Even though I sincerely love the restaurant that has taken its place (Dingo's), I am still missing one of my old favorite pasta places - Semolina. Semolina, which was wildly popular in Baton Rouge in the 90s, closed its two locations about 2 years ago and now I'm left with a hankering for their version of eggplant parmesan which will go forever unfulfilled, sadly. (Unless of course I take a drive to Metairie to visit the only remaining location).
Semolina was the first place I'd ever tried the eggplant dish, which could be why it's my favorite. Crisply fried eggplant medallions lay on a bed of perfectly cooked angel hair pasta, smothered in their delicious marinara and topped with melted provolone. It was a magnificent dish and I ordered it regularly. They was also known for a myriad of other wonderful pasta dishes and one of my other favorites was their Chicken Enchilada Pasta - tender chicken breast sautéed with onions, green peppers and black beans in a tortilla cheese sauce tossed with penne pasta and topped with shredded cheddar cheese, jalapenos, sour cream and crunchy tortilla strips. It was a carb-lovers delight. My third favorite dish was the Marinara Quattro Formaggio which featured both alfredo and marinara sauces over penne pasta with four cheeses - parmesan, fontina, provolone and bleu. It was creamy, zesty, cheesy and wonderful. Of course they also featured the ultimate in comfort food - the macaroni and cheese cake. It was a large wedge of macaroni and cheese, served cake-style, smothered in a creamy cheese sauce. It was unbelievably good and could always cure what ailed you. Interestingly enough - Dingo's serves a similar dish as a side - a macaroni and cheese wedge that my son is in love with.
Semolina also introduced me to another Italian favorite that I'd first heard of about in the movie Sleepless in Seattle and was anxious to try - tiramisu. They started serving it in a traditional square slice format but in later years began serving it scooped into a large martini glass, the inside of which was drizzled with chocolate syrup. The moist espresso-soaked lady fingers were fabulous next to layers of sweet mascarpone cheese and of course, the classic dusting of cocoa. It was rich, decadent and the best tiramisu I think Baton Rouge had to offer.
Since saying goodbye to Semolina, I have discovered another great place to get my Italian fix that I must admit I think I like even better. That place is Monjuni's. Monjuni's has incredible Italian food and a delicious sweet marinara that I crave on a regular basis. Their meatball sub is easily the best sandwich in town. There are now two Monjuni's in Baton Rouge and I strongly suggest you give the little Italian Cafe and Grocery a try. Look for a full review, coming soon to Cuisine Rouge.
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