For some, dining out is an occasional indulgence. For others, it’s a way of life. If this year has taught us anything, it is how valuable our health is. And fortunately, there are things we can do to effortlessly make healthy choices while dining out. Here are five simple strategies to get you started:.

318 Restaurant Week, a week-long culinary project of the Shreveport-Bossier Convention and Tourist Bureau, will return March 15-20. This event consists of six days of deals at Shreveport-Bossier eateries, offering dining patrons $10 lunch specials, $20 dinner specials, and various dining experiences at participating restaurants.

In the last several weeks, downtown Shreveport has announced the opening of four new restaurants and the re-opening of a favorite that had briefly closed. What gives? The restrictions of COVID-19 have been hard on eateries. First came mandates for curbside and delivery only, extensive PPE requirements and limited dine-in occupancy.

For Fatty Arbuckle’s to reopen to the public at the start of Phase 2 this summer, owner Chase Boytim knew he would need to convert the pub into a restaurant. Fortunately, a plan for this exact business model was already in motion for the whiskey bar in downtown Shreveport.

Three generations of the Sparke family have overseen operations here. The latest is Anna Maria Sparke, no kin to the island. “My grandfather [H. A. Sparke] had it from 1956 until he died in 1984. And my father [R. W. Sparke] took over in 1984, and he ran it until his death in 2020.

But her hunger pain came at a time when restaurant owners were scrambling – Louisiana’s governor had just ordered dining rooms closed because of COVID-19. Restaurants – with only a few hours’ notice – were limited to take-out and delivery. They were adjusting on the fly.

Join Chef Brad Jones and Chef Allison Gras of The Revenir, as well as writer and social media influencer Mallori Sanders for a special beer-pairing dinner, 6-8:30 p.m., Monday, March 16, at Great Raft Brewing.

A new year means new goals, positivity and celebrations. As we roar our way into the ’20s, this year is off to an exciting start for the local food industry with new restaurant openings, changes for already established restaurateurs and events celebrating culinary success in the Shreveport-Bossier area.

“We all love what we do,” David Bridges said. “When you’re around people who don’t like what they do, work becomes difficult. Then it actually becomes work. When you love what you do, it’s not really work. It’s just like you’re hanging out having a party every day.