Ami Eats Everything

07/24/2026

Hey, remember those two months I couldn’t eat anything but soup and ate almost every soup in town? One that I kept coming back to was Weston Mcelwee’s soups from Tejas Kitchen Bar Patio.

Weston is not a cook, he’s a chef. He doesn’t “make soup” he crafts it with the freshest ingredients and flavor FAR deeper than you’d bowl.

No Campbell’s here.

Also, he’a still looking for a line cook. I honestly think this is the job for someone who wants to make their career not just working for someone… but learning through experience how to run a restaurant on their own. Weston has run many kitchens here in Shreveport and built Tejas with his bare hands (sans one finger… OOPS!) and I think he’d be an awesome person to learn from.

If you know an aspiring and motivated restaurant lifer in the making, I’d recommend they apply.

(Or just buy some cream of mushroom soup… it reminds me of real New Orleans style soup and I eat it dipping croissants in it)

A quick Tejas update — soup, staffing, and what’s coming next

We’ve got a little bit of everything to share today, so here’s the full scoop.

First: Soup!
Our Chicken Tortilla Soup has been a hit, and yes… we made a lot of it. So we’re offering it — along with a few other favorites — by the quart for easy take‑home meals.

Available now:
• Chicken Tortilla (fresh)
• Cream of Zucchini (frozen)
• Potato & Cheddar (frozen)
• Cream of Mushroom (frozen)

Quarts run $10–$15 depending on ingredients. If you’d like some, DM us or call 318.629.9292 and we’ll get you fixed up.

Second: Hours & Closures
We’re still operating with a very small crew, which means we’re temporarily open for Dinner Tuesday–Saturday only. Friday Lunch and Weekend Brunch are paused while we hire and train new team members. Occasionally we may need to close for a day to avoid giving you a “not the same” experience — quality comes first.

We will be closed July 25–29 for insulation work and a few dining room updates, reopening July 30.

Finally: Brunch News
We’re aiming to bring brunch back August 15–16, depending on training progress. Until then, we’ll run a few brunch‑style specials so you can help us fine‑tune the new ideas.

Thank you for your patience, your kindness, and your support while we rebuild our team and get everything back to full strength. We appreciate you more than you know.

07/24/2026

My day started early so I got to be the 2nd customer for my first time at one of our newest and trendiest coffee spots, Sipp House.

I CANNOT WAIT to throw a party here. I don’t know what it would be for, or who would even come, but if you haven’t seen the umbrella ceiling park next door to it that has a stage and shares a door with it was the only time I wasn’t sweating (that and it was like 8am).

All the umbrellas made me think of Mary Poppins.

I just did Google Street View tour to try to find the name of that park and I just have to say, whoever is pushing the revitalization of the west end of Texas street is doing a fantastic job. The street view is from 2023 and that section of the strip is virtually unrecognizable.

The buildings are mostly the same but all the new businesses and the newly painted storefronts and burned out brick buildings, once rubble, now filled with community art.

What was once just Herby-K’s and some creepy looking places I’d never want to be at night is now a brightly colored landscape of what I hope is a revitalization of an area of town. Possibly the first one I’ve seen here in Shreveport since I can remember.

It’s almost like Mary Poppins came to W Texas St

The coffee is great. The customer service great, Riley was so friendly and honestly, I needed a friendly face first thing.

That positive experience continued on all day. Everybody I interacted with today from Office Depot to Regions bank, Figs Bakeryand Papion’s (which I’ll write about tomorrow) was a pleasure to deal with. Like REALLY nice.

Maybe Mary Poppins came to town and visited everyone but me to give me 4 packets of Splenda to make the coffee go down.

I’m glad I got to feel her warmth, some fresh new beauty in the world and see her umbrellas.

(Does anybody know if this graffiti head is AJ Haynes? Even if it’s not, I just wanted to plug that she and the Seratones will be playing at Caddo Common park Sept 19!)

07/23/2026

Holy hell it’s hot. Thankfully I’ve got Howdy by Holy Angels fresh LOCALLY MADE ice cream to cool me off and a cool new shirt to wear while I eat it.

For those unfamiliar with Holy Angels they’re the wonderful organization within OUR community that help care for, educate and employ those who are intellectually or developmentally disabled. With the rise of developmental delays, MANY of our lives have been touched either directly or indirectly by these angels who give a real live life to people who have previously had no means to have one.

Most locals know, too, that they are responsible for making some of the best lasagna’s and ice cream, and other take and bake entrees and many of us (myself included) thought we could only get this during special fund raising events.

But wait no more. You can get your ice cream, cookies and lasagna almost any time you want and at THREE different locations now!

I went out to Douglas Drive in Bossier, just off of Airline Drive to their newest location that is a full fledged ice cream shop. It has MANY flavors to choose from and it’s made right here in town.

In my many hours of personal ice cream research I’ve learned that the closer the ice cream was made to your mouth, the better the ice cream tastes. It’s science.

Really… because the freezing process and crystallization of dairy fats… I don’t know what I’m talking about. Ask a food scientist.

But coming from a food taster, and someone who is incredibly picky about ice cream because I KNOW I could consume a thousand calories in a single setting… so it better be worth it.

And this, ladies and gentleman is the kind you don’t mind going to the gym for. The vanilla pint I picked up was just one of the many flavors they had available in pint packaged OR scooped from their multi-option fresh ice cream bar with freshly made waffle cones that you can smell cooking as soon as you walk through the door.

They’ve got a special going on right now where you can get a medium entree, pint of ice cream and two fresh made cookies for just $30 (I’ll post the card in the comments)

The medium entree is big enough for 3-4 people depending on their appetites and I have one thawing that I can’t wait to bake tonight… I wore the stretchy pants because between that and the half pint of ice cream I’ve already eaten I’m sure things are gonna get tight.

I got a medium t-shirt because they had some really cute ones to choose from and it’s JUST the right size….

I may go back and get another one… the one that has an ice cream cone and a B-52 on it that I wished I’d picked up yesterday, and maybe pick up another pint of ice cream…. And maybe a double scoop waffle cone.

I should probably get a large.

It’s for a good cause, All proceeds benefit our own community’s Holy Angels…

07/23/2026

What Luk Fu Louisiana did tonight was recreate a Food Network TV show right in front of my mouth.

If you would have told me even a year ago I’d be meeting my first TV celebrity chef HERE I would have told you that you were crazy.

If you would have told me that I would be EATING to an event like this and I’d be meeting and having a conversation with one of my favorite Food Network heroes Chef Jet Tila I would have never believed you.

I hit the jackpot at
Live Casino & Hotel Louisiana tonight.

Jet (he said I could call him that, which is just about the coolest thing I’ve ever called anybody) calls his cookbook “a diary of food moments” and I really feel like that’s what this page is too.

I have over 80,000 photos on my phone. I have this idea that if anything ever happens to me and I am incapacitated in some way, I’d maybe I get dementia, I can put ALL my photos and ALL my posts on my VE headset and just re-live my life and since I have this tick where I can think about a food I’ve had at nearly any moment in time and remember exactly how it tastes.

I’m not going to want to forget this one.

In a collaboration with ALL the Luk Fu’s in all the casinos of all the land, Chef has placed his own recipe’s from his very own cookbook on the menu and tonight he showed us how oh so good a change that would be.

My favorites of the MANY treats I got to taste test tonight were the Asian wings (though, I am told that Sports & Social Louisiana has the very best wings, I can’t compare I’ve only had these.

They were sweet and while they had a little spice, enough to choke me up once, it was crispy and saucy and delicious.

Another dish I loved that I usually never love was the Mongolian Beef. I usually avoid beef at Asian restaurants because it’s too chewy. This beef was SO TENDER.

I asked him “how do you get this so tender?” He said “Ohhhh… Velveting… did you know you could do that with any meat and make it more tender?”

No, Tournament of Champions Chef Jet Tila… I didn’t even know what it was until you told me… I didn’t get 10,000 hours of cooking before I was 12. I probably haven’t cooked 10,000 hours in my life.

I’m sitting here holding the personally autographed cookbook thankful that half this book is now ON THE MENU here at Luk Fu because all of this seems so complicated and I’ve never even made fried rice at home.

Let alone one of my VERY favorite dishes, Shrimp Pad Thai which they had on the menu before but this recipe has been tweaked in all the right ways.

He says it’s the hardest thing to make, and if a lifetime of Asian cooking still leaves you with that impression I know that iiiii will never do it myself….

But if you want to you should buy his book 101 Asian Recipes or 101 Thai Recipes.

Or if you’re like me and you let famous celebrity chef’s like Jet Tila do things that he does well, and you do what you do well, just put on your Sunday clothes and head to Luk Fu. They’ll make it for you.

07/22/2026

When you’ve finally been invited to a special restaurant dinner event… and you’re so nervous you show up A DAY EARLY.

I don’t get invited to much. Or maybe I do but I have gotten so slick at getting out of obligations that even I don’t notice when I do it. Either way, when Sanela Hanusic Tomic fame femme fatale of Bella Fresca invited me to a multi-course fancy meal at her fancy little restaurant I was THRILLED!

I went and had my nails done, toes done, everything. Found my prettiest dress. Put on those individual eyelashes in the hopes of them looking more natural than the strip ones. Instead I just look like I have random sprigs of monkey grass poking in every direction.

But I was ready. I kissed my dogs and my boyfriend goodbye. Drove to the restaurant walked inside and was seated.

This didn’t look any different than any other dinner service. I re looked at the email, looked at the date.

It was for July 22.

So now I’m sitting here in a pretty white dress with a pretty linen table cloth all by my pretty little self.

Of course I wasn’t going to let that stop me from eating.

It’s rare that I eat alone nowadays so picking what to order was going to take me forever.

But it didn’t take me forever to order the soup of the day when I heard it was cream of asparagus with lump white crab meat in it. I said yes to that immediately.

It was a hot soup and wasn’t just creamy it was deep with flavor. I have come to expect this kind of flavor development and plating and gourmet level ingredients from Sanela’s kitchen.

I was worried since I was getting a basket of bread to myself, and a bowl of soup to myself, that I’d be too full to eat a full entree by myself so I went with the tuna stack appetizer.

It’s bright, it’s fresh, it’s mangoey and avocadoey and jalopeñogña. It’s got these crispy strips on it that look like fried carrot but they were sweet and cringy. It as great on the homemade chips that came with it but also enough texture good on a fork on its own.

Tomorrow I’ve already booked and paid for Jet Tila at Luk Fu that’s sold out, so I won’t be able to make it to the ACTUAL multi-course-Mediterranean-inspired fancy dinner.

But I did go out on a great date tonight, with myself. I had a great time and I hope I text myself in the morning.

I should go out with myself more often.

07/21/2026

Welcome to the Dallas Buyers Club.

That’s what I feel like saying when when I think I look hot while making potentially disastrous decisions around BBQ sauce.

That’s what happens when I wear white and end up at Country Tavern Barbecue for lunch.

I can tell you with 100% confidence that the ego boost that I get when I get to go to the bathroom and check myself out before I leave and I see that I’ve managed to escape getting a drop on me. Some kind of personal win.

It’s not without help. You see, of the many many many BBQ places I frequent in the constant quest for brisket utopia in this area, Country Tavern is the only one that brings me warm wet towels when I’m done defiling myself over a “why would it even be this big?” Pulled pork sandwich and au gratin potatoes I wish I could gargle with.

Mom and I went for lunch today and let me say that noontime is almost always the best time to get BBQ somewhere, but it’s hell on the pitmasters. It was “Feels like 119°” when I was in my car. I can’t imagine how hot it was in that shack.

I think it somehow made my smoked sliced smoked turkey that I (not sometimes but) ALWAYS bring home because it’s absolutely spoiled me for turkey sandwiches at home.

I am an addict. Easy enough for someone like me to admit without shame.

Since I was with my beautiful mother Vicki Ott I ordered the deviled eggs appetizer. I HATE deviled eggs. She knows this. But the seasonings they add to these and the way they add enough bacon and green onion it changes the texture I can actually not just “make it through” these.

I found myself actually enjoying them.

Much to the surprise of my mom who I am certain has never seen me with a deviled egg in my hand no matter how many she made for family reunions and church pot lucks.

Everybody’s got their own taste in BBQ. I’ve long stopped thinking that just because I like something everyone will, but if you’re looking for a spot to feel fancy while you stuff your face this place is alright, alright, alright.

You can wear white if you’re feeling risky, too. Don’t worry. they’ll bring you a towel.

07/20/2026

Looking for a way to run into a world famous chef right here in your hometown. Not just that, but an opportunity to eat their food?

Well now you can,
This Wednesday Luk Fu will host celebrity chef Jet Tila as he concocts Asian fusion dishes for us.

I know we have seen casinos around here forever, but I really love the events they’re bringing in town.

If you’re a lucky fu I’ll see you there!

Foodie Announcement: Get ready for a new era of flavor with Luk Fu® by Chef Jet Tila! 🥢✨ Coming this Summer, Luk Fu at Live! Casino & Hotel Louisiana is partnering with celebrity chef Jet Tila to bring his signature dishes to the menu.

Experience bold, modern pan‑Asian flavors from the Food Network star and James Beard Award winner, here in the heart of Shreveport-Bossier.

More details coming soon!



Gambling Problem? Call 1-877-770-7867.

07/19/2026

One of the ways I balanced out the crushing moral dilemma of joining a career in Advertising and “working for the man” was a relentless pursuit of bringing honesty, integrity, skill and transparency to the advertising world.

The world of digital advertising is almost infinitely complex. This is no longer a world where a business owner can be an expert at doing what they do, running their business while they’re doing it, AND take in the complexities of digital marketing media planning and the dozens of different ways we have to promote your business and your website online.

It’s nearly impossible to keep up with social media calendars, optimization, publisher requirements, marketing strategies for different types of businesses, promotions and events.

I knew that in order to “Make Advertising Great-er Than Bad Again” I needed to be truthful in how I advertised to my clients AND communicate to my clients in an honest and clear way just exactly what results they were getting for their money, and be truthful with them when something was not working so they wouldn’t be wasting their money on it.

I do not do this anymore as this is not my job anymore… but this IS the job of Paul Savage, Jr. and his Three18 Marketing Solutions business he’s built over the years I’ve known him.

And after working with him, writing for him, referring businesses to him and seeing the results of their success I know that this is what he stands for too.

Truth in advertising means something to us.

I am honored to have Paul as a friend, and grateful for the way he’s helped me continue this playful journey while watching him build his future and the positive and progressive promotion of Shreveport in the way that I’d want to see it done…

with honesty, integrity, skills, transparency and focusing on what matters… the world and the people around you.

This is a shameless plug for his business, but also I know a lot of you business owners are struggling and confused about advertising. I hate to see that and only wish for your success.

If you’re struggling getting there - Paul is who I recommend 100% of the time.

07/19/2026

I have a lot of new followers, and I’m genuinely grateful for you all. I wanted to post a little introduction so you better know who I am, and “why on earth is this girl rambling about her 6th grade gymnastics classes and the last time she went to a Dairy Queen she thought was GOOD? Just get to the food already.”

And I feel you. That’s what most “influencers” give you so that’s what you’ve come to expect.

I am no influencer. I am also no reviewer. I am a rambling restaurant recommender.

I do not monetize. I don’t get paid to write anything. I get no gain from this other than now having a bunch of friends to talk to about food and a little of my life to.

I don’t use AI for anything I write and I sometimes don’t even re-read what I write because I feel like that takes away from the moment and emotional headspace I was in while I was writing it. Which I fear may ruin my ability to authentically translate the experience I was having when I was experiencing it.

This will be FULL of typos. I’m sorry for that. I wanted to pay more attention in English class but I grew up ADD before anybody knew what that even meant yet.

So I just learned to cope… the hard way. In every elementary report card at one of the MANY schools I went to, it said things like “she’s bright but she talks too much.”

Luckily I made a career out of it in advertising. Not for restaurants, but just about everything else under the sun. I did it so well they made me the technology trainer for a very large media company.

They even made me a job title… “Technology Evangelist” and if you knew me then, you KNEW why they gave me that title. There is nothing that I’m passionate about that I can NOT fire up a room talking about.

Then COVID happened. My life got PRETTY dark when I was laid off and no longer had an outlet for all this electricity I feel inside when I talk about something I love.

And I LOVE Advertising.

So when I got REALLY sick and thought I was dying and was in bed most of the day and had no energy, there was ONE way I could use what was left of my life and my voice to do what I’ve always tried to do… make a positive impact on as many people as I have an opportunity to…

While I didn’t do restaurant advertising so I’m not really an expert at THIS I knew the typical struggles of a small business in a medium sized town and that SO MUCH of their business comes from word of mouth.

I didn’t have the energy to walk through a grocery store, but lord knows he gave me a mouth. I’ve been running it non-stop from birth.

So while my body was failing me and my life was “ending” I got to keep my advertising brain sharp, and keep my evangelist bonfire stoked, and build a social circle despite not REALLY knowing anyone, and help local businesses (why I head over heels LOVED doing advertising in the first place) and suddenly, in a world where I wasn’t finding much to live for, I found a new reason to live.

So yes,I WANT you to enjoy what I write, but even more than that I want you to enjoy a good meal you might not have had if I had not posted about. I want YOU to have those little moments I do when I taste something great and close my eyes and raise my hands to praise God that in my lifetime I got to experience that thing.

You folks give me reasons every day to be excited about something and since that turning point in my mental outlook things have been pretty okay. That doesn’t mean things have gotten completely easier, but they’ve sure gotten a lot more bearable.

Thank you for letting me share my stories and my meals with you. As a frequent mover for my whole life, I’ve never felt so much like a real part of a community like this (at least, a community that wasn’t getting paid to hear me run my mouth about things I love).

Thank you for listening for free. I will keep providing my long winded stories about my history with mango salsa’s for free. We’ll both keep eating good food. And the world will be a better place (at least for today).

Here’s a picture of me, a real person, in 6th grade (I made that sweater). Shout out to Hallsville Texas Dairy Queen next to my gymnastics class I went to weekly despite having never successfully done a cartwheel, you’ve always had a place in my heart.

07/18/2026

I have been a fool.

Probably in more ways than just this… but this gaff makes me feel like a blundering idiot.

I’ve been eating Sam’s Club pizza by the slice, because I can’t eat a whole pizza regardless of how bad it is and if AINT BAD for $2.50.

I’ve been doing this for years.

Had I KNOWN, that I could be getting Gourmet Neapolitan style pizza BY THE SLICE with all sorts of gourmet fancy toppings and feel like a freaking movie star in an ultra posh place with a real live arcade over at Saint Laurent Pizza

Instead of sitting on those cramped blue benches staring at an odd stranger staring at me straight in the eyes while downing a hot dog.., I would have dropped my Sam’s Club membership.

Who needs that much toilet paper?

So I’ve been an idiot. I’m sharing my story so that I can hopefully prevent someone else from being the same kind of idiot.

Try the meatballs… you can taste the red wine in the sauce… I’m not even sure if Sam’s pizza HAS sauce.