Italiano

While Baton Rouge doesn’t have a Little Italy like Chicago, New York, or other larger cities, we do have our fair share of fine Italian eateries.  Here is my take on the many places in town where you can find your favorite Italian foods.

First let’s start with pizza.  Of course we all know the big names, and we all have picked up the phone to order Domino’s, Pizza Hut, or Papa John’s.  But when possible, do yourself a favor and check out the many great alternatives in our area.  California Pizza Kitchen and Kona Grill in Perkins Rowe are great places with good pizza.  They feature a variety of the more modern twists on traditional pizza offerings, like pear and gorgonzola pizza, barbecued chicken pizza, and mango tandoori chicken pizza. If you tastes for pizza are more standard, there’s the Mellow Mushroom near LSU, Rotolo’s in several locations, Buck’s Pizza, Johnny DeAngelo’s, and others.  All of which have good pizza and depending on whom you ask, one of them bests the others.  For me, and many others there is no question that the best pizza around is at Fleur de Lis.  The pink building, square pizza and no credit card policy may turn you off initially, but taste the pizza and you won’t care.  They have been making this great pizza since 1946 when the place opened as a cocktail lounge.

For casual Italian dining, places like Macaroni Grill, Portobella’s, and DeAngelo’s are nice.  There’s also some of the newer Italian chains like Carrabba’s Italian Grill and Bravo Cucina Italiana, which are okay, but for me I prefer to stick with the local establishments.  Ruffino’s on Highland is one of my favorites, because in addition to some great Italian dishes, you can get a good steak, or delicious seafood dish.  Gino’s, just off College on Bennington is probably the most authentic Italian cuisine in the city and very nice, a great place for a special occasion.

Of course there are other places not mentioned here, but these are my recommendations, and I would love to hear yours as well.  One final thought, next time you venture out for a nice evening of Italian dining, skip the chain restaurants for once and give a local spot a visit.

Downtown

For quite some time now, Baton Rouge has struggled with getting some life injected into the downtown area.  While a few places have thrived, the majority have come and gone, some so quickly that they were barely even noticed.  This holds true for both bars and restaurants, and those establishments that fall somewhere in between.  Here are my thoughts on some downtown spots.

First up are the places where you can get in and out quickly if you want to grab a quick bite.  The Subway on the corner of Third and North is perfect for this, because whether or not you’re ready, the sandwich Nazi inside will push you through the line so fast, you won’t have time to waste time.  If you are looking to sit down for a bit in a casual place, Downtown Seafood has cheap prices and decent food.  Nothing to brag about, but it will do in a pinch.  Jobe’s Café is a nice little place with a daily buffet.  They have consistently good food, and at a good price.  The crowd can get pretty thick in the midst of the lunch rush, and you may be bumping elbows with some pretty grisly characters working on the many construction projects in the area.

The new Shaw Center has brought with it some great dining spots.  If you’re in the mood for sushi, Tsunami is a great place.  It also offers the best view of the downtown area overlooking the river.  That view doesn’t come cheap though, so you’ll find yourself paying a bit more than you would at a typical Japanese eatery.  Capital City Grill on the other side of the center is another great restaurant.  Located just across the street from the new downtown Hilton, they have good food and friendly service.  I personally recommend the Tenderloin Salad for lunch.  Crisp Romaine lettuce tossed in a tangy Caesar dressing with diced Roma tomatoes, topped with a nice piece of tenderloin steak sporting some crumbled blue cheese.

The people who brought you Walk-On’s restaurant (near LSU, and now Coursey near Sherwood), have a few establishments in the downtown area.  There’s an Irish themed bar, Happy’s, a pizza joint called Schlitz and Giggles, and Roux House.  Schlitz and Giggles is about as serious about their food as the name would suggest.  I have found the pizza here to be rather disappointing.  They serve the thin crust style, which I am a big fan of, but it just isn’t up to par.  The crust is lacking crispiness and any inclusion of meat toppings leaves you with a pool of grease atop each slice.  Roux House is unfortunately not much better.  On a recent visit, I got their version of a small seafood combo plate, containing shrimp that were sized to be dried and bagged, not fried.  The crawfish weren’t very fresh, and the fries soggy, a disappointment to our seafood traditions.  Service at each place is also very poor.  I sat unattended at a table in the pizza place before leaving and the staff at Roux House made it seem like an effort to serve me.  These places should stick to providing drinks and music.

Where else in the city can you eat foie gras and drink something called a Dirty Lobbyist?   Look for a review very soon.