Stuffed and Busted

09/09/2026

"All types of gravy are welcome."

The Springhill Lumberjack Festival was likely the first festival I ever attended, and is still one of my absolute favorite annual events in Louisiana. I'm not sure if they still do the lumberjack competition, which—if I recall correctly—involved shimmying up a smooth pole with a running chainsaw. This biscuits and gravy competition is probably easier to insure! 🤣

🥓🍳 THERE’S A NEW SHOWDOWN IN TOWN! 🍳🥓

Think your gravy is the best in North Webster? Well… there’s only one way to find out. 👀

The Springhill North Webster Chamber of Commerce and Springhill Lumberjack Festival are teaming up for the INAUGURAL BISCUITS & GRAVY COOKOUT during the 42nd Annual Springhill Lumberjack Festival! 🌲🪓

📍 Walking Trail behind the Chamber of Commerce
🚂 In front of the Train Mural
⏰ Judging begins at 9:00 AM

And we’re not picky about your gravy! ALL TYPES OF GRAVY ARE WELCOME as long as you serve it with a biscuit. Sausage, bacon, tomato, mushroom, chicken, something completely original… BRING IT! 😋

🏆 People’s Choice Winner — chosen by festival attendees
🏆 1st, 2nd & 3rd Place — selected by a panel of community leaders

Think your gravy has what it takes?

CONTESTANTS MUST PRE-REGISTER!

📅 Registration Deadline: October 1
🔗 Register: SpringhillLA.com/gravy

Come ride the Gravy Train! .🚂 🥄🔥

08/29/2026

So there’s a place doing whole fried catfish plates in Pierre Bossier Mall?! I love it here. 🤩

08/18/2026

Someone asked me recently: "Found any good new places to eat lately?"

"Yes," I responded. "Standing over the kitchen sink."

I don't get out as much as I did when I was really, earnestly trying to do the whole online food guy thing. But one place that I have loved lately is Figs Bakery and Cafe, where I quickly snapped the photo below.

If you look closely, you can see one of the reasons I don't spend as much time photographing food these days: our little boy's hand, creeping up on this espresso cream croissant like a lion preparing to pop out on a wildebeest. He shares some of his father's proclivities.

When we *do* go out, my wife and I want to have a genuinely good experience eating food that is fresh and non-toxic. We want the experience to be worth the effort of wrangling our toddler. We want him, ideally, to learn something about Shreveport or Louisiana every time we go out to eat.

Each time we go to Figs, we have a great experience, and we leave feeling like our little family just took a micro-vacation to someplace with beautiful pastries. Try it, if you haven't. Arrive earlier in the morning, if you can, as they have already built a kind of cult following. Order something that you can't pronounce or don't recognize, would be my recommendation.

I am planning to write about Figs soon for www.StuffedAndBusted.com. I am going to write the story, regardless of whether anyone pays me, but if anyone out there in foodieland would like to sponsor the story for $500, that would help me justify spending a month of late nights and early mornings on it before hitting "Publish." Just message the page; you will be acknowledged and thanked egregiously.

Happy eating,
Chris Jay
Writer and publisher, Stuffed & Busted (Since 2019)

08/15/2026

I have two stories in the Sept/Oct 2026 issue of Louisiana Cookin': a Chefs to Watch profile of Blake Jackson and a longer piece on Chef Cory Bahr's koko. Both were really a joy to work on. Please pick up the magazine if you get a chance.

Bonus beats: A few photos from koko that didn't make the cut for the magazine. I wish I had another one of those purple yam painkillers right about now. 😰

-Chris

07/18/2026

Market Produce Co. ad, 1947

Market Produce Co., better known as “Keep Happy,” opened in 1944 at 2015 Market Street in Shreveport. In 1951, it relocated to a neighboring address. It was a 24-hour grocery and butcher with around-the-clock delivery and a public garden attached. The garden sold chilled Texas red watermelon by the slice and hosted live musical performances, stand-up comedy nights, and other attractions. In 1947, the venue added a miniature golf course.

Keep Happy was owned by M.A. “Doc” Earhart, who would have been in his early thirties when the business opened. Though the official name of the business was Market Produce Company, it took its nickname from a giant neon sign atop the business that read “Keep Happy.”

The reason for the closure of this unique neighborhood grocery is especially disappointing. Street construction on Market Street re-routed traffic away from Keep Happy for two years, beginning in 1983, making their business inaccessible to southbound traffic leaving downtown Shreveport. It closed in 1985, after 41 years in business.

07/18/2026

07/16/2026

The chopped cheese at Marilynn's Place is a legitimately great sandwich, and for each one they sell this week, Smith Family Farms of Louisiana will donate a pound of ground beef to the Food Bank of Northwest Louisiana. That's a pretty sweet deal, all around.

It’s burger week! That means it’s time to grab a chopped cheese poboy!

For every chopped cheese we sell this week, Smith Family Farms is donating a pound of ground beef to the food bank! That’s a huge commitment from an awesome local farm.

So, come to MP this week and grab a poboy for a good cause!

07/12/2026

Whenever I'm working on a story, I spend a lot of time in newspaper archives. Researching the history of Sugartown watermelons for Country Roads Magazine, I saw some great old ads and images, and I thought I'd share a few. I'll place the link to the story in the comments. 🍉

07/07/2026

My latest for Country Roads Magazine is a history of Sugartown watermelons. I really enjoyed writing it, and am planning to share some of my research later this week. 🍉