Here in South Louisiana, we are truly blessed to have access to some of the best fresh seafood found anywhere. Whether its crawfish, crabs, shrimp, oysters, or the many fresh fish available, you're sure to find a favorite without going far. Just as abundant as the seafood options are the restaurants that specialize in them.
By far, the primary preparation that you will most often find will be fried. As much fried seafood as the restaurants in our area feature, they don't all prepare it the same way, so it's important to know what you like before venturing out for that seafood platter. For example, there is a real difference in both taste and texture between frying with cornmeal versus flour.
For me, the greatest sins committed in frying seafood are overcooking, and greasiness. The latter often occurs as a result of the former. Luckily, there are a wide range of places in the Baton Rouge area where you don't typically have to be concerned about that. Restaurants such as Ralph & Kacoo's, Drusilla, Parrain's, Mike Anderson's, and Brunet's have consistently delicious seafood dishes, and are experts when it comes to the fried staples we love. In my opinion, for fried seafood, you can't beat The Chimes. This LSU landmark has impressed me on every visit, and its new Coursey Boulevard location offers the same great quality in a much larger and easier to access facility. Of course, there's nothing better on a hot Louisiana summer afternoon to wash down that tasty seafood than an ice cold beer, and if you can't find one you like at Chimes, then you don't like beer. They have over 130 different brews from every corner of the planet.
If fried is not for you, then the city has a number of other restaurants that are offering tasty alternatives. For great oysters, check out Jones Creek Oyster Bar, Phil's, Acme Oyster House, or On The Half Shell. In addition to the classic freshly shucked delicacies, you can find different grilled variations. One of the more recent additions to area seafood menus is the fish taco. You can find this tasty dish at places like Fish City Grill, Bonefish Grill, and Dingo's.
So whatever your favorite seafood dish is, you are in the right place. Check out one of these places or one of the many others in the area, and let me know your thoughts.
Friday, April 24, 2009
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Dingo's
UPDATE: After a move from Coursey to the Shenandoah Country Club, Dingo's closed after just a few months in it's new location. I miss the curry so much, I can't stand it. Thinking of calling Patrick and begging for the recipe.
Cuisine Rouge Rating:
Wow. You know, there are a relatively large number of restaurants here in the Baton Rouge area, but despite that, there isn't much variety. You can choose from a long list of places from the typical categories, but rarely is there a place that stands out.
One of the city's newest eateries, Dingo's is such a place. Located in what was at one time Semolina's restaurant on Coursey Boulevard near Sherwood Forest, Dingo's maintains the same basic look, but a totally different atmosphere.
Owner Patrick Muller hails from Perth, Australia and his friendly and captivating persona contributes largely to welcoming environment you'll find inside. When you combine this with the great food, you are sure to become a fan.
The menu is relatively short, but covers a wide range of different types of items. Appetizers include standard fare such as potato wedges and spinach dip, but also features some interesting things such as the shrimp bong, jumbo shrimp perched high upon skewers served in a glass bowl containing a tasty dipping sauce.
There are a nice variety of salads and sandwiches on the menu offering a variety of different flavors. My wife had a side salad that was served with a delicious honey mustard dressing. For lunch I had the chicken club, a basic sandwich regularly seen on a lunch menu, but the crispy applewood bacon, tasty honey mustard sauce and wheat bun elevated it to another level. It didn't hurt either that the chicken breast was cooked perfectly, very juicy and sporting a great grilled flavor.
Other sandwiches on the menu take on an exciting flair, and offer a nice departure from their boring counterparts. Turkey and brie Panini with fig spread, the turkey burger with chipotle cranberry sour cream, and the veggie burger with freshly made mango salsa are all as tasty as they sound.
Continuing the trend of tasty and exciting are the soups. The tomato basil and homemade chili made with chicken are quite good, and the pumpkin soup is an unusual and delicious offering. It is thick and creamy with a hint of spice giving it a really nice flavor.
The two entrees that I sampled were excellent. The pan seared sea scallops were perfectly cooked, and served atop butternut squash risotto. The squash were not overcooked, with a nice bite, offering a great textural contrast to the creamy risotto. The chipotle chicken curry has applewood bacon, artichokes, green peppers, and tender pieces of chicken swimming in a decadent coconut red curry sauce. I'm fairly certain you won't find a dish this exotic and flavorful anywhere else in town.
If you have managed to save any room for dessert, you are in for a treat. There are a variety of selections, including a rotating 'sweet of the day', but I recommend the chocolate croissant bread pudding. The creamy, buttery richness of the croissant makes it an excellent candidate for incorporation into a bread pudding. Together with the chocolate chips and the rum cream sauce, this will put all other bread puddings you have tasted to shame.
In conclusion, this is a great restaurant, and a more than welcome wakeup call to the standard fare of Baton Rouge cuisine. Do yourself a favor and head 'down under' to Coursey Boulevard for a great meal.
Cuisine Rouge Rating:
 |
| 4.5 plates |
Wow. You know, there are a relatively large number of restaurants here in the Baton Rouge area, but despite that, there isn't much variety. You can choose from a long list of places from the typical categories, but rarely is there a place that stands out.
One of the city's newest eateries, Dingo's is such a place. Located in what was at one time Semolina's restaurant on Coursey Boulevard near Sherwood Forest, Dingo's maintains the same basic look, but a totally different atmosphere.
Owner Patrick Muller hails from Perth, Australia and his friendly and captivating persona contributes largely to welcoming environment you'll find inside. When you combine this with the great food, you are sure to become a fan.
The menu is relatively short, but covers a wide range of different types of items. Appetizers include standard fare such as potato wedges and spinach dip, but also features some interesting things such as the shrimp bong, jumbo shrimp perched high upon skewers served in a glass bowl containing a tasty dipping sauce.
There are a nice variety of salads and sandwiches on the menu offering a variety of different flavors. My wife had a side salad that was served with a delicious honey mustard dressing. For lunch I had the chicken club, a basic sandwich regularly seen on a lunch menu, but the crispy applewood bacon, tasty honey mustard sauce and wheat bun elevated it to another level. It didn't hurt either that the chicken breast was cooked perfectly, very juicy and sporting a great grilled flavor.
Other sandwiches on the menu take on an exciting flair, and offer a nice departure from their boring counterparts. Turkey and brie Panini with fig spread, the turkey burger with chipotle cranberry sour cream, and the veggie burger with freshly made mango salsa are all as tasty as they sound.
Continuing the trend of tasty and exciting are the soups. The tomato basil and homemade chili made with chicken are quite good, and the pumpkin soup is an unusual and delicious offering. It is thick and creamy with a hint of spice giving it a really nice flavor.
The two entrees that I sampled were excellent. The pan seared sea scallops were perfectly cooked, and served atop butternut squash risotto. The squash were not overcooked, with a nice bite, offering a great textural contrast to the creamy risotto. The chipotle chicken curry has applewood bacon, artichokes, green peppers, and tender pieces of chicken swimming in a decadent coconut red curry sauce. I'm fairly certain you won't find a dish this exotic and flavorful anywhere else in town.
If you have managed to save any room for dessert, you are in for a treat. There are a variety of selections, including a rotating 'sweet of the day', but I recommend the chocolate croissant bread pudding. The creamy, buttery richness of the croissant makes it an excellent candidate for incorporation into a bread pudding. Together with the chocolate chips and the rum cream sauce, this will put all other bread puddings you have tasted to shame.
In conclusion, this is a great restaurant, and a more than welcome wakeup call to the standard fare of Baton Rouge cuisine. Do yourself a favor and head 'down under' to Coursey Boulevard for a great meal.
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Mudbug Madness
Well, it's that time of year when the crawfish cravings are in full swing. Thanks to recent rains, the crop is looking up and the prices are starting to stabilize. As most Louisianians know, the normal curve for pricing tends to swing upward as we approach Easter weekend, then fall back down after. Right now, it seems that somewhere in the neighborhood of $3/lb boiled is typical pricing in the BR area.
Last Sunday my cravings came to a head and I had to get a fix. Despite the fact that Tommy's Fish House is located right near my house, I had to venture into the city because they were closed. When open however, you can find boiled for $3/lb and on some nights get all you can eat for $20. My first thought on where else to go seemed obvious. Logic told me that a place I would be sure to find what I needed would be The Crawfish Place, however they too were closed on a Sunday.
So, I found myself heading over to Sammy's on Highland Rd. The pricing was much like the crowd there, a little on the upscale/trendy side. There were a mix of local celebrity types and college students inside filling the place with a lively atmosphere. The crawfish were good, seasoned nicely, but not cheap. A tray containing 3lbs cost me $13.95, not including corn and potatoes which were $3 extra. For an additional 2lbs, it was another $3.95 plus another $3 for more potatoes. Of course you can't have hot boiled crawfish without beer, so my total damage came to about $40.
All in all, not a bad experience. I could have saved money eating at home, but wanted to get out and go somewhere, so I guess that factors into the cost as well. There are other choices of course, I know there are some seafood restaurants in town such as Drusilla that are doing all you can eat deals as well.
Of course, I could have just went with buying live and boiling at home. I find it interesting just how many different procedures there are out there for accomplishing this task. I have heard all sorts of methods, such as steaming them in an ice chest, covering them with ice, letting them soak for some time, and even throwing raw onions on top once they come out of the boil. The other curious thing is what some people will integrate into a boil. This really runs the food spectrum as covers a large amount of items. Foods like eggs, sausage, mushrooms, broccoli, carrots, and even chicken breasts have found their way into the spicy brew by people I know.
So, let's hear your thoughts. Where is the best place to find boiled bugs, and how do you do it?
Last Sunday my cravings came to a head and I had to get a fix. Despite the fact that Tommy's Fish House is located right near my house, I had to venture into the city because they were closed. When open however, you can find boiled for $3/lb and on some nights get all you can eat for $20. My first thought on where else to go seemed obvious. Logic told me that a place I would be sure to find what I needed would be The Crawfish Place, however they too were closed on a Sunday.
So, I found myself heading over to Sammy's on Highland Rd. The pricing was much like the crowd there, a little on the upscale/trendy side. There were a mix of local celebrity types and college students inside filling the place with a lively atmosphere. The crawfish were good, seasoned nicely, but not cheap. A tray containing 3lbs cost me $13.95, not including corn and potatoes which were $3 extra. For an additional 2lbs, it was another $3.95 plus another $3 for more potatoes. Of course you can't have hot boiled crawfish without beer, so my total damage came to about $40.
All in all, not a bad experience. I could have saved money eating at home, but wanted to get out and go somewhere, so I guess that factors into the cost as well. There are other choices of course, I know there are some seafood restaurants in town such as Drusilla that are doing all you can eat deals as well.
Of course, I could have just went with buying live and boiling at home. I find it interesting just how many different procedures there are out there for accomplishing this task. I have heard all sorts of methods, such as steaming them in an ice chest, covering them with ice, letting them soak for some time, and even throwing raw onions on top once they come out of the boil. The other curious thing is what some people will integrate into a boil. This really runs the food spectrum as covers a large amount of items. Foods like eggs, sausage, mushrooms, broccoli, carrots, and even chicken breasts have found their way into the spicy brew by people I know.
So, let's hear your thoughts. Where is the best place to find boiled bugs, and how do you do it?
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