Fat Cow

4350 Suite B1

Highland Village Shopping Center (at the south gates of LSU)
Baton Rouge, LA
225.761.9272
http://www.fatcowburgers.com/

Cuisine Rouge Rating:

4.5 plates

Doug Hosford is a man who knows his meat. Although he lives in Natchez, he and his wife have opened a gourmet burger joint just outside the south gates of LSU called Fat Cow. The burger is always a favorite, a staple of the American diet, and Fat Cow definitely does it justice.

“It’s all about the meat”, says Doug as I talk with him after sampling his tasty fare. “Salt and pepper, that’s it. If you add anything else to the meat you’ve got meat loaf.” My sentiments exactly. Too many places serve up a burger whose flavor relies on toppings, sauces, and spreads and don’t focus on the meat, which should be the star.












Of the various burger offerings at Fat Cow, the Hundred Dollar Burger is the one that first grabbed my attention. While it doesn’t actually have a $100 price tag, the toppings of foie gras, Balsamic vinegar, parmesan cheese and truffle oil give the name credibility. Of course I had to try this, and it was excellent. The bun is slightly sweet, and the toppings enhance the flavor of the freshly ground beef, instad of masking it. The burger was cooked as I requested it, med-rare, and was very juicy and flavorful.

I must take a moment here to stand atop my soap box to discuss my feelings on burger cooking. If a place doesn't cook to order, and insists on cooking the life (and flavor) out of the meat, then don’t even tell me about it. The cow is already dead, there is no need to kill it again. "Well, what about e-coli?," you might ask. What about it? Keep in mind, I’m not wandering into a third world butcher shop with live chickens running around asking for this preparation. If you are at a reputable, clean, well-maintained restaurant with culinary professionals handling your food then there’s nothing to be concerned about. This of course doesn't ensure your safety 100 percent, but neither does getting in your car and entering the Baton Rouge traffic.

Okay, I’m done.

Back to the burgers.

My wife tried the Smokestack Burger, and it was great, although she said it was a bit on the salty side. Overall, it was wonderful, though. Smoked cheddar cheese, Benton’s apple smoked bacon, fried onion straws, and drizzled with a sweet and tangy BBQ sauce. Drizzled is an important word in that description. The burger is not coated in BBQ sauce where that’s the only flavor you taste. All of the flavors and textures come together to make this a great burger. The bacon is ridiculously smoky and really brings out the flavor of the beef.  The bun also brings a bit of sweet heat as they use the same sweet bun but this time it's flecked with small pieces of jalapeno peppers.  Not too spicy, but just right.

We also tried the parmesan and duck fat fries, and I can honestly say that I was not impressed. I found the fries to be overcooked, and really didn’t get anything from the exotic ingredients that I wouldn’t get from any basket of fries.  My wife wondered if perhaps the dark color was due to the fact that they use real potatoes which they cut fresh daily -and that she knows potatoes can brown a bit like apples if left out for too long.  She found that they were good in ketchup, but alone, they were slightly bitter with a faint burnt flavor.

They also offer a variety of salads, and serve a Sunday brunch. If you are a true burger aficionado as I am, I suggest checking it out.

Le Creole

18135 E. Petroleum Dr. (off Highland Rd.)
Baton Rouge, LA 70809
225.752.7135
www.lecreolebr.com

Cuisine Rouge Rating:

4.5 plates

Le Creole's tagline includes two important words that set up very high expectations for a dining experience there. The two words are in fact the name of a city - a city whose name invokes an instant menagerie of thoughts filled with colors, sights, smells, sounds and most of all flavors. Those two words: New Orleans. And so that's where the bar was set, right there at "New Orleans" considering their website proudly announces "Where the Gulf of Mexico meets New Orleans."

Upon entering, we were greeted by the hostess and an incredible bouquet of aromas, which was indeed promising. The most overwhelming fragrance was that of fresh seafood, so, as far as we could smell at least, they were delivering on their promise of bringing the delights of the Gulf to your plate. The ambiance in the tastefully decorated dining room was wonderful. The lighting is dim and romantic, yet the overall feel is not too stuffy and a large family wouldn’t feel out of place. In fact, a family with children dined next to us. I was particularly delighted to see a piano player skillfully playing jazz and standards on a tremendous grand piano in one corner of the restaurant. Live music is always a wonderful addition to a dining experience, as long as it's not too loud or distracting. This was perfect. And again - it hearkened back to that "New Orleans" feeling I was expecting.

The waitstaff was polished and attentive, as well as and very enthusiastic about the food, which is always a great sign. Our server answered our questions accurately and was knowledgeable regarding the wine list and nightly specials.

We chose two appetizers - one that appears on the regular menu, the crawfish and warm goat cheese crepe, and a special, the crab cake.

The crawfish and warm goat cheese crepe is served with fresh herbs in a nantua sauce, which I'd never heard of. It was absolutely amazing. The flavors were very good - a hint of bell pepper, a bit of spice all rolled into in a creamy sauce that tickled the palate. The crawfish were fresh, plump and tender. The crepe was lovely and perfectly crisped. It was an amazing dish packed with flavor.

The crab cake was made completely of jumbo lump crab, no fillers to speak of, and broiled, not fried. It rested in two distinct sauces, a remoulade and another creme sauce - the name escapes me. The crab had a good fresh, sweet flavor and the sauces were delicious. However, my fourth or fifth bite in left me with a bit of shell in my mouth, which caused me to stop eating it completely. I know that it happens, and I didn't make a fuss. But once I come across anything like that in a dish - a bone, a shell, etc, I can't continue eating it because I'm immediately paranoid after each bite taken. They were very small pieces of the shell but just enough to make the dish unpleasant.

We also ordered a soup and salad - the crispy iceberg wedge and the turtle soup - just to try them out. While we waited for our second course, we were presented with a surprise from the kitchen - the chef had send out a specialty to our table - Roasted pork belly on a bed of stone ground cheese grits in a chipotle pepper sauce with a fried egg perched atop.

Wow!

Neither of us have had the pleasure of trying pork belly. We know that it's offered in several restaurants in New Orleans (there's that city again), but we've never heard of it being served here in Baton Rouge.

In a word: sumptuous.

The dish was very rich and flavorful - full of bold flavors, like the sweet heat in the chipotle pepper sauce and the sharp cheesy goodness of the grits. The egg, pork belly, grits and sauce all paired together was a real treat. Quite an interesting and delicious combo.

Our entrees arrived next. We'd almost forgotten that we'd ordered soup and salad, but were so nearly stuffed from the chef's gift to our table that we shrugged our shoulders and said "Next time. Next time we'll try them."

I chose the crispy fried chicken and sweet potato waffle. The dish is accompanied by a creole coleslaw and Jack Daniel's and Steen's Cane Syrup sauce for drizzling. So, so wonderful. It was comforting. It was complex, flavor-wise. It was just plain good. The chicken was perfectly cooked and the waffles were fluffy, yet crisp with that hint of sweet potato coming through. Although I'm not a big coleslaw fan, I did take a few bites and it was quite good.

Our other entrée was the fish special, and of the two fish offered, he chose the red snapper. You can then choose one of two methods of preparation, which basically can be described as southern and northern. The northern version features the fish roasted on a cedar plank and served with grilled asparagus, herbed potatoes, and a tomato buerre blanc. He chose the southern preparation, entitled the “Pointe Coupee”; where the fish is crusted in Bergeron pecans and fried, topped with jumbo lump crab, set atop a bed of sautéed spinach and surrounded by a sweet corn sauce. The fish was cooked perfectly and there was no greasiness to it. The crab was fresh and tasty, and the sauce had a good rich flavor. All in all it’s a very good dish, but nothing extraordinary.

Although we were near popping, we knew we had to try at least one of their signature desserts, and what screams New Orleans louder than Bananas Foster? A simple, yet incredibly delicious offering consisting of two scoops of vanilla bean ice cream and a small cast iron skillet filled with fresh chopped banana and that gooey caramel, bourbon and cinnamon combo. The chef lit our skillet and we oohed and aahed a bit before blowing it out and serving up the steaming sauce onto our ice cream. It was delicious - and the bits of burnt crunchy sugar were an added treat.

So, to sum it all up - it was a great finer dining experience with all the charm, flavor and sophistication of New Orleans plus the casual friendliness of the staff. I felt at home and pampered while in the midst of a beautiful and elegant setting eating luxurious cuisine. It's a great new addition to the Baton Rouge restaurant game and definitely a place that would serve as a great destination for a special occasion or a family evening out.

Le Creole is located on Highland Road past Blue Bayou on the right and directly across from Ruffino's.

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:

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.