PRAWN STARS

This platter of perfectly cooked shrimp kabobs and corn on the cob is a favortie at The Platter.

These shrimp wraps are made from fresh gulf shrimp with jalapeños, cream cheese and cheddar wrapped in bacon and served with honey mustard.

This shrimp poboy is on perfectly toasted bread with olive oil, seasoned shrimp, romaine, tomatoes, pickles, red onions and cocktail sauce.

These mouth-watering jumbo boiled shrimp are topped with an herb butter sauce and are available by the 1/2 pound or pound.

Mom Bourque’s Seafood Nachos are made-to-order chips piled high and topped with onion, tomatoes, jalapeños, fried crawfish tails, grilled shrimp and covered with the best white queso dip on this side of the Mississippi.

The scrumptious shrimp tacos are wrapped in corn tortillas and topped with pico de gallo, lettuce and drizzled with jalapeño cilantro ranch.

THE PLATTER HAS BEEN A FAVORITE IN THE TWIN Cities for a year now, and combined with its sister company, Sugar Bakery, they have quickly become a staple at hundreds of celebrations. No matter the occasion or the size, The Platter can help you celebrate in style. You have seen their platters, charcuterie boards and grazing tables at birthday parties, anniversaries, weddings, receptions and more while Sugar Bakery has created cakes, cookies, cupcakes, macaroons and more. The Platter can customize a variety of platters from breakfast themed from donuts to bacon to dessert themed with chocolates and treats. Other favorites include All The Berries, Angel Platter, Bloody Mary Platter, just to name a few. Of course, they offer a classic charcuterie board with meats and cheeses. Sugar Bakery offers cakes, pies, cupcakes, gourmet brownies, dipped strawberries and more.

This month also marks the return of the school season. Whether you are planning one last simple backyard bash or a big celebration with friends and family to mark the end of summer, The Platter and Sugar Bakery can accommodate. Plus, for large parties, they can deliver and set up, making it a stress free celebration. Whether you are planning a backyard BBQ or a summer swim party, The Platter and Sugar Bakery can provide the necessary food. A fun dish to add to a swim party is strawberry kabobs, with strawberries, marshmallows and chocolate. These make for a great treat that can be eaten on the go during a backyard bash. If you want to plan a slumber party or movie night with the kids before their nights are filled with homework, a movie night box from The Platter is a must. You can get one for each of your guests and they are filled with popcorn, pretzels, candy, fruit, marshmallows…whatever you want! And you can even enjoy The Platter and Sugar Bakery when you are on the road. You can order ahead of time to take trays, platters and boxes with you to the lake or ballpark, so you can kick back and enjoy as soon as you arrive!

The best kind of celebration is love! The Platter has catered many engagement parties, bachelorette bashes and of course, weddings! If you are looking to add a special touch to your wedding shower or reception, find out what all The Platter can do. Something that has become talk of the town is their grazing tables. This is where an entire table is covered in cheeses, fruit, nuts, meat, condiments, crackers and more….they can customize to any flavor or preference. Guests will be talking about this presentation long after the happy couple make their exit.

Whether you are planning a special date night, a backyard BBQ or a dream wedding, The Platter and Sugar Bakery can help make your celebration the best one yet. Be sure to follow them on Facebook and Instagram to see everything they have to offer and get some ideas of your own. They are located in their new location at 120 Blanchard Street in West Monroe, right near Hobby Lobby. You can visit with the owner, Jodi White, or any of the helpful staff who can help you plan your next get together, event or celebration!

EARLIER THIS YEAR, TYLER MOSES AND JACK HOLMES officially became the new owners of both the Monroe and West Monroe locations of Taco Bandido. The historical local establishment has long been known for their delicious menu items and they certainly aren’t looking to mess up a good thing. They have kept the recipes that the Twin Cities have come to know and love and continue to use fresh, in-house ingredients. They also continue to employee workers that have been there for years, like Pinky, who is celebrating four decades at the restaurant.

While Jack and Tyler have toyed around with the idea of expanding the menu in the coming months, you can still find crispy and soft tacos, nachos, enchiladas, quesadillas, fajitas, taco salads, burritos, taco burgers and more. “We know that the food is good and it works so we aren’t changing that!” said Tyler. “We have even tried to figure out what is the most popular item…and it is all of it! I think everyone has their favorite items that they order regularly and we don’t want to mess with that.” However, there is one item that might be at the top of a lot of people’s list - the margarita. You can can grab a 12 oz., 20 oz., 32 oz. or even by the gallon through the drive-thru to head to your own fiesta with friends and family.

Just in the six months or so Jack and Tyler have owned Taco Bandido, they have already given back to the community, something that is very important to them. They continue to sponsor local baseball teams and have given back to local non-profit organizations, like MedCamps. They recently celebrated a grand re-opening with the Monroe Chamber of Commerce at the Forsythe Avenue location and gave back a portion of the proceeds that day to the non-profit organization providing residential camping experience free of charge to children living with special needs. They also held a community wide contest to name the rabbit mascot that everyone has known for years. He is officially known as “Queso the Kid” and the person that submitted the winning entry will receive free tacos for a year! Jack and Tyler look forward to continuing to serve the community and plans to work with St. Jude’s, Camp Quality and Shriners Hospital as well.

Taco Bandido currently has two convenient locations - Forsythe Avenue in Monroe and Cypress Street in West Monroe. Both dining rooms are now open, as well as the convenient drive-thrus. Stop by either location and check out the new items like steak, while still enjoying your favorite stand-by order, and say hello to the new owners. Both Tyler and Jack look forward to serving their community with the food everyone has loved for years and continuing the tradition of Taco Bandido!

LA HAVANA LATIN CAFE HAS BEEN OPENED JUST A FEW months but is quickly becoming a favorite in the Twin Cities. The locally owned restaurant and cafe is located just off of ULM’s campus on Desiard Street, inside El Azteca, and has a menu like no other. They are the only place you can find crepes and they have both savory and sweet. The term crepe comes from the latin word “crispus” which means curled. It is similar to a very thin pancake and made from flour, water and salt. Havana has a special tool that scrapes the batter into a round and flat layer and then they fill it with a variety of ingredients and roll it up. Savory options include smoked sausage and grilled chicken florentine, bacon jalapeño grilled cheese and pepperoni pizza. For the sweet tooth, they have strawberry cheesecake, banana hazelnut, banana PB&J and a signature deluxe crepe that has banana, strawberry, pecans, Nutella, sweet cream and powdered sugar. Whether you are popping in for breakfast or lunch, you can grab a delicious bagel, choosing from either smoked salmon and a grown up pizza bagel. La Havana also offers the traditional Cuban sandwich with carnitas, ham, pepper jack, cheddar, dijon, mayo and pickles. You can keep it simple with a BLT, with crispy bacon, lettuce, fresh tomato, chipotle mayo and salt and pepper.

If you have room for dessert, La Havana has several options. A favorite is the stuffed concho, which is like a mashup of a Mexican pan dulce and strawberry shortcake. A pastry is stuffed with strawberries, whipped cream, pecans, sweetened condensed milk and sprinkles. They also have traditional churros, a type of fried dough. You can choose from simple with cinnamon and sugar to loaded with ice cream, chocolate syrup, sweetened condensed milk and sprinkled with pecans. They even offer fruit cups with tropical fruit like mango, dragonfruit and more.

If you need a pick-me-up, La Havana Cafe has just what you are looking for! They offer traditional cuban coffee which is richer and stronger. They can even add sweetened milk for a con leche vibe. Other coffee options include Horchata, Americano and Keto, all of which can be served hot or cold. Tea and juice options include Agua Fresca, Strawberry and Cream, Agua de Horchata, Tamarindo, Jamaica, Strawberry, Pina and Raspberry Colados, so there are plenty of options.

Since La Havana Cafe is located near ULM’s campus, they offer free WiFi and are looking forward to meeting the new Warhawk students this fall. You can sit in the cafe to study, or relocate your working from home location. There’s also outdoor seating that you can enjoy when the weather cools off. If you can’t make it to the restaurant, you can get it delivered directly to you since they are available on both Door Dash and Waitr. If you have a meeting, party or looking to feed a large group, you can order ahead and they can accommodate! La Havana is open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., on Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sundays. Be sure to follow La Havana Cafe on Facebook to see pictures of their delicious cuisine and keep up with what they have to offer!

IT ALL STARTED WITH A SAUCE. TRACY CARTER HAD ALWAYS loved to grill and couldn’t find the right salsa. He looked and looked to no avail. So he finally decided to just make his own. And it was good. After submitting it to amateur competitions and winning overall best product, he went on to start his own line of sauces and seasonings in 2005. With over 42 national awards and BBQ competitors using his seasonings, his company was successful. In 2017, Tracy opened his own food truck - JAC’s Tailgaters - so the masses could try what he had to offer. And the masses came back for more. So much so that Tracy and his wife Kristi opened their brick and mortar restaurant in the heart of historic downtown West Monroe.

Since opening in November of 2020, the pair has become a staple in the community. Starters include pimento cheese with seasoned crackers, fried Brussels sprouts, fried pork skins and nachos featuring house fried tortilla chips. Their handheld selections are full of savory sandwiches like pulled pork, brisket and club. Fast favorites are the brisket melt with their famous chopped brisket, brown sugar caramelized onions and melted pepper jack cheese served on toasted rye bread with horseradish aioli for dipping and the Bayou Cuban with pulled pork, smoked ham and melted Havarti cheese, served on lightly toasted New Orleans style po-boy bread, slathered with their award-winning mustard sauce and topped with pickles. Plus, there’s burgers that are all made in house with 100% ground brisket trimmings. You can try what everyone is talking about - the meat! There are meat plates where you can choose from one, two or three and create your own culinary combo from sliced and chopped brisket, meatloaf, smoked bologna, pulled pork, smoked chicken, smoked ham, smoked turkey breast and plain or jalapeño cheese sausage. All plates come with your option of a side of baked beans, cole slaw, mac and cheese, loaded baked potato salad, green beans or a side salad. Their meats are all available by the pound if you would like to preorder for your gatherings and special events!

If you want something on the lighter side, grab a club salad, smokehouse salad or the smoked chicken salad. For a richer taste, try to the Mac Attack, a creamy green chili quest mac and cheese, topped with your choice of pulled pork or chopped brisket, dressed with their award winning sweet or spicy BBQ sauce and a sprinkle of crushed in-house fried pork skins. Tracy and his crew are always experimenting with new recipes and offering specials like their smoked tri-tip topped with fresh chimichurri, served with roasted potatoes, onions and peppers, a brisket po-boy, meatloaf sandwich and more! They recently introduced steak night on Saturdays, where you can place your order for a perfectly cooked ribeye steak paired with a baked potato, side and a salad.

No matter what you try, you will taste the passion that goes into what JAC’s does everyday. They focus on quality ingredients and products, offering traditional recipes and elevating them. They use the best of the best - from their prime grade beef and heritage pork to their in house made sausage.

JAC’s is open for lunch and dinner, Tuesday through Saturday. Be sure to follow their Facebook page to see everything they have to offer! And stop by JAC’s Smokehouse to say hello to Tracy, Kristi and their amazing team! You can enjoy more than their delicious hand crafted food, but also sit on the dog friendly patio, enjoy live music and the views of historic downtown West Monroe!