the facebook invite to John Corey Whaley's reading, if you'd like to invite friends.

"Pizza Blanca" with spinach, mushrooms, tomato, and garlic alfredo sauce from Pietro's at the Louisiana Boardwalk.

When it comes to restaurants, you really can't judge a book by its cover. Because it's surrounded by nationally-known chains like Joe's Crab Shack and Fuddrucker's, I'd assumed that Pietro's, a relatively new pizzeria and restaurant located in the Louisiana Boardwalk, was a chain restaurant. But then I started hearing about their pizza. I'm a sucker for a really outstanding slice of pizza, so I stopped in.

This place is about as far from a chain restaurant as you can get. Family owned and operated, Pietro's in the Louisiana Boardwalk is owned by Pietro Filippazzo and managed by his son, Stefano. Pietro himself still cooks the family's secret-recipe meat sauce, which Stefano (who goes by Steven) told me is a process that takes four hours at the stovetop. Pietro is the only one who can prepare the sauce because he's the only person who knows the recipe - he hasn't even shared it with his sons. In addition to pizza, calzones, and a variety of pasta offerings, Pietro's also features a gelato bar and an Illy espresso bar, which I will now be making my first stop on any trip to the Boardwalk.

At Steven's encouragement, I had the meatball calzone covered in Pietro's meat sauce, which is very interesting; it's a rich, spicy brown sauce that is really nothing like your average tomato sauce. I plan on heading back for a slice sometime soon, but I had to taste that sauce. Each week they offer specialty pizzas (like the "Pizza Blanca" pictured above). Click here to visit their facebook page, where they regularly post about weekly specials and more.