Traeger on the menu
Journey South Outfitters
With help from Traeger grills, chefs around the world are forging new ways to create culinary experiences and delicious food. “Traeger on the Menu” highlights restaurants where wood-fired flavor is always on the menu.
FISHING, FOOD, AND FELLOWSHIP AT JOURNEY SOUTH OUTFITTERS
In Louisiana, at Journey South Outfitters (JSO), angling battles and excitement are always on the menu. This all-inclusive operation is run by husband-and-wife team Eric and Moe Newman, who specialize in providing memorable experiences from the fishing to the food and true southern hospitality.
This self-proclaimed small operation does a little bit of everything. Inshore, offshore, rig fishing, and more—when you’re out on the boat with one of the Newmans, you’re sure to reel in a major catch.
“We’re blessed with such a diverse fishery, tons of birds and reptiles. It’s a really cool place to come fish, but it’s also killer sightseeing,” Eric says about their home base in Venice, Louisiana.
According to Moe, Eric is the cook, and she is the boat maintenance and tackle woman. While they both grew up fishing in the south, Captain Moe is the only female offshore captain along the Gulf Coast and has been featured on the 2014 cover of Saltwater Sportsman Magazine.
From Boat to Grill with Journey South Outfitters
Captains Moe and Eric guide your ultimate fishing and culinary adventure.
Eric’s passion for fishing and a southern lifestyle resulted in a love of cooking, which brought him to working in fine-dining restaurants before eventually owning his own upscale bistro. With his years of experience on the water and in the kitchen, he’s able to bring the best of the south to JSO’s table.
An average day in the life of this team starts at 4 a.m. with breakfast on their Flatrock™ Flat Top Grill: egg, bacon, and cheese sandwiches. Anglers head out on the boat at around 6 a.m., depending on the type of fishing they’re aiming for that day.
“We always have a nice run through the marshes where you see gators, birds, and all kinds of other fun stuff,” Moe says. “If we’re offshore, we typically do a good boat ride from there.”
But, in Moe’s opinion, the best part is when lunch comes. It’s always a Journey South favorite: smoked fish sandwiches. Anglers are treated to whatever Eric had smoking on their Traeger the day before, and it’s usually yellowfin tuna, blackfin tuna, swordfish, cobia, or amberjack. Plus, pickles from cucumbers grown in their garden.
“Our boat sandwiches are a big hit,” Eric says. “We put the fish on Super Smoke until you can pull it apart, and we have olive oil, a bit of mayo, Traeger seasoning, salt, pepper, a little hot sauce, cilantro, fresh bell peppers, onion, and garlic.”
After lunch, the crew continues fishing before heading back at around 3 p.m. for some down time while Eric preps the day’s grand finale: dinner. It comes at 6:30 p.m., and then it’s an early night to rest up before repeating it all the next day.
At JSO, anglers come for the fishing, but stay for the delicious food and generous hospitality. When it comes to dinner, it’s a different specialty every night.
“We’re blessed with such a diverse fishery, tons of birds and reptiles. It’s a really cool place to come fish, but it’s also killer sightseeing.”
— Eric Newman, Journey South Outfitters Co-Owner
Mondays, it’s not Muffuletta, it’s Moe-fuletta—a go-to Cajun sandwich with “a little Moe touch on it,” according to Eric, who opts to cook this dish on his Traeger instead of in the oven. This Italian sandwich is famous for its olive salad and made with Genoa salami, provolone, mortadella, and ham.
It’s Taco Tuesday the next day with braised venison and blackened snapper—either mangrove or red snapper. Eric serves his tacos with a coleslaw and smoked pineapple salsa.
For the rest of the week, it’s a rotation of classics, including blackened fish, char-grilled oysters, dry-aged fish, and whatever else they land in their boat that day. When it comes to oysters, Eric makes them with white wine, garlic, onions, bell peppers, and fresh herbs. A big fan of dry-aged fish, Eric usually opts to make that dish with fatty swordfish, resulting in delicious texture, tenderness, and flavor.
“A lot of our clients like a good Louisiana boil,” Eric says, who loads his boil with shrimp, corn, potatoes, and more.
No matter what’s on the menu, Eric and Moe abide by their philosophy to put a little love into everything and respect the resources they’re harvesting. Along with utilizing local fishing, Eric also incorporates the game they harvest throughout the year. They try to educate their guests on the importance of sustainability, which is why Eric chooses to make foods like fish collars.
“It’s an incredible cut that most people put in the trash can,” Eric says, adding that the dish opens up a lot of opportunities for his clients. “They’re like, ‘oh my gosh, this is incredible, and I’ve been throwing this away my whole life.’ And it really ties into our whole mission statement.”
Eric and Moe started Journey South Outfitters with a mission to keep the fishery alive for generations to come and not abuse their natural resources. With this conservation mindset, they try to be aware of what they’re harvesting so they can enjoy the fishery of Venice both on the water and on their table.
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