Law Have Mercy!
Law Have Mercy! isn’t just about the law anymore—it’s about life, business, health, and everything that sparks curiosity. Join Personal Injury Attorney Chaz Roberts as he dives into candid conversations that mix legal insights with lifestyle tips, entrepreneurial wisdom, and personal growth. From breaking down complex legal issues in simple terms to exploring the challenges and triumphs of health, business, and beyond, Chaz brings his unique perspective and passion to every episode.
Whether you're here to learn, laugh, or find inspiration, Law Have Mercy! has something for everyone. Just remember: the opinions of our guests are their own, and nothing on this podcast is legal advice or creates an attorney-client relationship—it’s all about entertainment, exploration, and empowerment. Let’s make it fun!
Law Have Mercy!
Mardi Gras, King Cakes, Parades, & The Acadiana Food Scene With Gerald Gruenig
Joy feels different when you’re standing in front of 8–10k people, the band hits, and the smell of fried ribs rolls through the crowd. We invited our friend and Acadiana Eats mastermind, Gerald Grunig, to break down what it really takes to throw a food festival that feels effortless while juggling pressure, payroll, and the weight of a whole community’s expectations. From curation and sponsorships to portion strategy and fryer math, Gerald lets us inside the decisions that help restaurants actually make money and keep the vibe alive.
We dig into the economics most diners never see: rising costs, labor headaches, and why a $15 plate is often the only way to survive when the hood system alone can be an $80k bill. Gerald makes the case for smarter pathways—like food trucks and on-site catering—when a triple-net lease could sink you before your first service. And when he visits kitchens for TV or social, he’s not asking for showy dishes; he’s asking for scalable, profitable plates that won’t crush a line on a Saturday.
Mardi Gras connects the dots between food and culture. Gerald walks us through the magic Mr. Weatherall captures on camera, why those viral clips resonate, and how New Orleans and Acadiana traditions diverge. New Orleans brings infrastructure and scale; Acadiana offers a user-friendly path to the barricade, with the caveat that “family friendly” depends on where you stand. We finish with king cake truth: the best cake is often the one that tastes like home. Expect Twins in Lafayette, Miko’s croissant-donut spin, and a pragmatic love for the Rouses grab-and-go—because the music, the people, and a 10-second reheat can turn any slice into a memory.
If you love food festivals, local restaurants, and Mardi Gras stories that feel like you’re there, hit play. Subscribe, share with a friend who needs a parade day plan, and leave a review with your top king cake pick—we’ll read a few on the next show.
You can watch most full episodes of Law Have Mercy on YouTube!
For more FREE legal tips, check out our social channels:
Instagram - @chazrobertslaw
Facebook - Chaz Roberts Law
TikTok - @chazrobertslaw
LinkedIn - Chaz Roberts
If you are in need of legal guidance, visit our website: https://www.chazrobertslaw.com/
This show is co-produced by Carter Simoneaux of AcadianaCasts Network, Chaz H. Roberts of Chaz Roberts Law and Kayli Guidry Bonin of Beau The Agency, and Laith Alferahin.
On today's episode of Law Have Mercy, I bring on my good friend and everybody's favorite foodie, Gerald Grunig. We talk about the Academy Eats Festival, Country Mardi Gras, and we even get Gerald's favorite kincake. Stick around, it's gonna be a great episode. Gerald, what's up, baby? Jazz, what's happening, baby? How are we doing, my brother? I can't match that energy.
SPEAKER_00:No, sure you can, bro. I know, I know you got the juice, baby.
SPEAKER_01:We were just talking before we started the podcast. Like, I hate the opening, right? You have to give me some tips.
SPEAKER_00:Oh, brother. But I think I can share and you can ask John. Uh, one of the hardest things I do is when it's just me, him, and the camera versus I say the camera, the phone, versus, you know, you put me in a room full of people, I'm gonna ham it up. But when it's just, you know, me and him, I'm like, how was that? Was that all right? You know what I'm saying? Because subconscious. Well, you just don't get that immediate response. Like, I know if I said something funny or not corny, I'm gonna hear people laugh. Right. But when it's just me and John, who might as well just be like, at times, a statue, just like, yeah. Like, bro, and John can be low key. Can I get some emotional response here? Is that funny? And he'll just be like, Yeah, that was funny. I'm like, bro, I need I kind of am trying to be funny right here. So yeah, no, I feel you on that.
SPEAKER_01:I went to a Cadiana Eats festival. Congratulations.
SPEAKER_00:Oh, thank you. Thank you for being a part of it.
SPEAKER_01:Man, I uh I showed up. So it's normally on Saturdays, you know, we got the soccer going on. You're a soccer coach, I'm a soccer coach, all this kind of stuff. So I went, and this time I went last year, but I didn't go during like peak time.
SPEAKER_00:Yep, yep.
SPEAKER_01:This year I went during peak time. It's crazy. Bro, why you didn't tell me?
SPEAKER_00:Dude, it's it's popping. Well, I struggle with Chaz telling people like, hey man, this event I put on with social entertainment and KLFY, it's kind of a big deal. And you know, I I how do I how do you say, bro, you know how it is? Like humble, yeah, but bruh, hey, how's work been? Man, work's been good. When in your head, you're like, bro, work is popping. You know what I'm saying?
SPEAKER_01:Like it's just you have an estimate of attendance.
SPEAKER_00:I mean thousands, right? It's grown every year, but we always, with the help of, you know, law enforcement that's working the event based off drink sales, food sales, it's always the last couple of years we kind of ballpark ballpark it between eight and ten thousand. That's a lot of people. Yeah. Yeah. For sure. And that's you know, from 11 a.m. to four. I know it's technically 11 to 5, but people kind of start winding down around four because of the infrastructure of West Village. You know, we're really kind of in this tough spot over there where we're gonna have some decisions to make. Not in a bad way. It's just like, bruh, it's essentially it's a neighborhood.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:And they're building houses. So um, and part of the conversation that we have to have or figure out is like, do we keep going? Do we turn the lights on essentially? You know what I'm saying? Because right now we just ride with the daylight, you know?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah. So my wife and kids are doing the soccer thing. So I said, dude, I'm gonna go out and support Gerald. Right. And so I put on, I got some some gym shorts. I probably worked out that morning. I'll probably rent a soccer field after. I got a little zip up. And I I have to go tell, I gotta go kiss the ring. I gotta go tell Gerald what's up. Oh, bro, well, Gerald's like, all right, fan after fan after fan taking pictures. There's that. Um, and then I finally I I get to Gerald and Gerald said, Come on, bro, I'm bringing you on stage. I said, I said, bro, what you what do you mean? He said, No, we you just gotta address the crowd.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, you're right.
SPEAKER_01:And I said, and he said, You cool to talk? And I was like, uh, and say, what? Ah, bro, you good? You you you figure something out. Come on, let's go. And sure enough, Gerald brings me on stage, bro.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah. Oh, well, bro, you know, one of the things too, it's it's I've tried over the years when I'm in situations like that. One of the things that I've learned that I can do at times is take take for granted certain opportunities that I'm in. So after I got sick in 2023, specifically after I made my axe retreat in 2024, is who can I give their flowers in that moment? And also, how how can I stand by my faith in in situations uh where I'm you know got a lot of eyes on me. You know what I'm saying? So you're somebody who I instantly connected with when we got to meet uh years ago, chopping it up at Reds, and then obviously somebody I respect. And uh, of course, bruh. Chaz, man, there's a vibe that's that's there, homie. We know it. So I had to have my guy come and set the tone. You feel me?
SPEAKER_01:It was awesome, and I winged something, and the crowd was great. And and but look, I mean, the amount of food, I just want to just talk about this festival. Yep. Music, excellent food. I tried some of the booths, uh, people, diverse backgrounds, every type of person you can imagine. It was just a cross section of Acadiana. Everybody was there with love, everybody was there with a smile on their face, having a good time, eating our delicious food, listening to the music, and the vibes were just on point, bro. So, congratulations to you and your team. Thank you, bro. That was a cool ass event. Yeah, appreciate it. And I'm I was happy to be part of it.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, no doubt. No, we're we're obviously uh very grateful to have you there. But also, Chaz, I'm gonna tell you, man, one thing that I know every year when when we're steering throughout, you know, what comes our way, or you know, John and I, aka Mr. Weatherall, have been at the Acadiana Eats grind for about 10 years, man. And there's times like anybody else professionally, I'm like, bruh, I am if if I didn't have to eat a plate lunch for you know a month or two, I'd be all right. You know what I'm saying? Whereas, you know, that that event definitely puts some fire back in our belly in regards to the impact it has, because when you have people rolling up on you and and you can just feel the joy that they have within their heart and their soul just being there, being able to say, hey, some people, my journey through my health a couple of years ago to where we're at now, just sharing those moments, people, uh, the stories that I get to receive and hear throughout the course of the day, bro. It definitely, definitely fills my cup for sure. So yeah, it was uh also fulfilling to have you on there. And uh, you know, I it was cool too. We were able to jump up on stage, my band, a couple of guys from my band with Nathan and the Zodiko Cha Cha's, Grammy nominated band, Nathan, somebody I look up to musically, and then you know, to have Chaz. And it's just one big family vibe, which is which is really cool. And it truly, in my opinion, represents how I grew up, which is, you know, in a rougher neighborhood in New Orleans. Uh, then I lived on on the North Shore after Katrina, then Thibodeau, then Lafayette. And, you know, it feels like all walks of life from all of my backgrounds, although not from those specific communities, but it just, you know, I always love being able to be like, man, these are my people and it's everybody. And bring them all together in a big party. It's awesome, bro. I was glad you were there.
SPEAKER_01:What does it mean for the your the people who have the booths, the food booths? Yeah. What does that event mean to them?
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, so man, I'm gonna tell you, uh, brother, I'm sure as you could probably catch uh a vibe when you were out at our event. Um it's tough. I'm gonna tell you, because we have people that come out, but how does the event, you know, honestly, what makes the event make sense is sponsorship and drink sales, which is just about any event on the planet. Right. But then also at this event, you want to make sure that it's worth the restaurant's while for being there, right? So good news is about Acadiana Eats, is when you get selected by me to participate at the festival, you're gonna be spotlighted on KLFY. So then you're gonna get some love. You get what I'm saying? So whether you sell out of food uh at the event, which I think most people have a great day, some people good, some people not so much, depending on what the menu is. And to be honest with you, two years ago, I could have somebody, they sold out of everything. A year later, they want to run it back, they don't sell anything. So uh we're constantly trying to prevent menu fatigue so that way people just don't come, oh I don't want to go there and get the same thing. You know what I'm saying? So there's a lot of challenges because also now we're playing the game of oh man, Logan and Doug from Carchener's want to be there every year and they want to do fried ribs and they want to do boudin balls, which is great. Everybody loves Karchener's uh fried ribs and boudin balls, but then it's like, all right, they're selling something for$5, but then somebody else is selling something for$15, but then somebody's selling something for$10, but the food is literally spilling off of it. So trying to figure out marginal items or dishes that make sense for everybody to make some money because ultimately what I need people to understand is despite what we think as the general public or this community, uh, the the city, the state, the area, the region, restaurants are open to make money and provide for their families. I hadn't heard that. Not to make you feel full and feel like they got a value. I'm sorry, people don't like it when I say it, but it's a fact, Jack. Like, homie. Are you here to are you here to survive or thrive professionally? I don't know about you. I'm trying to thrive. So why do we set these boundaries or expectations? I'm not spending$15 on a plate, but I'll spend$18 on a cocktail. Come on, man. Drives me crazy. So, anyway, the event itself, I'm trying like crazy to appeal to the masses for people to come and support these restaurants. But man, we do 16 to 20. Is 20 too many restaurants? How did some people do? What did well, what didn't, what portion sizes work, what price per portion makes sense, cost of goods is through the roof, labor's through the roof. You know, these are all things that I know growing up in the restaurant business, but you know, I can't tell you there's many people that are putting on events that think like I do. You know what I'm saying? You just blew my mind, first of all.
SPEAKER_01:Because, you know, Festival International, you see the same menu items that are classics, right? So if you sold out last year, that's an instant classic. Everybody wants a bread bowl with crawfish or whatever. You bring in the same year, well, everybody to try it. We're good.
SPEAKER_00:And we and we can't run crawfish bread bowls and spinach bowls. You know what I'm saying? Because that's I don't want to say it's played out, but that's not what a Kadiana Eats is. You know, it's not, it's not about the stuff you used to eating all the time. So uh, but also, Jazz, not every restaurant is set up to do an event. Right. Like, bruh, that's a whole different grind. You got to have your staff together, your prep together. So what I'm saying is everybody and their mama thinks they can they can do an event. Oh, hey, Gerald, I'd like to do this. Oh, I'd like to do a Kadiana Eats. Oh, oh, I opened up a restaurant. Oh, but it's like, hey, if you're not in a position to put your best foot forward when I come see you and or you do the event, you're not doing yourself or our event any justice. So there's a lot of things that kind of go into the decision making of professionalism. And the other thing about a Kadiana Eats, every one of the restaurants that participates, dude, better, absolutely better be greeting everybody with the smile. Hey, how you doing? Because the restaurants help set the tone, if not set the tone of the vibe of the whole event. Because, you know, you can't have Gerald in the music, hey, hey, hey, and then the restaurant's like, hey, give me your money. Or hey, no, what's up with that? You know what I'm saying? Hurry up. Like that. I mean, the restaurants are all paired in certain spots, too, where I know, you know, Chaz and Gerald are gonna hit it off. I tell you what, I'll let y'all hang for the day. Yeah. You know what I'm saying? And next thing you know, friendships are formed throughout the course of the years. Y'all want, hey, make sure if, hey, gee, if we do a Katie Anna Eats, can you put me back by Chad? You know what I'm saying? I I pick it all based off the vibes that way. Everybody's having fun. In a perfect world, the lines are stacked up, right? Employees and staff are running each restaurant, then my owners and their families are behind their tents eating and sharing and cooking up and essentially having their own festival so they can enjoy the day too. So, yeah, there's a lot that goes into it.
SPEAKER_01:You have your fingerprints on every aspect of this festival.
SPEAKER_00:Well, I mean, it I hate to say it, as much as as KLFY and social entertainment make it happen, you know what I'm saying? Acadiana eats the segment on channel 10 since 2015 and social entertainment from the actual logistical side of you know, the insurance, the infrastructure, those things. But guess what? If things don't go well, guess all eyes are on who? Me. It's Gerald Grunig's face on everything. It's, I mean, a Katie, you know, and it's not a knock on the other people that make it happen, but I feel an immense amount of pressure on me for the people that come, the restaurants to do well. I want the bands to have a great time. I want them to be paid properly. And then also I need our attenders to have a great time or our uh attendees to have a good time and ultimately support those. Oh, yeah, bro. That's a lot of pressure on me, dude. You got any negative feedback? No, honestly, the hardest part for me is like I tell people, it feels like I know you had them porta potties lined up.
SPEAKER_01:I know that.
SPEAKER_00:But it feels like it feels like I'm the bride, it feels like I'm the wedding band, and it feels like I'm the wedding planner all at the same time.
SPEAKER_01:You're working up a good sweat. It's a grind.
SPEAKER_00:Oh, it's a grind, dude. It's a grind, but it but it's always worth it. And uh the feedback we get is normally really, really good. But the first thing I'm doing the day after is calling my restaurants to see how they did, and then try and figure out what we can do to make their lives easier and or better when we run it back.
SPEAKER_01:That's awesome. What is exciting you right now about the food scene in Acadiana? Pooh, man. Um did anyone take your advice about putting less in their plates? Yeah, you know, but last time you're on the podcast, you're talking about that.
SPEAKER_00:Oh no, it's true. So, you know, and like like I just touched on, man, um the food scene in Acadiana. Um I'm not a pessimistic person. I promise I'm not. But when people tell me they're thinking about opening up a restaurant, one of my first questions is Are you sure? You know what I'm saying? Because it it really has never been harder to open up a place of business, depending on what your background is, right? Like, man, hey, I want to open a steakhouse. I'm like, oof. But hey, I got my own cattle and we're serving beef that I have on my farm. Oh, dude, crank it up, homie. You know what I'm saying? You're probably gonna have a great run at it. So, you know, I I think from the crawfish business, right? You have so many drive-thru or so many crawfish spots where they're using their own crawfish, so it makes sense, you know. But there are so many people along the way that are nickel and diamond cost of goods for restaurants to open. You know what I'm saying? Where it's like a maybe it's a distributor, maybe it's a buyer, maybe, you know, it's it really is hard for somebody, like, bro. You know, one of my favorite meals right now for a cold brew and a cheeseburger is$28. I'm not knocking it because I love to eat it. But you think about, hey, they want to use a high-end this, they want to use the best of that. Bro, it ain't cheap to make happen.
SPEAKER_01:There's a certain barbecue stand I went to. Yeah, you're right. Three people. Okay.$80.$80. Right? How does that make you feel? There's another Greek place I like in town. Yeah.$25 a plate.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:Once I get my drink and tax and credit card chart. I mean, so it's really tough. I mean, Kevin came when I used to not eat out every day. Yeah. And Kevin's like, no, we gotta get out of the office, we gotta eat, we gotta be, we gotta support businesses, gotta do all that good stuff. Just get out of the office to take a breather. Yeah. But man, when you when you see the price of food, and and look, and and I know I know the restaurants are paying the same price on the back end, right? And they gotta make money and they gotta survive, but it is just super expensive to eat.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, and I struggle with think about how much it costs. I can tell you right now, the pasta sauce that I grab on a fly, the ground beef and the noodles that I purchase, and a salad pack and a loaf of garlic French bread. I'm serious, right? I got two kids, six and three. If we got a basketball night and I'm I'm hemmed up with 10 different things, and I'm I'm essentially one of the things that I try to do as a parent.
SPEAKER_01:Just describe hamburger helper. Yeah, so look, well, bougie hamburger helper.
SPEAKER_00:People people don't know this. As busy as as I am professionally, I will tell you, Chaz, when I'm gone for the morning or gone at night, nine times out of ten, my wife will come home to food on the stove and everything's prepped up so she can succeed, right? So Acadiana is my home now, but it is not where my family is. So when I'm gone, unless we have a friend or somebody comes in to help, whether it be my mother-in-law or my mom, like it's all on my wife and my two kids. They're holding it down, right? The three of them. So if I can't be there personally, at least I can set my wife up to success where she's not having to pick up the kitchen. She can just kind of nuke stuff and rock and roll. I was thinking about that today because we got a bunch of stuff to do first thing tomorrow morning. And I'm sitting there like, man, I gotta go to the store today so I can make breakfast burritos for my girls to eat in the morning, so Ariel don't have to fool with that. But how much more expensive is it to make four to six breakfast burritos for my kids and a spaghetti meal that's quick for me to prep for? Bro, you're talking about what, five, six dollars for a garlic bread, five to six dollars for a salad pack. Let's call it like it is after taxes, it's like$4.99, right? And then you want to talk about a pasta sauce if you get one locally, they're anywhere from seven to nine dollars. Homie, I'm at 20 bucks. And I ain't even I ain't even bought the ground beef yet. You know what I'm saying? So then if we do another 10, right, bro, that's just food costs. I mean, it just is what it is, but then people want to have these unrealistic expectations for our restaurants on portions, on cost, on this, on that. Meanwhile, like, bruh, look at the music scene here right now. People, oh I I just got done talking to a musician today. I don't want to say he was hit me with a boo-hoo, but the reality of it is he's like, man, nobody, you know, it's almost like you know, people don't miss it, or people it's like, man, people are hurting. Struggling. Oh man, for real. Like, you think about that crowd that maybe needed a night out to blow off some steam. Yeah, it's completely different, man.
SPEAKER_01:Netflix and chill, but the the Netflix and chill looks a little different now.
SPEAKER_00:Oh, no, for sure. No doubt. No doubt. I was just thinking today on my way over here because I actually had a few minutes to stop and uh make myself a little cold brew. I was telling Laif, I'm like, dude, my cold brew is not where it needs to be. Otherwise, I would have brought the pot.
SPEAKER_01:How much money did I save you when I when when I when I put you on that cold brew that you could buy from the store? Hundreds of dollars, thousands by now.
SPEAKER_00:But but what I'm saying is, is I'm I'm literally sitting there and I'm like, man, wow, I just saved five, six, seven, eight dollars on a cup of coffee, bro.
SPEAKER_01:For sure.
SPEAKER_00:And I'm not mad at the coffee.
SPEAKER_01:And you brought the glass from home, which is a nice touch.
SPEAKER_00:Oh, yeah, yeah. Well, you know, my the Yeti cups are reserved for my wife because I have a habit of leaving them everywhere. So if I won't leave the glass for some reason, but I'll leave a tumbler coat.
SPEAKER_01:Well, I got a I got a treat for you before you leave.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, it sounds good. Let's a little, a little law have mercy promo item. I I think I see it over your shoulder, bro. Let's go.
SPEAKER_01:There you go, baby. So, I mean, look, have you seen any good restaurants come in the scene, or is this uh are they priced out? Is it just very, very dangerous to open a restaurant right now?
SPEAKER_00:Um, you know, I think for me it's more about experience when you're coming to me talking about a restaurant, right? Like, so people despite what people may or may not know about me personally, like they don't know that me and my brother handle payroll. They don't know me and my brother handle cost of goods. We're we're constantly checking in with my dad and checking the books for how much money we're spending on food costs. People don't know that.
SPEAKER_01:Uh huh.
SPEAKER_00:That these are the conversations I have with my brother and my dad almost on a nightly basis for our family restaurant in New Orleans, right? Interesting. I didn't know that. Well, so what I'm saying is, oh, it all started in 2021. My dad almost died from COVID. Me and my brothers jumped in the business to keep it going while my dad was sick, almost was on the ventilator. And uh, you know what's funny? Here's what's crazy. My pops, you wonder where I get it from, right? My dad was like a uh if his if my dad's oxygen drip if my dad's oxygen levels would have dropped just a little bit more, they would have had to put him on the vent. One of my best friends on the planet, Hannah Goryevsky, she is a PA in infectious diseases at main campus in New Orleans. Hannah FaceTimes me and she said, Oh my God, Gerald, Dad's like, you know, she's FaceTiming me with my dad while he's on the bipap machine. My dad won't stop talking with Hannah. All he wants to do is sit there and shoot the breeze on top of being like critically, critically uh low oxygen levels. And he kept asking Hannah for sushi. Like, Hannah, if they're gonna put me on the ventilator, make sure they give me some sushi first. Crazy. That all being said, that's my dad in the hospital. Me and my brothers are at the shop back in 2021. We're running the restaurant. I'm making sandwiches. My younger brother's running the register, and my older brother is doing what he does best, you know, kind of sitting back and kind of, you know, tightening up the clamps on things. That all being said, since then, me and my brothers keep an eye on all that stuff. So um, when somebody asks me about opening up a restaurant, I'm like, well, what are you gonna sell? And then they tell me. Then I hit them with a couple questions, and like, if they, if they, if they give me the big eyes, I'm like, homie, you might want to think about that before you sign a five-year triple net lease, bro.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah. So Guy Fieri, I saw this clip on TikTok, he said, uh, if anyone asks me to open a restaurant, tell them to come to my house, bring$400,000, come to my house, we're gonna light it on fire because at least it'll keep us warm. Restaurants are a great way to take a lot of money, to spend a lot of money and make a little bit of money.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah. No, and and and the one thing that I don't love about the restaurant scene for anybody thinking about opening up a restaurant, is like no matter what you have going on professionally, if you decide to go into that space, how much your life can be affected by people that do not care about you. Oh man. You feel me? Yeah. Like as much as you want to look out for employees, as much as you want to hire people within the community and provide jobs, a lot of these cats, man, you're just up, hey, I need a job, I need a paycheck. But as soon as I have to make a decision that's gonna um improve your life or my life, and or I don't care what you got going on. I mean, the amount of times my buddies are getting, you know, getting cold, getting cold shouldered by employees. All of a sudden they just don't show up. All of a sudden, you know, you got plans with your wife on a Friday night. Oh well, line cook just didn't show up. Yeah. What you gonna do? Yeah. And your name's on the restaurant. You're gonna, I mean, you don't, you dropping fries. You gotta make it shake, homie. You know what I'm saying? So it's uh it's definitely, it's definitely something I don't, I don't want to say I discourage people from, but I don't blindly go, oh, congratulations. Let me know how it goes. Let me know if there's anything I can do to help. I try to at least curb some people's expectations because it feels like, especially in that field, people won't have real conversations. There's just blind support from an encouragement standpoint. But it's like, bruh, you need to, you need to like know this stuff before you do it because a lot of people don't.
SPEAKER_01:Do you know who Mr. Chimtime is?
SPEAKER_00:I do, yeah.
SPEAKER_01:Evil Evil Keith Lee.
SPEAKER_00:Evil Keith, yeah. So Chimtime, yeah, I didn't I didn't get to meet him, but yeah, when he came into Lafayette, yeah.
SPEAKER_01:Man, it was crazy. I mean, he he had death threats in New Orleans because he was bashing restaurants and he comes to Katie Anna and it's like the best food he's ever had in his life.
SPEAKER_00:Well, there's one thing about us too. If you if you think about a situation of a restaurant that's been able to be here for a long time, what's the relationship between the restaurant owners and the people that own the property, right? What's the lease looking like long term? That, bruh, these are all legitimate things that people like, you know, oh, hey, I don't know how you've been able to do for so long. Well, my rent has been$1,800 for the last 10 years compared to you and me wanting to open up a spot right now, and somebody's like, oh, Chas, Gerald, hey, it's gonna be six grand a month, seven, eight, nine, ten grand a month before you make your first dollar. Bruh. And you got to sign a three-year lease, homie. So it's like, it's like, oh yeah, that'll be uh$360,000 over three years in rent, bruh. That's crazy.
SPEAKER_01:In rent. And it's a small margin even after the fact.
SPEAKER_00:Damn. And then if you're not selling alcohol, dude, that's what I the booze business has to be there. And then what are people doing less of? And I'm not knocking because I still love a cocktail, but the more, the more and more, and a lot a lot of what you hear is that people aren't drinking like they used to, too.
SPEAKER_01:I went, we went to Max's yesterday at burgers. Yep. And that place was slammed, and his guys, his old timers just sitting back kicking back beers. Yep. And I was I turned to Kevin, I said, Kevin, this is bizarre to me. Like maybe I don't drink, so I don't go to bars much, so I don't see I was like, I don't see much casual daytime drinking anymore. Oh, for sure. Anywhere. Yep. And it was such a big part of my childhood or even my young adulthood. I I go places everybody was having cocktails, La Fonda, or the, you know, at actual um bonefish grill, people would be drinking cocktails for like you don't see that anymore.
SPEAKER_00:Well, and that's so I grew up where I grew up on on Franklin Avenue in New Orleans, right? Uh at nights, you would see, you know, maybe people rolling out the gas station having having a beer or two, maybe people rolling up to my dad's with the beer in their hand. So my dad's never had a booze-based business, but my dad has a great relationship. We used to own the building that I grew up on top of in New Orleans, and my dad's got a great relationship with our landlord and hairhand. So booze has never been a huge part of what my dad does. Every now and then he'll be like, ah man, I'll just give him a beer. You know, like he's it's not something he rides and dies with, but it's because of the relationships he's had over his 70 plus years of life. Whereas, like now, if you're like, man, I want to open a restaurant, uh, a lot of times like, hey, how about a food truck? Yeah. You know what I'm saying? That way you can use your relationships because you can you can grow as you need to. And then also, too, that gives you opportunities for on-site catering. That gives you opportunities. Go to the people. That's what I'm saying. You can meet them where they're at, and then also, bro, like it gives you flexibility. You don't have to run a truck. Yeah. You know what I'm saying? So, but also being in the food truck scene in Acadiana specifically is not easy because we're not a pedestrian-friendly town. Right. You know what I'm saying? Right. Right? Lathlex, yeah. Yeah, no doubt. There's, you know, you want to be on our major thoroughfares where you would think, and I know I think the city's talking about trying to do something on Johnson Street, and but the speed limits are too high. You can't make a left.
SPEAKER_01:And six other trucks are gonna roll up next to you.
SPEAKER_00:And there's no place to the parking is tough. It's it's just uh the Lafayette is not set up. Acadiana isn't necessarily set up to be the best when it comes to like pedestrian traffic, but Park to Oaks does a good job. The food truck parks that are currently set up are uh are nice and do a good job. But um, you know, as far as me, sorry if there's any landlords listening, but I'm not I'm not encouraging anybody straight up unless the lease is awesome for you to go jump into a new spot and confidently go, hey, I'm gonna do what I need to be able to pay for a$10,000 lease plus my staff, plus my insurance, plus my food. Oh, bro, it's crazy. Oh, and there's no hood. Oh, that'll be$80,000. Wow. To install the hood plus, you know, six grand a month in rent.
SPEAKER_01:Uh-huh. Well, you've just confirmed to me what I always say. Unless it's raisin canes or Chick-fil-A, I'm I'm good on restaurants.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, I would stay out of it. I think there are opportunities. Jeff Hernandez is a buddy of mine that just took over Raging uh Chicken Co. in Young'sville. I think there are food items where there are tons of potential. You get what I'm saying? That makes sense. But another thing you may or may not realize whenever I go um shoot uh my segment on television and or go shoot content is like, hey, what do you want me to eat? Because what's what's something as a restaurant kid, I want you to sell a lot of something that makes you money and is easy for you to produce. I I mean, I don't care if you want to feed me a ribeye or this, that. Are you making money on it? Because if it blows up and people are gonna come and want to and want to come eat it, does it make sense for you? Yeah. Those are the conversations I have with people.
SPEAKER_01:That's a great point.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, because you know, that's why for me I'm like, hey, let's do red beans and fried chicken all day, bro. Because you because red beans are gonna make money. Well, that's they're gonna make money for the restaurants. That's correct. That's correct. Now, the fry time on fried chicken is about 15 minutes, right? So uh you can kind of get hemmed up depending on your fryer situation. When I come into a kitchen, if you have fried chicken blow up and you only got one fryer, you got a problem. But if you're set up, you got three, four fryers where you can keep where food's not getting log jammed by you frying fried chicken at 15 minutes of time. You know what I'm saying? So that makes sense. Those are all the things, bro.
SPEAKER_01:Shifting gears for a second. You Mardi Gros.
SPEAKER_00:We in it.
SPEAKER_01:Tell me about it.
SPEAKER_00:Are you excited? Yeah, you know, I was it's funny. I'm always underestimating, I'm always underestimating, I'm always underestimating my January, February, always. And, you know, as John's pages have taken on a whole new life of their own, you know, one of my things and one of my um, you know, responsibilities and callings that I've taken, honestly, uh, especially as I've as I've cranked up my faith, is, you know, looking out for um for my people, John being one of them, where, you know, I try my best to facilitate Mr. Weatherall for his season, if that makes sense. So um, you know, John's working all the balls, John's, John's shooting all the spots, he's doing, you know, his Mr. Weatherall Mardi Gras Munchies map with the apothecary shop. If I can help him get in touch with these bakeries, you know, anything I can do to help support John. Um, with that, my Mardi Gras's gotten a lot busier. You know what I'm saying?
SPEAKER_01:So um Well, you know, what impact do you think John Weatherall, Mr. Weatherall, has had on Acadiana Mardi Gras?
SPEAKER_00:Oh. You know, I think one of New Orleans Mardi Gras has always been, you know, the bell of the ball. Let's just call it like it is when you think about Mardi Gras in the state of Louisiana from a from a marketing standpoint, right? Um but when you look at the hundreds of millions of views John's Mardi Gras content does throughout the course of a year or maybe in a season, um, you know, I I don't think people would know. I mean, but but just look look at your boy a couple years ago, Kevin Gates. Like, man, John had John's clip with Kevin Gates song, had Kevin Gates song from, you know, I think 10 years ago at the time, as one of the number one hits on iTunes. Are you serious? Oh, yeah. So what I'm saying is it's like our our our culture here is so impactful and felt across the country, we don't realize how much we set the tone for everywhere else. You know what I'm saying? So John's Mardi Gras content has put an eye on, especially our area's Mardi Gras, but just the idea that Mardi Gras is so different everywhere. You get what I'm saying? It's not all big, beautiful floats, it's not St. Charles Avenue, it's not the French Quarter, it's not Magazine Street, it's not, you know, Jefferson Parish. It's it's it's you know, it's truck beds on the side of the road next to a ditch in Scott. I'm serious.
SPEAKER_01:What do you what do you think about what did John do from either his filming or his eye or his artistic spin on it? What do you think he did to for it to catch fire like this?
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, uh, you know, one of the things John and I started posting together on social back in 2021, right? Um and John early on was was trying to figure out what should I post? What's my what's my space gonna look like? Um, you know, for me now, more than a food page, I just like to say, you know, I like to hang out at restaurants because it's what I grew up doing. But then also, like I'm I'm all about spreading a feeling, right? If somebody at home, if a video does a thousand views or, you know, seven million, as long as people that are watching are taking joy and in and and smiling while they're consuming it, I'm good, bro. Really, for real. Like, you know, obviously my perspective on a lot of things have changed. Um, you know, I had somebody roll up on me today, bro. They were, they were I met them for the first time. They weren't expecting to meet me and instantly started crying because they used to go to restaurants that I would visit when his mom would finish chemotherapy treatments. All during the same time while I was sick. And those are moments that I regret because of how hard I was pushing when I was putting my body through some of the nastiest chemotherapy you can take, right? So I live in this regret at times where I'm like, man, I should have been easier on my health, I should have been watching what I was eating, I should have been sleeping more, I should have been doing X, Y, and Z instead of grinding. Oh, I'm good, right? Oh, I'm gonna be fine, I'm good. But, you know, as I've as I've really ramped up my faith over the course of the last couple of years, my point is, you know, those those moments where I'm like, oh no, Gerald, you were doing exactly what you're supposed to be doing because you were keeping and spreading joy to other people, John and what he's been able to do when he captures people having fun at parades is spreading joy. Does it spark hate? Absolutely. Does it upset people? Um, probably. But ultimately, the overwhelming feeling when you watch John's videos, or you're gonna laugh, you're gonna smile, and whoever he is filming that is either a excited to see him or does not see him filming them. Nine times out of ten, almost all the videos John has posted that have gone viral andor blown up are all people just ultimately enjoying themselves. So I think John has an eye. It's funny, John and I never plan this big journey professionally together, right? It was it was never something we discussed. I think John has a knack for attaching andor finding people who spread joy and John's role and what John likes to do is take part in that.
SPEAKER_01:And he does that with his with his ability to shoot and film and edit video, and the way the way he captures it, yeah, and the way he edits it, and he always finds a perfect song. Yep, and it and it and it I mean it just blew up.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, no, for sure. And I think one of the things too about John that uh you know I'll mess with him with is like you can tell he grew up in the 90s with with sisters. You know what I'm saying? For real. Some of his music choices, he's always picking like 90s RB. He's all you know what I'm saying? So his soundtrack to life and my soundtrack to life are very different, but you know, I think a lot of times it's it's always kind of it's always gonna match his energy, which maybe isn't him as a person. Like John is not a high energy human being, but he has a motor in the sense of his workload stamina and capacity is serious. That dude's a grinder. However, his ability to spread joy because his ability to s to see and and and and really like spot it is is always something that I've always found to be super impressive about his character and his personality.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, and now he has his own song.
SPEAKER_00:He does. He's got his own song, his own line dance, he's got his own Mardi Gras Munchies map. He's got his he's got his own everything, bro. You know, I make a joke every time I go to cut him a check or airdrop.
SPEAKER_01:So we could be talking to John right now. No, well that's John.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, y'all can chop it up with John. Seriously. But another another thing is though, I'm always messing with him. Um, I'm always like, all right, we got Mr. Weatherall, Uncle John, John Weatherall the third, John, you know, John, he's got 97 different aliases, but Mr. Weatherall is definitely one that um, you know, I've been super excited for him. And uh, but we definitely both continue to push each other um as we continue to uh you know just kind of ride this ride together, you know what I'm saying?
SPEAKER_01:So, Gerald, you're a culture ambassador, you've lived all around the state. What is the difference between New Orleans Mardi Gras, Acadiana Mardi Gras, Cajun Mardi Gras?
SPEAKER_00:So um I'm gonna tell Mardi Gras in New Orleans is like Christmas for my family. So we we've my whole life, I feel like my whole life, have spent Mardi Gras weekend, whether it was in the CBD, because my dad used to ride in Bacchus, or our family with some other families would rent an apartment on St. Charles, which we still do to this day. And then we go do the whole thing on the neutral ground from Wednesday, Thursday to Mardi Gras Day. Now, I normally come back after my ride on Sunday in Toath. I come back first thing Monday morning, and then I jump into the uh Acadiana Mardi Gras scene on Monday and Tuesday with my TV job at KLFY. Um, but Mardi Gras in New Orleans to me is especially along St. Charles Avenue, Napoleon Avenue, Uptown, um, is a little bit of LSU tailgate, a little bit of Southern Tailgate, a little bit of, you know, I feel like Mardi Gras in New Orleans is the best parts of all of our state's cultures coming together in one place that are on display along a parade route. Whereas our Acadiana Mardi Gras, as I've come to learn when you talk about, you know, the the Gabriels, the Bonaparte, uh, you know, realizing that's a whole nother scene and a whole nother vibe full of really good people, but it's just different. Versus Caram Crow Mardi Gras, Scott Mardi Gras, Church Point Mardi Gras, where you know, there's a lot of people that look forward to this one day. You know what I'm saying? I would I've heard people say before, you know, my dad, he'd have one big, one big night a year, or one big day a year, which or one big night a year, or one big weekend a year. Well, that's what Mardi Gras is, I feel like, in a lot of our rural communities, where I feel like you kind of have people kind of chilling, right? And especially too, what people don't realize is like how faith-based our community is, especially in our in our Catholic communities, man, that this Mardi Gras season is true because next thing you know, like, man, I have I've never thought about Lent, Advent, I've never thought about the liturgical calendar, seriously, right, like I do now. But it's because of dudes at the gym, dudes I'm hooping with, people I know not eating meat on Wednesdays and Fridays. You know, and it's just like, why aren't you eating meat today? Oh, it's Wednesday, and I'm doing an advent challenge, or you know what I'm saying? Like, so there's definitely this feeling of like, hey, we're gonna get it out on by we're gonna get it out by Mardi Gras Day so we can truly, you know, struggle and and kind of roll with our our pennants during uh the Lenten season.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, for people that don't know what Mardi Gras is about is Fat Tuesday. It's literally the last day to party and eat what you want and do what you want before the the Lenten season. Correct. And you're telling that to a bunch of coon asses. Oh, no, for sure. Yeah, you're right. And so, I mean, you go to LSU game, you're gonna see 50, 60-year-old men doing keg stands. We don't need an excuse to have a good time here. And so you think about Mardi Gras where it's like, okay, you have a permission to do whatever the hell you want. Go ham, baby. Go ham. People will accept that challenge.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, oh, for sure, for sure.
SPEAKER_01:I wrote an endymion for two years, and New Orleans Mardi Gras is just on a different stage. Correct. That's Le Carnival, Brazil. That's that's one of the global bucket lists. You have to be there to see it. But it's hard. It's hard to get in, it's hard to get a spot, it's hard to park.
SPEAKER_00:Oh, I mean, it's there are literally family dynamics planned around it for years. Years. Like just rolling up and trying to experience Mardi Gras like I experienced Mardi Gras is not truly feasible.
SPEAKER_01:You go to Endymion, I bought$1,500 of stuff. Yeah, my buddy said, Hey, you need to double that, Playboy.
SPEAKER_00:Oh no.
SPEAKER_01:I was like, well, what about these beautiful bees? He said, Nobody wants that. If it's not it's not light up, they're just gonna watch it hit the ground.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:I mean, so you this people are throwing thousands and thousands and thousands of dollars of throws. Yeah, it's just insane. To me, the difference is Laffey Mardi Gras is more family friendly, I would say. In terms of oh, come on, baby. Come on, let's go. So, look, I let me just in terms of look, I can park, I can go to Bonaparte Parade. I think it is definitely
SPEAKER_00:Definitely more user-friendly. That's right. User-friendly. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Family friendly, I don't know.
SPEAKER_01:Depends on the parade you're going to. Right. Well, I haven't been to Young's while. And I know they're getting some they're getting some grief because of uh the music and just dancing and popping the whole time, not throwing anything and just some issues.
SPEAKER_00:So, bruh, let me tell you. Right. I think if you go to a Mardi Grant parade on Johnston Street, I think, yes, you will probably have you will probably have a family-friendly experience.
SPEAKER_01:Particularly if the location that you choose is around other families.
SPEAKER_00:You can also park not too far away. You can roll right up to the barricade.
SPEAKER_01:There's really home before the parade even ends.
SPEAKER_00:I was about to say, there's not uber competitive. Oh, this is my spot for the last 30, 40 years. You know, my family grew up standing on this exact spot at the neutral ground. It's a completely different scenario. And there's a hundred, there's a hundredth of the people there. However, I struggle having young kids and bringing them to our rural towns for Mardi Gras parades because I have no interest in bringing my children to a parade where they're going to watch hundreds of rolling clubs go down a parade route. I don't want to see, nor do I want my kids listening to explicit hip hop while you're flexing with bottles. And I'm talking about all walks of people flexing with bottles on a float, bro. I don't need to be out there for that. Nor do I want to deal with the headache of getting in and out. Nor am I trying to be bombarded with people who have been drinking since five o'clock in the morning. I'm good on that, hobby.
SPEAKER_01:I did Young'sville one time. Yeah, you're right. It was miserable to get in, it was impossible to get out, and I think I caught four beads, and my kids learned some vocabulary they probably shouldn't have.
SPEAKER_00:Well, and look, I know I know we've referenced Young'sville, but I think it's it's it's an ever-evolving challenge for these cities because you look at these cities, they're not all put on by the city. Right. Sometimes it's the chamber, sometimes it's the small business association, sometimes it's X, Y, and Z. And ultimately you want people to participate, but these cities don't have fully functioning presidents and captains and officials. Like, dog, if I take my mask off when I'm riding in toast, I'm gonna catch a fine probably of$250 to$500 on my on my Sunday ride. Yeah. But there's also infrastructure for these parades in New Orleans that can make sure things are tight. That's their cash cow, but that's what I'm saying. We gotta protect it. Which is okay. But but for us to have an expectation for these people who just wanted to have a Mardi Gras for their small party. Exactly. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:You know what I'm saying? Not not not a not a um uh crew that's gone back a hundred years.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, so yeah, so I'm all about parades and and and and cities growing.
SPEAKER_01:We even get some hate, man.
SPEAKER_00:I'm all about parade. No, but I I'm cool with parades growing within these cities and these towns, bro. I'm all for it. I want you to have a good time, yeah. But I can't sit here and stamp that some of these smaller communities, Mardi Gras, are family friendly, and it's got nothing to do with what John Weatherraw is filming and posting because it's been happening. Yeah, you know what I'm saying? Yeah, that's a fact, John.
SPEAKER_01:I was actually referring just to the Johnson Street. Yeah, yeah, yeah, for sure. I would agree with you on that. And and that's what we do. I mean, Bonaparte's awesome. Yeah, yeah. Yep. Um, but yeah, I mean, like I said, I had one experience. There was one back in the day in Butte La Rose. I was nuts. That's what I'm saying. You know what I mean? No way in, no way out. Hey, if somebody breaks something, you air meds coming in. That's the only way in. But I did the Young'sville, and that was a disaster, right?
SPEAKER_00:And I don't, and I don't have a problem, like I said, with these specific towns and these parades. And nine times out of ten, you talk to their municipalities, man, they're like, oh God, Mardi Gras coming. Because it has become such a thing. Yeah. But putting the infrastructure that is actually needed in these towns and in these cities, bruh, that is a whole nother operation that you can ask people to play edited respectful music for those on the parade route, but ultimately to ask the police department, to ask the city, to ask the council, it's it's an almost impossible task. But what are you doing? But bro, what do they do? Cancel the you're not gonna cancel you can't. So it's a lose lose for so many of these people. So I'm I'm sympathetic to that, but I'm not in a rush to bring my kids to that. Absolutely not.
SPEAKER_01:Gerald, you and I, you know we can talk for three hours. Yeah, oh, you know that. And I know you gotta pick up your kids. Yeah. So let me hit you with a quick hitter. Okay, let's get it. King cakes. Okay, I'm here. All right. Ha ha. Give me your top three. Okay. Can you give me a top three? Yeah, can it be across the state or what? Give me your top three across the state, and I'm gonna ask you for your top three across the CDN. So, what's your top three king cakes across the state? Yes. And you don't even have to give me your one, two, and three. Okay, yeah.
SPEAKER_00:So I'm gonna tell you the three that come to mind when I close my eyes about eating king cake in New Orleans growing up. Um, as of late and over the last couple of years, uh, a Kaluda's king cake, Kaludas, um, is delicious. It's one my dad used to get when I was a kid on Franklin Avenue in New Orleans. Now my dad's restaurant is right down the street from the Kaluda's actual manufacturing operation. So my dad, whenever we come home, I'll always have a Kaluda's king cake. So that's my bite, and I'm like instantly taken back. Um, you know, the king cakes I grew up eating in New Orleans, though, like a McKenzie's king cake, uh, just you know, kind of plain Jane, purple, green, and gold sugar, you know, on some on some dry cinnamon bread. Um, and I'm also gonna tell you, people may or may not believe me on this, and I can't say top three, but I when I think about kingcake and and what I consume on a normal basis or what comes to mind, I'm gonna tell you a Rouse's king cake. Just because, now I'm not knocking. Look, I know all my people at Rouse's, right? I know all my people at Rouse's for real. Uh from from the big boys in the main office in Thibodeau, I'm just shooting it to you straight. A Rouse's king cake is ready, readily available. You can grab one easily. And right now, when I close my eyes and think about what kind of kinkakes am I probably gonna be eating on in New Orleans when I go home, Mackenzie's is one that I used to eat as a kid, but nine times out of ten, there's probably gonna be a Caluda's king cake because my dad either brought it or somebody grabbed one, or hey, I just grabbed a Rouse's kincake. Not that it is, you know, a Dong Fong or Rendazzo's or anything like that, but it is one that I feel like people see when they walk into the store, you're gonna grab, oh, you know what? I'll grab one. You know, I not as this like, oh, is this the best thing I'm ever gonna eat?
SPEAKER_01:No. So you look at kincake almost like pizza. It it whatever you grew up eating, it's cultural, man.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, bro. I don't go out. If I want kin cake, I'm not going, oh my God, I'm only getting the best. No, bruh. Like, it's a certain season of life, just like cookies, just like hot chocolate. Just like, oh, my favorite hot chocolate during Christmas time is Swiss mist. Whatever. No, no, bro. Just give me hot chocolate, bro. You feel me? Just give me a king cake, dude. So that's that's where I'm at on the king cake debate. Are you on Dongphong and all the So I had my first, we were Super Bowl was in New Orleans 2025. Uh, I was working with New Orleans and Co., the tourism office, blue plate, you know, um, and they had a Dong Fong king cake there, and I had some. It was good. I enjoyed it. Yeah, it was good. But, you know, I'm not come on, bro. Uh to me, it's about being able to have it, being at the convention center, being downtown and eating king cake, having an experience I can only have in Lafayette in New Orleans, culturally, listening to our music, listening to our music, drinking our food, ha, listening to our music, eating our food and eating king cake, bro. You know what I'm saying? When you put on Tipatina by Professor Longhair, or you put on uh Big Chief, or you put on some of these classic New Orleans tunes while you're eating a fried shrimp pole boy. Like, dog, come on, man, give it to me all day.
SPEAKER_01:I I I can I can rock with that. Yeah, I I see I see exactly what you're saying. It doesn't have to be the latest and greatest and the best and the most tasty. Oh man, it's what makes you feel like home. Yes, comfort, bro, for sure. All right, so give me your top three kin cakes in a Cadiana.
SPEAKER_00:All right, so this is where it gets a little sticky, bruh, because I will tell you, you know, doing the food stuff like I've done, uh, whether it be on Caliph Y News 10, like I have uh since 2015, or with what I do on social media, um, a couple of things come to mind. I'm gonna tell you, um, I did, I don't know if you saw, I put out a clip recently of me eating the ooey gooey uh bourbon butter king cake that my friends at Lola and Covington did put out. It was delicious. I got everybody and their mama trying to give me the latest and greatest on king cakes. I can just tell you what I am cool to bring from Lafayette to the parade route in New World. That's what I'm talking about.
SPEAKER_01:That is a good that is a good measuring stick.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, for sure. So for years, I know uh honestly twins' king cakes are blowing up right now. Um, I'm very close with Billy and Denny Gilbo, very excited for the success that they're having. Long before their social media presence and what's happened to them, my family would ask me to bring in a twins king cake because when I had it for the first time 10 years ago, I loved it. I brought it home to New Orleans, my first Mardi Gras after having it, and then it has become something I have to bring home every time is a twins kinkake.
SPEAKER_01:Well, good. Tell them I bought one and I'm shipping it to California. There you go. Through their service, and my and I got the proline cream cheese. Oh, bro, it's fine. My brother-in-law is gonna love that.
SPEAKER_00:It's so good. Oh, I'm I'm I'm all in. I will tell you on the donut king cake side, because I know we're gonna subclass donuts. It's a very real thing. People around here culturally are into donut king cakes, which I'm cool with. I love a mesh's king cake, don't get me wrong. If I had to pick, Village Dough also does a great job. But if I had to pick my favorite quote unquote donut king cake, I am a Miko's guy because I do love their croissant donuts, and they do a croissant donut king cake at Miko's, right? So, um, and I have bringing I have brought back twins' king cakes to New Orleans for my family and friends, and I have brought back Miko's uh donuts in Broussard to New Orleans for my family and friends. And then I think if I had to go with a third, um, you know, just in general, I'm not ranking these in any specific order. Uh I I have really enjoyed um it's it's probably a toss-up between these two. A fresh Crystal Weddings king cake is really good. And I do really like uh Great Harvest Bread Company, which of course Great Harvest is interesting because it's part of a bigger, I don't know, I don't want to call it a quote unquote chain, but I think Brian in town has the franchise, but he's going after the king cakes, which is great. Um, his white chocolate, uh what he does with his king cakes are really good too. So I would kind of throw it there. And then the Budan king cake at Cajun Market Donut Company, by the way, on Pinhook is fire with a little bit of blue plate spicy mayo. Oh, yeah, it's legit. So where do you put Kellers in this discussion? So I like Kellers. 100% enjoy Kellers. Or is Almorado Almoretto uh but dog, for me, like I just told you with my with the three king cakes that I think of from back home, I'm a convenience kinkake guy.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:I'm a because I like king cake no matter where it's from, who's making it, because that means I'm listening to Honda Wanda, I'm listening to you know Indian Ren, I'm listening to Big Chief, I'm listening to Dr. John, my family. Maybe we're on the parade route. Like I got chills right now. That that is my element, bruh. So a kink cake is a part of that. A kinkake to me is not is not my Mardi Gras. It's part of what my Mardi Gras experience is. So um, yeah, bruh. Like I like Kellers. Um, I love that so many people love supporting a place like Kellers, whether it's the one in Young'sville or the one downtown. So you will never hear me knock Kellers or any kink cake place, to be honest with you. But I can tell you, if it's a pain for me to get or for me to consume, I'm probably not gonna fool with it. The reason why I've had Dong Fong one time, I enjoyed it, but I'm not sitting here like, oh my God, I gotta get my hands on another one.
SPEAKER_01:You know what I'm saying? You pass five rouses on the way. Oh, bro. I'm good to go.
SPEAKER_00:Oh, bro, I'm I'm good with a with a plane, uh, you know, and I'm I'm I'm not lying. To be able to roll up at a gas station, Chaz, or excuse me, to be able to roll up at a at a grocery store, you walk in, you grab a king cake, I can pick up a box of fried chicken or five pounds of crawfish or links of boudin, all under the heat lamp, and make my way around. And bro.
SPEAKER_01:I brought I brought one last year for a Super Bowl party. Nobody looked at me cross. Everybody had a piece.
SPEAKER_00:And everybody ate. That's what I'm saying. And that's only happening here. We're listening to our music, going to our stores, eating our food, hanging with our people. Yeah. Bro, that's where I'm at.
SPEAKER_01:The best tip I have for anyone, if you think you got a good kin cake, put it in the microwave for five, ten seconds. It'll change your life.
SPEAKER_00:That's also another argument I have. People ask me all the time, who's got your favorite kin cake in a Cadiana? Well, guess what, brother? I've had them all hot and they're all good. For real. Right out the fryer, right out the oven. It's on.
SPEAKER_01:Gerald, I love you. I'm gonna get you out of here, bro. Yeah, you're right. Thank you for coming. You're the main. Look forward to Kadiana Eats. Yeah, you're right. Keep doing your thing, brother. Ditto.
SPEAKER_00:Ditto, baby. Right back at you.
