Food, especially in the State of Louisiana, has always been about bringing people together. Since the earliest planning stages of this blog, we’ve always wanted to take the conversation about food in Shreveport-Bossier offline and have some sort of regular foodie get-together, where regular readers of 20×49.com could get to know one another a little better while exploring some new, local flavors.
We’ve finally scheduled the first of these meet-ups, which we are calling 20×49.com Dine-Ins. This unique dining experience will be held at Sabores Dominican Restaurant, 7 p.m., Tuesday, Aug. 28. Cost will be $25 per person, which will include a “guided tour” of a meal, with the staff of Sabores acting as a tour guide for our taste buds. To be honest, we don’t know exactly what to expect on the evening’s menu, though we know it’ll be a large, full meal made up of tasting portions of many Dominican, Spanish and Caribbean staples.

Located far from the beaten path, Sabores Restaurant is an absolute poster-child for the rapidly diversifying food scene in Shreveport-Bossier. How did a Dominican family from Queens end up operating a restaurant on Cross Lake? Hopefully, we’ll hear their story while we’re tasting their home cooking. Oh, and about the food: I’m in love with it. Pastelitos are spicy ancestors of the Natchitoches Meat Pie, served with a cool cilantro dipping sauce. Fried plantains come in sweet, yellow versions and savory, green versions (my sweet tooth prefers the yellow variety, served crispy, sweet and warm). Shrimp Mofongo is a bed of mashed green plantains topped with an incredible shrimp creole sauce. Everything I’ve eaten here has been interesting and delicious.
We hope you’ll join us. To do so, RSVP to the Facebook event here or e-mail Chris Jay at cjay AT sbctb DOT org.