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!
Mom & Pop Magic: Why Local Restaurants Crush Franchises w/ Philip Norred of Phillips Kitchen
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The divide between passion-driven local restaurants and profit-focused franchises takes center stage in this mouthwatering conversation with food influencer Philip Norred of Phillips Kitchen. From his signature suit to his meticulous review process, Philip pulls back the curtain on how he's built a following by championing Louisiana's mom-and-pop culinary gems.
"There's the people trying to make a dollar and there's the people doing it for the love," Philip explains, capturing the essence of why he focuses on locally-owned establishments. His philosophy shines through as he describes restaurants where owners mop floors and cook in kitchens, contrasting with franchises where owners might live "seven states away."
Philip's approach to content creation is refreshingly authentic. He shares the extensive behind-the-scenes work needed for each 90-second video and reveals why he chooses not to post negative reviews of local businesses. His selection process prioritizes community recommendations, typically requiring multiple followers to suggest the same restaurant before he'll visit.
Food enthusiasts will savor Philip's passionate recommendations across Louisiana, from Gino's Italian in Monroe to Encore pizza in New Orleans. His detailed insights into Neapolitan-style pizza specifications and the competitive Lafayette food scene demonstrate his deep knowledge and genuine love for cuisine.
Whether you're planning a Louisiana food tour or simply appreciate the craft of authentic cooking, Philip's perspective reminds us why locally-owned restaurants deserve our support. Follow him @Phillips_Kitchen on Instagram and discover the places where food is still made with heart.
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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.
There's the people trying to make a dollar and there's the people doing it for the love. Typically, you know, your mom and pop shops, locally owned restaurants is doing it for the love. Good quality food the franchise restaurants is trying to do it for a dollar.
Speaker 2Hey, it's Chaz back again with another episode of Law have Mercy. I am super pumped about today's episode. We got Philip Norred. Is that the right way to say it?
Speaker 1Yes, sir.
Speaker 2I just know you as Philip's Kitchen, right, and that's really not your last name. Kitchen is not your last name. No, sir, I'm a huge fan of his Instagram videos and I was watching him and I thought they were fantastic. So I said Philip, come on the podcast, bro.
Speaker 1Yeah.
Speaker 2And he agreed and he came in all the way from Ruston, Ruston, Louisiana. Were you here yesterday.
Speaker 1I was here yesterday. Yeah, what did you?
Speaker 2do you grab a hotel and spend a couple days or get some buddies or something?
Speaker 1I actually rolled in, I would say. Thursday morning, went and had lunch and hit a couple more spots and just got a hotel. I was actually going to hit up my buddy, Mondo DePlantis. A lot of people know him, olympic gold medalist. He was actually out of town, you know, doing his thing in Sweden.
Speaker 2So I'm like, well, I guess I'll just go hit up the hotel and, you know, catch me a nap, prepare for today. If Mondo's not available, I mean, mean, who's next right? And mondo shack? No, he's shack's not available. Chas roberts has hit him up. Chas roberts, and we're, we're, I'm, we're doing this podcast, and then we're going to a spot after this to do at one of your food reviews. Yes, sir, and so I get to see how you make that magic happen.
Speaker 1A lot of behind the scenes stuff. I was actually doing a video yesterday with Miss Caroline from Lafayette Eats and she saw a lot of the behind the scenes stuff. The first thing she says you do all the videoing yourself. I'm like, yeah, she's like that's so neat, I'm like a lot of behind the scenes stuff. Yeah, she's like that's so neat, I'm like a lot of behind the scenes stuff. So she actually went through the whole me setting up the camera and us, you know, being actors, and just it was like, well, we're not really acting, it's just in the moment. It's just you have to go through the process of setting up the camera and it's like a lot of people don't see. They see that minute and 30 second beautiful clip and they're like that's so awesome, but they don't realize the work it takes behind the scenes. How long does it take you to film a video? It really depends on you know just what I got to get. There's a lot of customers there and all that.
Speaker 2Do the restaurant owners know what's going on?
Speaker 1Well, sometimes I talk to them if I know I'm going to enjoy the food. Sometimes I don't, it just depends. You know, a lot of times I really don't like them to know I'm coming, but if I'm like, oh yeah, this is going to be good, I say hey, can I talk to the manager, the owner, I shake hands with him, whatnot, and I just start letting them know that I'm going to be there. I start filming. You know, what I like to do is I try to get the film of the food first, because I don't go through all the trouble of filming what I need to film Instead.
Speaker 1I don't eat the food. I'm like what is this? It's like the food looks good. I take a bite. I'm like I need to use some salt and pepper. So I'm like well. So I try to taste the food. I was like the food is good. I was like yeah, so Like well. So I tried to taste the food. I was like the food is good. I was like yeah, so then, most of the time when, then it's worth a review. It's worth a review If I shake hands with the owner. I say look, let me ask you a few questions, and I interview the owner. It's going to get posted. Most of the time it's going to get posted, so there's a lot of work it takes into doing those videos. You ought to know that. A lot of content creators ought to know there's a lot of work in editing the videos, getting the videos posted, and it can sometimes be exhausting.
Speaker 2Yeah, and you do all the editing yourself.
Speaker 1Yes, sir, I do the filming, the editing, the posting.
Speaker 2I do it all. I think you're so authentic and unique in the way you handle it and I really enjoy watching your videos.
Speaker 1One of the things that strike me is you're always in a suit, which you are today. What's the story of the suit? Well, you know, I mean I've always been a really big you know suit guy. A lot of people don't really know that I don't really actually wear the full suit. I wear dress, jeans and I will have a couple you jackets in my car, a couple shirts you never know.
Speaker 2You never know when a review might break out.
Speaker 1You gotta have the suit ready I'll have the pants you know I wear. I got the shoes and I just all I do is I just, you know, sometimes I might just change the jacket and a tie, feel like, oh, he's on a totally different outfit. No, not really, not really. And Gerald Greenick, I was going down to that little festival. He does, yeah, is it Katie and the Eats? Katie and the Eats. I said I was asking. I said, well, I'll just come casual.
Speaker 1He's like hey, man, you got to rock the suit. Man, people know you by the suit. You got to come in the suit. You got to at least have the jacket. I'm like, okay, so I guess it's really my signature, I mean. And when I walk in a restaurant he was like hey, I follow your page, man, I like your videos. Like, hey, thank you for the motivation, it's nice to meet you, yeah, that kind of thing. So I'm like, well, I can't really get away from it now. You know, kind of mixing it up. Um, turn around watching one of my videos. I'm just in a regular sweatshirt. You're like what's wrong, what's wrong.
Speaker 2Are you all right, man?
Speaker 1It's kind of so.
Speaker 2I just can't get away from it you know, and you were telling me before we started filming, you've been doing this for like two years, only a couple of years. Yes, sir, yeah, you've built quite the following in two years Well, I mean, people like to go out to eat.
Speaker 1You know they like to eat. They want to see you know what's out there. They like their food. Nobody wants to be home and cook, nowadays Even in Ruston.
Speaker 2I thought that was just a South Louisiana thing.
Speaker 1South Louisiana got the best food. South Louisiana got the best food. I'm actually from a small town called Holden, louisiana, right there in Livingston Parish that's where I grew up at, and just not really far from New Orleans, really not far from Baton Rouge, and people like to eat down there in South Louisiana. Yeah, what's your favorite type of food? My favorite, I mean no, I like, believe it or not Indian food, cajun food I got a Cajun food. I love Cajun food. Who don't like Cajun food? And I would say more like Italian food. So, indian food, italian food, cajun food, typically, is what I really enjoy and, of course, I like anything. There's nothing I really would not eat. Yeah, I'm the same. Yeah, it's like being. I like to eat.
Speaker 2I just like to eat. Yeah, I told like to eat. I told somebody the other day they were talking about boudin and I was like man, I never met a boudin link. I didn't like.
Speaker 1I don't think I've had bad pizza in my life. Pizza's just one of those things. Speaking of pizza, I consider pizza cuisine in itself, even though it's Italian. But pizza's eaten so much. It's by far the most eaten food in the entire world, globally, and it's not even close to number two. So just pizza by itself. I consider that a cuisine in itself.
Speaker 1What's your favorite pizza? I like Neapolitan-style pizza. You know your typical Neapolitan-style pizza I like. You know firewood oven pizza. A lot of people get confused between—they think, just because it's firewood, oh it's Neapolitan. That's not necessarily true. Neapolitan-style pizza has to, you know, be a certain size. It has to be cooked at a certain temperature. Firewood oven pizza could be all sizes. You know there's a place in Stillington. I like, revival Pizza. He got small, medium, large. He does firewood oven pizza. So, and it's not technically Neapolitan style pizza, because it's not that certain size and sometimes it's not always cooked at that high temperature, it's not always cooked at that high temperature, sometimes it's cooked at that lower temperature and a lot of times it tastes better. Yeah.
Speaker 2I think I remember from was it Bread and Circus? You have to have certain requirements to be considered Neapolitan pizza. Then you also need the certain tomatoes.
Speaker 1Certain tomatoes, yes, sir.
Speaker 2Certain tomatoes, certain size, size and all that stuff. Yes sir, there is a. By the way, a couple of things on pizza. Did you see that Dave Portnoy went to New Orleans and had good pizza? Are you familiar with Dave Portnoy?
Speaker 1I heard of him. Yes, sir.
Speaker 2You should look into him if you're reviewing food.
Speaker 1I would definitely look into him Because he has pizza reviews.
Speaker 2He got really, really famous from his pizza reviews and that kind of barstool kind of piggybacked on his actual pizza reviews. He'd have a different pizza every single day and the interviews are hilarious. But he just went to New Orleans for the Super Bowl and one place he went to was called Forbidden Pizza and I think it was just a few weeks open. You've been there before it blew up. Right after it blew up, so the line is a 40-minute, 50-minute. People are standing outside because of his pizza review, because he gave it an 8-point, something which is very high.
Speaker 2That's impressive, and it's only a few weeks old. So Forbidden Pizza in New Orleans, and there's a place in Lafayette I want you to try before you leave. Is it Sirocco's? What is it? Oh, it's Saccharas. Saccharas, sarika's, sarika's. Okay, we're going to get the name. It's a husband and wife from Italy. They started in a food truck and they just did a brick-and-mortar place here and it's supposed to be fantastic, so we'll get you that name before.
Speaker 1Heck. Yeah, I definitely want to go try it out. I mean pizza. You know I'm doing my pizza tour and it's a Louisiana pizza tour, you know, going to all the places, and when I'm doing my pizza tour, I guess when I get it done, I'm kind of, you know, dragging it along, I'm kind of dragging it along, but I actually plan on awarding my favorite pizza spot, maybe getting a plaque to my favorite pizza restaurant in Louisiana, voted by Phillips Kitchen, and you know just a little something, man, I think you're going to have to go to this spot.
Speaker 2I think you're going to have to go to this spot.
Speaker 1before you leave, I have to go check it out now Maybe we'll do two food reviews. It's just selfishly.
Speaker 2I have to check it out now I mean y'all talking about that. So we're um, how do? How do you choose the restaurants that, uh, you go to?
Speaker 1well, at first I started, you know, starting now, I just started to say, go ahead hitting up the spots. I know I would like. I'm like, okay, let me hit that spot up. But then, as I began to grow, I began to go off the recommendations of my followers. You know, typically I wait till about maybe two or three, four or five followers to recommend different followers, to recommend the same location. I'm like, okay, I'm going to have to go try this spot Because I mean, there ain't nothing like going in a restaurant, you know, paying for the food and just be like what is this?
Speaker 1And it's like. So if five different total people like it and recommend it to me as a food influencer, I'm like, well, yeah, it's going to be good. So I go there and I like going to places that I'm going to like versus going to places that I'm like going in there, really, in my opinion, wasting my time. And it's got to be good food, it's got to be good customer service, because that's my reputation If I go in a restaurant, it's not really that great customer service, or it can be good customer service, just bad food. I'm like and I say, well, yeah, come here, try this, try this place. This place is good. That's my reputation, and unfollow. It's like he said come here. This place ain't that great and so so gerald talked about.
Speaker 2uh, gerald grunick again talked about he grew up in a restaurant and in his dad, so he literally grew up upstairs in a po'boy restaurant and so he has a deep love for the restaurant industry and so when he goes do reviews he's trying to help promote that business because he loves it. What drives you to promote restaurants?
Speaker 1Well, what drives me to pull out restaurants is, well, the locally owned side of it, the mom and pop locations. A lot of people don't realize there's two sides of this. There's the people trying to make a dollar and there's the people doing it for the love. Typically, you know your mom and pop shops locally owned restaurants is doing it for the love. Good quality food. The franchise restaurants is trying to do it for a dollar. You know they go up in there. What do you do when you need some work done at your house? You get what you pay for. You hire somebody. You want the work done right. You want it done correctly because you're paying for that Same thing with a restaurant.
Speaker 1You go in a restaurant. You want it done. You want good food. You want what you pay for good customer service. A restaurant you want it done. You want good food. You want what you pay for good customer service.
Speaker 1Um, a lot of times in a franchise you walk in there you might get low quality food. Um, something that came frozen, already pre-made off of a truck. I mean some frozen patty, throw it on the grill, that's brought to your table. You went up there, you paid for that and it's like do you really deserve that? And it all goes down to they're just trying to make a dollar versus going to that local mom and pop shop. They're proud of what they do. They're in there at three, four o'clock in the morning making that made-from-scratch food to sell out and come back the next morning and do it again. They're making that good quality food. They're proud of what they do.
Speaker 1You go in there, you're greeted with a smile, with a handshake at the door. You go in there, you pay for that food. That's what I like. It's, yeah, it's a business. But also you as a customer, you want what you paid for. So the local mom, and not only that, it's good to support your local restaurants and local businesses because it's good for the community. And also not only that, it's a win-win. It's good for the community, you're getting the best customer service, you're getting the best food. And don't get me wrong, there are some franchises I've been in and I'm like oh well, this is pretty nice food, pretty good food. And so not all franchises, but most of the time, the rule of thumb, the franchises. You walk in a franchise, it's like you're not always going to get the best quality and that's why I'm trying to highlight those local businesses, those local restaurants, and that's why I do what I do. That's awesome, that's awesome.
Speaker 2And you know I was telling it's so funny. I went to chick-fil-a last night after the ballpark and and I was explaining to my son uh, who's eight, I was explaining to him how this is all systematized. Chick-fil-a right, this came. This they weren't mixing eggs and sugar in the bag. This came in a bag that they put in a machine and they press one button. But it's going to be perfect every time, as perfect as a machine shake can be, and it's the same in Lafayette, as it's the same in Covington and Des Moines, Iowa right it's
Speaker 2that same. Yeah, and I said now Chaz's Burger Joint in Sicilia, louisiana, I might put a little more cayenne pepper on this batch than this batch. It's not systematized but there's love that went into it and there's creativity that goes into it and there's passion and you can taste that in the food. And I told him, I said you haven't been to France. One day we can. But in France it's so lovely because every time they serve you, even if it's an egg omelet, they say bon appetit, and with a big smile on their face and that literally means good appetite, or I hope you enjoy this.
Speaker 2And it's so beautiful when you see these people crafting the most simple dishes, like an egg omelet, and they're like waiting for your reaction because somebody put some love into it. They're proud of it. They're proud of it. It had nothing to do with money. Money is just a byproduct. It's about the love and I think that's really cool, that that's how you approach restaurants, because you know that there's way easier ways to make money than running a restaurant.
Speaker 1And the thing about it is the you know the restaurant industry. There's so much competition. So much competition, I mean you would think.
Speaker 2You're in the mecca right here, brother.
Speaker 1You would think it's just there's so much competition and you would think, if you're not in it for the love, then just get out of it. I mean, if you're not in it for the love, just get out of it. I mean, if you're not into food, just get out of it. I mean, if you're trying to do it to make a dollar, get out of it, because you know, especially right here in Lafayette, some of the best food in Louisiana, if not the best food. Good luck coming here opening a restaurant and you're not. You're trying to make a dollar. Yeah, go somewhere else. I'm sorry.
Speaker 2Leave Louisiana. There's been a lot of places that have done very well in New Orleans and they come here and they try to open up a satellite spot and huge successes.
Speaker 2That dog is one of them, right, drago's is another one that has immense success. Other places. They come in here and they're like oh great, we got a food culture here. We're going to kill it. Lafayette's known for their food culture. Nope, they didn't kill it. They didn't kill it. They didn't kill it. Something was off and it just didn't work out. So we are going. Do you know where we're going for our food?
Speaker 1review, probably that pizza spot. You got me curious. Now You're talking about I mean, I'm a big pizza guy You're talking about that pizza spot. I'm like heck yeah.
Meeting Philip of Phillips Kitchen
Speaker 2So do we do pizza or do we do Cajun? What do you all think? I think you got to go with the original route, t-coons. Okay, so T-Coons is a plate lunch place a quarter mile from here. Okay, are you interested in that Cajun food?
Speaker 1Yes, sir, I'm down Okay.
Speaker 2All right, Now what happens if you don't like it?
Speaker 1Here's the thing I just don't. We're not going to post it. No, we're not going to post no, it's just it's. I'm trying to highlight, you know, the good spots, and if they don't meet that criteria, there's a lot of places I actually went up in before, wanted to give a good review, and I'm like, yeah, I'm looking forward to this spot. I'm like, yeah, this is going to be good. And I'm like very disappointed. I mean, there's a little spot in Ruston. I'm like, ugh, just that one spot. And I'm like it sucks. It really does. It sucks because I wanted to give them a good review. I'm like, and I can't because one, the food just sucked and I'm like there's no love into it and it was was, believe it or not, a local spot. And I'm like, no, no, on to the next one. Yeah, philip's not gonna shut him down this week no, we're gonna.
Speaker 2I think we're gonna have a good meal and I think it's gonna be. It's pretty solid. They've been doing it for a long time. The owner's in the back cooking, and they even have beignets for dessert, so we're going to have a good time. You mentioned the owner.
Speaker 1That's one thing I like about local mom-and-pop shops. You go up in there. You look out of the corner of your eye. You see there's an owner over there mopping floors. You go to another spot. There's an owner up there man flipping burgers in the back. Go to another spot.
Speaker 2There's an owner up there man flipping burgers in the back Go to a franchise.
Speaker 1Where's the owner? Oh wait, he lives seven states away from here. He's not even close. He hasn't been to this restaurant in a long time. Yeah, that's why the owners there take him pride in what he does and in his establishment.
Speaker 2Where do you see you taking this in the social media?
Speaker 1Of course I want to grow it for not not only my benefit, the general public's benefit that hey, um, I'm looking for a spot to eat. Man, let me hit up Phillip's kitchen. Where has he been out here in Lafayette? Oh, check it out, man. Let's go to the Cajun table man, they got some good food. Oh, man, let's go to Potts Po' Boys down downtown, man, they man him. And Gerald Green, it went there, man, they got some good Po-boys out there. Man, it's just for the general public and to really highlight those, you know, not only locally owned spots, mom and pop shots, but the best spots. And that's where I want to take it and just grow with it and run with it.
Speaker 2I love that. Has anyone approached you to sponsor your podcast? I mean, I'm sorry, not your podcast, your social media.
Speaker 1There's been a few people here and there who send me a direct message. I don't really know how to approach with it and I don't really know how to approach with it and it's like well, so basically I just have never really moved forward with it.
Speaker 2Are you familiar with Keith Lee? I'm not Okay, you got to research him too. He's huge on TikTok, he goes around does the? Same thing, basically you do. He does it differently, but he goes to random spots and he's really grown. I mean, he's got millions of followers now and he just goes and gives an honest review. Now he'll post the bad reviews.
Speaker 1He'll put people out of business. See, that's like me. A lot of people ask me I noticed you don't post bad reviews. Well, that's not necessarily true. I don't post the bad reviews. I do have bad reviews, I just don't post them. People are like, so, in other words, not posting bad reviews.
Speaker 1Some of my followers will be like well, you just like every restaurant you step in. I was like no, you just see the ones I post. So the ones I don't like, I'm like. It's just, you know, because I only go to local-owned restaurants to begin with. If I go in a franchise, I don't like the food man, hammer them, hammer them. But if I go in a local-owned spot, man, he's trying to make a business and I'm like, you know, I just don't really want to go through the time, take the time to edit a video, which takes a little while anyways, and just to post a bad review and I'm like well, and then again he's trying to be in business.
Speaker 1But someone was to ask me or send me a direct message hey, have you been to this restaurant? I will probably message you. Yeah, I've been to that restaurant. That place sucks. The customer service is good, but the food is very disappointing. Blah, blah, blah that's what I'll be glad to text you and let you know. Have I been there? Yeah, I'm sorry, the food sucks. They greet you with a smile on their face when you walk in the door. I mean, but the food is terrible. I will be glad to tell you that. But publicly saying it, it's just, I can't really bring myself to do it.
Speaker 2Phillip, what is your favorite spots in Louisiana that you've had?
Speaker 1food. You know I get asked that question a lot and typically I say, well, you've got to ask me about cuisine. So about cuisine, probably one of my favorite Italian places I've been to is I like Gino's in Monroe. Really good, you know, made from scratch food, family bloodline They've been open for years. Family bloodline is, they're from Italy, so I like that spot for Italian food.
Speaker 1Probably my favorite, you know, pizza spot is has to be um Encore in New Orleans. Encore is a must-go too. I went there with Dr Bill Um. A lot of people know him from his famous syrup Um, dr Bill's Cane and Maple Syrup, and he's also a big pizza guy. When he talks about pizza I tend to to stay quiet and just open my ears and just feel the knowledge, because he knows this stuff about pizza. Speaking about pizza, probably my favorite traditional oven-style pizza outside of Firewood has to be Rick's Pizza in Gena or Peggy's in Natchitoches. That's probably my two favorite pizza spots with the traditional oven style. I would say my favorite Cajun spots that I've been to has to be, you know, cajun Table in Lafayette. How do you say it? Right there, it's in coming into Lafayette, there's a spot right there. Coming into Lafayette, there's a spot right there, coming in Lafayette Bontal. I just I just posted it. It's um Pray Jeans, pray Johns, um, probably Pray Johns as well.
Speaker 2Okay, I was thinking about going to Pray Johns today, but I didn't know. You did a review there. Cool, yes, sir.
Speaker 1And, believe it or not, one of my favorite Cajun spots is in Shreveport Phillip don't do this to me, brother. Oh my gosh.
Speaker 2Don't do this to me, brother.
Speaker 1Like you know, cajuns are proud of their food.
Speaker 2Yes, you're speaking to one.
Speaker 1People in South Louisiana. They're proud of their stuff and they're passionate about their stuff. They hear me mention Shreveport. They're like Shreveport. I was like, yeah, I'm from South Louisiana, so I know how you feel. Orlando's Cafe in Shreveport. If you're ever in Shreveport it's on Cross Lake You've got to go there. The guy to make you feel better, the owner's from South Louisiana Okay.
Speaker 2He's a transplant I'll take that.
Speaker 1So he's a transplant and he kind of brought his stuff up there to show the people in North Louisiana. Hey, this is how you make Cajun food, because there's spots up there that you know they slap Cajun on their restaurant and then you go up there and you're like yeah, this is regular food, with tony sachery's on it pretty much, and the locals keep it full.
Speaker 1They're like, man, that's some good food. Well, me being from south louisiana, I go up in there. I'm like, all right, I sit down, I try the etouffee. I'm like I try the gumbo. I'm like, did you make make this brew, did they? No, we just I mean, there's some stuff we order. I'm like, okay, I heard enough. But the locals up there keep it full and they think, oh, it's like okay, if it wasn't for the locals, this place would not be open. So I'm like, yeah, so another place I really like is Pizza Shack in Opelousas.
Speaker 2Oh, my grandfather loves that place, pizza Shack. I hear nothing. But in Opelousas there's two spots there's Mama's Mama's Fried Chicken and Pizza Shack.
Speaker 1Pizza Shack. Let me tell you something about Pizza Shack. I think there's another one in the one one gerald went to, I forget. I forget the name of the town, but there's actually two locations, I believe, but the pizza shack in opelousas. Let me tell you what they did.
Speaker 1Normally, most pizza you put a lot of toppings on it. It tends to be kind of soaked on the bottom. Especially, we put a lot of meat products on top. I ordered a pizza I think it's called the 30 special. It had a lot of meat products on top. I ordered a pizza I think it's called the Fardy Special. It had a lot of toppings on it. I'm like it's going to be soaked on the bottom. Man, it's perfectly crust on the bottom, crisp. I'm like it's not soaking wet. They mastered that. I'm like most pizza restaurants you go to, it's piled up with a bunch of toppings. It typically be soaked on the bottom, but they managed to. I'm like, okay, this that's pretty nice. So I was pretty impressed by that. Very impressive. So pizza shack, baby pizza shack, so so um, you have any more for us.
Speaker 2You have any more for us.
Speaker 1I'm putting you on the spot If you're going to go to. If you want a good po' boy, obviously Potts Po' Boys in Lafayette, boom. But believe it or not, there's a little spot I found in central Louisiana. It's called Po' Boy Express. When you hear about the name you're like, well, that's a franchise. Well, no, not really. Um, it's not really a franchise, it's locally owned, but they got some good Po' Boys up in there and right there in Alexandria, louisiana, and I'm like, and oh, speaking of Cajun, um, there's a spot now in Pineville. It's Quibido's Quibido's Cajun Cafe. A spot now is in pineville, it's quibbados quibbados cajun cafe. Um, chef john valenzuela, he is a award-winning chef. He opened that spot and, my god, it's kind of like a cuisine and italian clash with pasta and that cajun cuisine and you would think of like what you go up in there. You're like, oh, my God, this place is good and it's like, yeah, and also I really like his chicken cracklings he makes at his other location in Alexandria. And those are the spots I really like.
Speaker 2I think chicken crackling was a great addition to the Cajun culinary palette over the last five years, because I didn't know what a Cajun Cracklin' was before five years ago.
Speaker 1And now I see them everywhere and I'm here for it.
Speaker 2I'm here for it, buddy. You're in the corridor. Right here, man, we have Blanchard's Barbecue is outstanding. Chris's Po' Boy is outstanding, t-kun's Zorba's, if you like, greek. We have so many good places to eat within a half mile here, so we could do several food reviews right here, man.
Speaker 2We got great food here, and it's different ethnicities too and it's different varieties. Lafayette is actually underrated because not only do you have Cajun food, but you have so many other types of food where they've really taken it and added a little spice and it's just better. It's better food. It's better, it's better food. Is there any type of food that you don't like?
Speaker 1Any type of food I don't like. I don't like peas, but you're speaking of the cuisine, part of it. I would say, I guess, really be honest, I like really all cuisines. I would say like food in the cuisine, just to be honest, american food I mean, I like a cheeseburger, but anything other I mean just American food in general, probably my least favorite cuisine. Don't get me wrong. I like me a good cheeseburger, but even a cheeseburger started out in Hamburg, germany.
Speaker 2So you stay away from the cheeseburgers and hot dogs kind of situation.
Speaker 1Well, yeah, it's just. I mean, probably my least favorite cuisine has got to be American cuisine, but I, all around, I like everything in general. Now I could tell you the restaurants I don't like, but that's for a different story. But I also want to make mention that probably the most underrated restaurant I have been in is right there in Ruston, lula Pearl. They, the owners, have been in the culinary industry for a very long time and they just know what they're doing up in there.
Speaker 1Man, I go up in there and it's like I try to. You know, of course, me, being from Ruston, I try to go up in there about. You know, every other morning, get me a cup of coffee, sit down. They live on their specials. You know, of course they have their regular menu, but, man, they always have these nice specials and it's like, wow, they made-from food and it's just a lot of people up in Ruston just don't really know about the spot and I just want them to know about the spot because the locals, they have their favorites in Ruston and they just can't seem to get away from their favorites. But, no offense, their favorites, their restaurants that the locals love, I'm not really a fan of they're tired it's like they keep those.
Speaker 1It's like four or five spots, they keep them full. Oh, this is good food. I was like no the food, no, it's not. It's not. Go try Lula Pearl. Yeah, you'll change your mind. They got it going on up in there. It's very underrated If you go up in there. It's very underrated If you go up in there once or twice, especially once you're going to be hooked. You're going to be hooked. Lula Pearl, lula Pearl. They opened not long ago. I say not long ago, maybe a year or two ago, but they're doing it right up in there.
Speaker 1Phillip, where can people find you? You can find me on Instagram. That's one of my biggest following. Another big following is TikTok. I kind of got away from TikTok because the whole drama with whatever the politics side of it banning it, don't ban it, whatever I just don't really want to get into it. But I guess, because I guess it's back, so I'm going back to post on it. You can also find me on my Facebook. I'm trying to build my YouTube. My YouTube is not necessarily I've been really lazy with it, but I do need to post on it a lot more and it's at phillipskitchen At.
Speaker 2What's your Instagram handle? At?
Speaker 1phillipskitchen. Phillips underscore kitchen.
Speaker 2Phillips underscore kitchen. Phillips underscore kitchen. Cool man. Well, thank you, and let's go eat. Yes definitely. Appreciate your time, brother. Hey, it would mean the world to me if you subscribe to the podcast and leave us a five-star review. It helps keep the show free and it helps us book better guests to provide more valuable content to you. None of the opinions expressed by my guests are that of my own, and nothing we talked about creates an attorney client relationship or could be construed as legal advice. Hope you enjoy the show.
