Plan your Fourth of July with ‘225 Dine’

Hot dogs and hamburgers are usually on the menu for the Fourth of July. But what about sweets? If you’re looking for something special and festive this weekend, a few bakers and treat-makers in town have just the thing.

Gourmet Girls, a bakery and catering company at 3025 Perkins Road that had a hit with king cake cupcakes earlier this year, is offering Fourth of July themed handmade cookies, decorated with edible glitter and more. To place an order, call 252-0999.

Brew Ha-Ha is also taking orders on its popular cake balls. If you want to get in the patriotic spirit, owner Gabby Loubiere-Higgins recommends the 225 and Psychedelic Pound Cake flavors, but says the shop can make any flavor customers want. A limited number of varieties will also be on display at the store’s location at 711 Jefferson Highway. It is open seven days a week, 6:30 a.m.-9 p.m. Call 923-1923 for more information, or visit brewhahabr.com.

Lisa Lamulle of POPCulture Popsicles is creating red, white and blueberry and raspberry-blueberry lemonade pops, which will be available at L’Auberge Casino & Hotel Baton Rouge’s Fourth of July extravaganza and Alexander’s Highland Market’s popup market Sunday. Lamulle says she’ll also be bringing nectarine basil, blackberry mojito, blueberry kiwi and cantaloupe honey pops to this weekend’s events. For more information on POPCulture, click here.

Cupcake Allie is featuring banana split and apple bacon barbecue cupcakes. Custom patriotic cupcake bites will be sold at the bakery’s location at 3753 Perkins Road, Suite #6, as well as both Calandro’s Supermarket locations and at Calvin’s Bocage Market. For more information, call 302-7096 or click here.

The Pelican House (2572 Citiplace Court) will get in on the festivities today with its second annual “3rd of July” barbecue. The event kicks off at 6 p.m., and includes $2 hamburgers and hot dogs on the patio with your choice of 20 different toppings, drink specials and a costume contest. RSVP and get more information here. The bar and restaurant will not be open Friday.

Also around town, local chef and food writer Jay Ducote has been celebrating the release of his Jay D’s Louisiana Barbecue Sauce with events all week. Today, he’ll be a part of Calandro’s Perkins Road location’s (12732 Perkins Road) local foods blowout 3 p.m.-8 p.m. On the Fourth of July, he’ll participate in the third annual hot dog eating contest at Frankie’s Dawg House. Ducote will also be selling the sauce 8 a.m.-noon Saturday inside the Main Street Market at the Red Stick Farmers Market downtown. For more information, visit biteandbooze.com.

Get more tips from 225‘s last-minute Fourth of July guide. The guide includes must-haves for your party, such as Trader Joe’s jumbo, all-natural beef franks and Cathead Honeysuckle Vodka, which mixes perfectly with lemonade and fresh fruit.

If you’re looking for something to do for the holiday weekend, 225 Weekender has a list of all the downtown events on tap.