Nino's Italian

Nino’s Italian

7512 Bluebonnet Blvd.
Baton Rouge, LA
225.757.9300

www.ninos-italian.com

I often visit other blogs and read online reviews of area restaurants to get an idea of new places to check out.  A reviewer of Nino’s on Urbanspoon.com did a great job of describing Nino’s, so I had to quote him.  Eric says, “If you love Olive Garden, you will probably hate Nino’s”.

Hate is seldom used within the context of a compliment, but here it clearly is.  Chef Elton Hyndman uses fresh ingredients, and makes everything from scratch.  From the hot, fresh sourdough bread you receive at the beginning of your meal to the fresh pasta and sauces, everything is house made, and you can taste the difference.  And it’s something he is proud of, as well he should be.  A visit to the restaurant’s website doesn’t just give you a scanned copy of the restaurant menu.  Each item on the menu is photographed and described in detail, down to the steps taken in preparation.

The restaurant is small, and serves as a good setting for an intimate romantic night out without the kids.  That’s exactly what my wife and I did to celebrate her birthday.  We made a reservation (which is a good idea given its limited seating capacity), and were seated promptly when we arrived.

We first sampled the gnocchi appetizer.  Fresh potato pasta dumplings topped with a basil cream sauce.  When prepared properly, these are extremely light and delicate and just melt in your mouth.  Nino’s nailed it, as these were easily the best I’ve ever eaten.

Gnocchi

Caesar salads followed, and were fresh and tasty as well.  An excellent example of the care Chef Elton puts into his food is shown in the crouton for the salad.  A thin slice of homemade sourdough bread is topped with pepper, olive oil, and parmesan and toasted in the oven.  This type of attention to detail is what separates good restaurants from great restaurants.

For entrees, we had the lasagna and gorgonzola pasta.  The lasagna is filled with marinated and grilled zucchini and summer squash, along with seasoned ground beef.  The beef is browned and seasoned using a spinach-basil-lemon juice puree that really helps to alleviate some of the heaviness often associated with lasagna.  The pasta and marinara are of course house made and as fresh as you can find anywhere.

Lasagna

The gorgonzola pasta was very delicious, consisting of sautéed mushrooms and peppers swimming in a brandy-gorgonzola cream sauce atop fresh fettuccine.  Eating fresh pasta is kinda like seeing HD television for the first time.  Once you have experienced it, what you knew before vastly pales in comparison.

Gorgonzola pasta

Of course we had to try dessert, and typically we would have opted for a traditional Italian favorite, especially given the fact that I had been told the tiramisu was outrageously good.  However, I am fanatic about chocolate chip cookies.  They are one of the greatest things ever produced by man.  When I saw them on the menu and read the description, I was sold.  These are oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, baked to order, and served with fresh cream and cold milk.  It would be an insult to even try to put into words how good these cookies are.  You just have to check them out yourself.

Cookies

Nino’s is not to be missed.  It is among the best restaurants our city has to offer.  Period.

Portico

11777 Coursey Blvd. (near Sherwood Forest)

Baton Rouge, LA 70816

225.778.7746

http://www.porticoetc.com

Portico is one of BR’s newest eateries, housed in the former Calendar’s restaurant near the very busy intersection of Coursey Blvd and Sherwood Forest.  While the look and feel of the restaurant as well as their website is nicely polished and quite appealing, the service and food are sorely lacking.

The layout is very open with an outdoor patio area complete with misters adjacent to the bar.  The décor is modern and very appealing.  I visited on a Saturday evening and my party was seated promptly.  Our waiter seemed a bit stressed but got drinks going pretty quickly while we looked over the menu.

The menu is fairly straightforward, consisting of mostly bar type food.  Nothing really stood out as unique or special.  They offer a variety of common appetizers such as spinach and artichoke dip, chips and queso, cheese fries and wings.  Pizza is on the menu as well, a variety of sandwiches and burgers, steaks, salads, very common items you would expect to find at an average eatery.  We opted to skip the appetizers and just order our entrees.

I ordered the flatboy, a meaty, pressed sandwich that sounded right up my alley, complete with a variety of meats that included pork, ham, turkey and roast beef, covered in Swiss cheese and served with barbeque sauce and gravy on the side.  I ordered the twice baked potatoes as a side item.  The sandwich was good, but the potatoes were cold and had little flavor.  Overall all of our food was cold, which implies that it sat too long waiting to be served to us.

Other food sampled by members of my party included the turkey & avocado club, spaghetti & meatballs, and grilled chicken sandwich.  The sandwiches and spaghetti were reported as good, but the fries were cold and soggy, and the presentation very sloppy.

Turkey & Avocado Club with Grits

  

Spaghetti & Meatballs

Flatboy sandwich with Twice-Baked Potatoes

Brownie (with whipped cream in place of melted ice cream)

The service was very lacking as well, as I asked for a beer prior to receiving my entrée and did not see it until I was nearly done eating.  Halfway during the meal, the table behind us was bussed and cleaned in a procedure that sounded like a bull passing through a china cabinet.

Service continued to go downhill when we were done and it came time for the check.  My wife asked the waiter if they do anything for birthdays, since it was mine, and he replied that he did not know but would check with management.  He then mentioned something about dessert, not specifically indicating that it was complimentary, but nevertheless, I decided to try the brownie with ice cream. 

He returned a short time later to inform me that all of the ice cream had melted, but if I still wanted the dessert he would get it.  So, he proceeded to bring it to me, sans ice cream.  It was decent, but nothing special. 

When the bill came, we were somewhat surprised to see a charge for the dessert, first given the fact that most restaurants will comp that for a birthday, and second because one key component of it was missing.  I was not in a mood to argue, but my wife did speak with the manager who informed her that the freezer was low on Freon and the ice cream had melted.  He did offer his apologies and said to ask for him on a return visit to “make it up to us”.  Later when giving this more thought (and ironically watching an episode of Restaurant Impossible) it occurred to me that if the refrigeration was not working properly then perhaps food safety was jeopardized. 

All in all, issues like this invariably point to bad management.  A responsible, competent manager is accountable for all staff, and communicates basic information to them to enable them to do their jobs properly.  Additionally, the manager should visit all tables to follow up and ensure that the customer is happy.  In this modern day of social media it is too risky to chance upsetting a customer and have that bad experience spread virally across the internet for thousands to see.

It’s a real shame that Portico doesn’t match its sleek, modern look with excellent service and an innovative menu.  Perhaps a few more negative experiences will kick start a much needed change.

Podnuh's Rib House and Grill

9655 Perkins Rd. Suite A (at Bluebonnet)

Baton Rouge, LA

225.215.1730

Since 1977, Podnuh’s has operated several barbecue restaurants throughout Louisiana, serving cafeteria style barbecue favorites in a serving line setting.  This new establishment is modeled more around a typical full service restaurant with a wait staff to take your order.  In addition to the Podnuh’s favorites like brisket, chicken and rib platters, the menu features soups, salads, steaks, seafood and desserts.

On my visit I sampled the chicken platter, which includes ½ a chicken smoked, along with two sides and Texas toast.  The chicken was tasty with good smoke flavor, but some bites came across a bit dry for my taste.  The sweet potato fries were excellent, crispy outside with a soft center, not soggy and very flavorful.  Also, the potato salad was very good, with a good tang from the mustard and slight sweetness from a small amount of relish.  It’s a bit creamier than other potato salads I’ve had, but personally I prefer that.

The sauce is served on the side, and personally isn’t my favorite.  It’s more of a Carolina type sauce, with a vinegar base and a thin consistency.  I prefer the thicker, sweeter barbecue sauces.  Still, it did have good flavor and complimented the chicken nicely.

My friend had the brisket platter and was quite pleased.  His main report was that it tastes just like the Podnuh’s he is used to eating.  The beans are interesting in that they are served with small bits of brisket in the sauce.  Something that I’m sure very few people complain about, as they are quite tasty.

The restaurant is very clean and laid out nicely, with a nice full bar and plenty of TVs.  The service is great, and wait staff seemed knowledgeable about the menu, able to answer several questions.  The prices seemed a bit more than I remembered from the old Podnuh’s but understandable, given the fact that it is a full service restaurant.

All in all, I would recommend giving them a shot.  True barbecue purists may not find it quite up to par, but for the average diner it is a good destination for tasty eats.

Brisket platter with baked beans

Chicken platter with sweet potato fries and potato salad

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.

Pimanyoli's Sidewalk Cafe

14214 Airline Highway
Baton Rouge, LA 70817
225.751.7590
http://www.pimanyolis.com/

Cuisine Rouge Rating:

4 plates

As the temperatures rise outside, so does the appetite for good BBQ. While Baton Rouge isn’t known for being a big BBQ town like Memphis or Kansas City, there are a few places that serve up some good stuff. Recently I have found a new spot that is doing an excellent job on the pit.

Pimanyoli’s is definitely a unique name, and is the result of combining the nicknames of the two owners. “Piman” is Creole for pepper, and he’s the pit master, producing some excellent BBQ. “Yoli” is short for Yolanda, who has been working as a professional caterer for over 30 years. Both come from families that have been in the food industry for a long time.

Keeping with our melting pot of Louisiana culture, Pimanyoli’s combines the best of the country’s various BBQ techniques to create some great food. The brisket is cooked up San Antonio style, the pulled pork on bun topped with coleslaw is straight out of Memphis, and the sauce is Carolina style, vinegary and tasty, featuring 21 different ingredients.

My first visit was for a quick lunch. It was obvious upon entering the place that lunchtime is big here, as I lucked out to get an open table immediately. I saw quite a few things on the menu that I wanted to check out, but chose the brisket sandwich. Deemed the “Brisket Meltdown”, it features smoked brisket topped with grilled onions and Monterey Jack cheese. A couple of technical things about the sandwich stood out to me, one being that there is no sauce on it. Given the fact that sauce is available on the table, this is a good idea, providing the diner with the option of adding it. Also, the sandwich is toasted, which is nice so that when you do pile on the sauce you won’t end up with a soggy mess. Of course the real deal here is the meat, and it was tender with a great smoky flavor, the kind you don’t get from quickly churning out meat like some more commercial type establishments.

On my next visit, I did a more thorough BBQ analysis, trying the pulled pork, St. Louis style ribs, and chicken. The pork was great, tender and smoky with a good texture. Often I find that pulled pork can be kinda ‘stringy’ and dry, but this was done right. The chicken was also well done, and although not my favorite type of ribs, the St. Louis style served here are very good, extremely tender and juicy. Several of the sides were tasted, the potato salad was a little too “pickle-y” for my tastes, and the sweet potato was nothing out of the ordinary. The ones that stood out were the macaroni and cheese and the baked beans. Pimanyoli’s resists the urge to take the easy path and serve up the quick boxed mac and cheese variety, and rather makes theirs daily from scratch using an old school recipe handed down from the owner’s mother. It’s one of the best examples I’ve tasted in the area. The beans were very good, not too thick and not too soupy, with a nice amount of sweetness and the bonus addition of little pieces of brisket added in.

St. Louis Ribs


Three Meat Platter

Also sampled were the tamales. These are delta style tamales hailing from the Newellton area of North Louisiana, just south of Vicksburg. They are from an over eighty year old recipe and are quite tasty. Desserts are fairly straightforward, fudge brownie with ice cream, and bread pudding with rum sauce, but the standout is the “Cobbler of the Day”. This homemade offering features a rotating variety of fruit (blackberry, blueberry, apple or peach) and like everything else I sampled is truly authentic.

Of course there are many other options on the menu, including other sandwiches, burgers, fried seafood and what is definitely on my list for my next visit – Buffalo style frog legs. If you’re looking for some real delicious down home southern staples, this is a place you should visit.

Lucy's Retired Surfers Bar and Restaurant

151 Third St.
Baton Rouge, LA
225.361.0372
http://www.lucysretiredsurfers.com

New to the downtown area is Lucy’s Retired Surfers Bar and Restaurant.  An offshoot of the New Orleans location, they occupy the renovated space formerly held by D’Agostino’s Italian restaurant.  The décor and theme are almost overwhelmingly surfer related, with everything from pictures to posters and a full sized surfboard above the bar.  The surfing DVD playing in a constant loop over the TVs is somewhat annoying, especially on return visits when you have already seen it.

The menu is very much in line with the theme, featuring lots of seafood and “California” type items.  They do feature a full bar, and several specialty drinks that are tropical in nature and pack quite a punch.  One that stood out to me is the “Da Killer Blue Whale”, a mixture of lemonade, vodka, curacao, and Everclear.  Another unique drink item offered is the Bloody Mary shot.  A spice-rimmed shot glass is filled with vodka that they have infused with peppers and spices, and the drink is served with a cherry tomato.  They’ve deemed it the world’s fastest Bloody Mary.

Over the course of several visits, I sampled a couple of the appetizer items with mixed results.  The Jamaican Jerk Chicken was great.  Four grilled pieces of chicken breast seasoned with jerk spices are served with an accompanying sweet and sour sauce deemed “Pali sauce”.  The chicken was cooked perfectly, with great grill flavor but not dried out.  The sauce matched well with the spiciness of the chicken, and the portion was adequate for an appetizer.  On another visit, I tried the pulled pork sliders, which were decent in flavor and taste, but lacked an accompanying side item.  According to the menu, they were served with sweet potato fries, but I’m unable to report on those based on the fact that I never saw them.

Ordering that item uncovered an unfortunately very negative aspect of the restaurant, the service.  The bartender seemed to be completely unaware of the menu, and when asked about the dish, couldn’t seem to decipher what was going on.  Granted, I was seated at the bar, but I would suspect that the bartender should at least be familiar with appetizers on the menu, the items often ordered by patrons at the bar.

The entrée I tried was pretty good, a nice piece of fish crusted with ground tortillas.  In a move obvious to be a play to the Baton Rouge locals, they take tortilla chips, both standard color and purple, and crust each side of the fish with these, then its fried, and served with mashed potatoes.

Lucy’s is open daily from 11AM to 10PM, and feature several specials.  Happy hour is Mon-Thurs, 4PM – 7PM featuring $5 well drinks, $18 buckets, and 2 for 1 margaritas, along with free chips and salsa.  Tuesdays are “Taco Tuesdays” with $1 beef tacos, $2 steak or chicken tacos, and $3 shrimp tacos.

Despite some service issues that may be corrected in time, Lucy’s is a very welcome addition to the downtown scene, and a great alternative to the standard fare.  Hopefully once some of the bugs are ironed out, they can focus on more specials so that they can take better advantage of the downtown lunch business.

Valentine's Day

One of the busiest nights in the restaurant industry is on Valentine’s Day.  Only Mother’s Day brings more traffic through a restaurant, and despite the relatively large number of restaurants in our area, the handful of upper end places here quickly get booked up for this night.

My advice is to get your reservations made now, before the mad rush of last minute people start calling.  The last thing you want to do is be stuck with takeout or fast food on Valentine’s Day.  There are also a few things to consider when making reservations.  One is to ask about the menu.  Many places will only feature a limited menu, so you might be out of luck if you selected a place based on a favorite dish.  Another question to ask is restaurant setup.  In an effort to maximize patronage, many area restaurants will bring in additional seating, to fit in as many as possible.  This can make for a very loud and raucous atmosphere, far from the romantic setting most are looking for.

My last piece of advice is to try something new.  I know that most people are very familiar and comfortable heading over to the big, well lit corporate chain restaurants, but try something local for a change.  You’ll often find better food, a better atmosphere, and ultimately a better overall experience.

Service Appreciation Day

In conjunction with Johnny D's New York Pizza Restaurant, Cuisine Rouge is please to present Service Appreciation Day.  This event is to show our appreciation to the fine men and women who serve our community.

All veterans, active military personnel, law enforcement, EMS, fire, and first responders are welcome to enjoy the delicious pizza buffet at Johnny D's this Monday, December 7, 2009 from 11AM - 2PM - FOR FREE!

That's right, all the free pizza that you guys can eat.

It's our way of saying thank you for the important job that you do.

Brandon's Cajun Cafe

Update: Brandon's Cajun Cafe went out of business in 2010.  We were sorry to see it go.


4215 S. Sherwood Forest
Baton Rouge, LA 70816
225-292-6262

Cuisine Rouge Rating:

4 plates

By: Chad

Whenever I learn about a new restaurant in town, I get excited. This is especially the case when it’s a locally owned establishment, and one that offers something different or unique. When I learned of Brandon’s Cajun Café my excitement over the newness was quickly extinguished by the word ‘Cajun’. Another Cajun restaurant in Baton Rouge isn’t what we need I thought. There are already a laundry list of places where one can get Cajun food, and as most of us know, none are as good as own grandmothers.

However I was quite pleasantly surprised by the new and interesting items on the menu. They take some standard Cajun staples and really rework them in innovative and interesting ways. For starters, the appetizer of Couyon Sushi is as tasty as it is unique. They take nori (the traditional flavorless seaweed wrap used for sushi), put boudin stuffing, crabmeat and avocado inside, then roll it up and slice it,top it with remoulade sauce, and dust it with cayenne pepper. It’s something that even people who aren’t fans of traditional sushi will enjoy.

Another great item on the menu is the boudin burger. Boudin is mixed with pepperjack cheese, formed into a pattie and grilled, then placed on a bun and topped with bacon and remoulade sauce. Very tasty. The rest of the menu is fairly straightforward Cajun eats, with items you would expect to see like fried seafood and etoufee. I sampled the etoufee and it was not that great, the gravy had a strange consistency, almost gelatinous. The flavor was good, but the rice was also a bit undercooked for my liking.

For dessert, they once again offer a little something different in the form of their red velvet bread pudding. Yep, red velvet cake is given the classic bread pudding treatment, resulting in a rather unattractive yet tasty glob of red goo, topped with vanilla ice cream. This dessert is definitely sweet and has great flavor, but could use some texture, perhaps in the form of nuts.

All in all, this restaurant impresses me with its innovative approach to Cajun cuisine. I think that with a few refinements this place can really stand out and make a name for itself. I look forward to seeing more innovative items on its menu.


Couyon Sushi



Red Velvet Bread Pudding

Mmmemories - Roma Deli

In the spot that currently houses Taste of Asia, there was once a great little Italian deli/restaurant called Roma Deli. One might say that it would be easy to forget given the quantity of Italian restaurants in this city, but this place was special. From the cozy atmosphere to the great food, it was a favorite spot for many, especially at lunch time. I'm sure most of the food there was good, but I was never able to get past the calzone. I just couldn't seem to bring myself to order anything but that. Made to order, you could count on a bit of wait if you ordered one, but it was well worth it. You can get a tasty calzone at many spots in town, but this one still stands out to me as the best I've had.

Sadly it didn't make it, and for whatever reason closed its doors for good. If you're craving the calzone, check out DeAngelos, Johnny D's, Mellow Mushroom, or the newest addition to the restaurant scene in Prairieville, Rotollos. All offer a good experience, and for me it brings back the memories of those times at Roma waiting patiently for the kitchen to turn out my delicious homemade lunch selection.

What places do you miss? Send in your restaurant memories and you could be featured on the website, and win a cool Cuisine Rouge t-shirt! Email them to - cuisinerouge225@gmail.com

Pinetta's European Restaurant

3056 Perkins Rd.
225.387.9174
no website

Cuisine Rouge Rating:

4 plates

by: Chad

As exciting and impressive as some new BR restaurants are, sometimes you just want to find a nice, quiet, cozy place where you can enjoy a simple meal. That’s what Pinetta’s is all about. Opened in 1962 by the Bubola family from Eastern Europe, this tiny inconspicuous bistro has been a favorite of many locals for many years.

From the moment you walk through the door, you get the impression that nothing has been touched since that opening day some 47 years ago. The atmosphere creates the feeling of another time and place, with old artwork adorning the walls, and a variety of beer steins and empty Chianti bottles hanging from the ceilings. To say this place is romantic would be an understatement. It has the classic “romantic Italian restaurant” theme down pat, complete with red checked tablecloths and candles on every table. It’s definitely has the appeal of a date night spot but is also suitable for families and groups of friends.

The menu is an interesting one, featuring a mixture of dishes from Italy, Turkey, and Germany. The majority of the items are Italian, and all the dishes are very simple and rustic. The menu features two Turkish dishes which we did not sample, Musaca potatoes and the Shish-Ka-Bob. The German selections are four; Sauerbraten, Thuringen Bratwurst, Schnitzel Holstein, and Weiner Schnitzel. Despite this being a very small selection, it’s the only German food you’ll find anywhere in this area.

We did order the Weiner Schnitzel, and it was okay. The breaded veal was tender but dry, and not very flavorful. The riced potatoes served as a side were over-seasoned and could not be finished. However, on a positive note, the apples in the sauerkraut were an interesting touch, and added a good flavor and texture. We tasted several of the Italian dishes, starting with the polenta appetizer. This was a bit different than polenta I have had before, it being in a more solid form, cut into slices and served with their signature red sauce. The entrée I sampled was the lasagna, also served with the same red sauce. The sauce shares the same old world, rustic quality that the whole restaurant showcases. It tastes like something your grandmother would make, very rich and hearty, with chunks of vegetables and a great flavor.

Undoubtedly the highlight of the meal was the dessert. The chocolate tiramisu was not only the best tiramisu dish that I have had, but overall one of the best desserts period. The portion was large, easily enough to share with at least two people, and the flavor and texture of it was just perfect. Not overly sweet, and with a great chocolate taste that wasn’t overly bitter or chalky.

I would highly recommend Pinetta’s to someone looking for a romantic, quiet, intimate setting for a meal. You won’t have the vast menu options of a larger restaurant, but you also won’t have the noise and chaos that often goes with it. In fact, I’ll go a step further and say that unless you are looking for a nice, relaxed meal, you shouldn’t go there. The service isn’t the fastest, and some would even say it borders on bad, but it’s part of the experience. The idea here is that you are taking your time, and I think a waiter that is running back and forth from the kitchen would take away from the atmosphere and the experience.


Polenta

Chocolate Tiramisu

Mmmemories - The Harlequin

by:  Ginger

I remember that day like it was yesterday.  I strode confidently into La Madeleine on Jefferson Hwy., eager to get my fix.  I stepped up the dessert counter and announced my choice without hesitation.  "One harlequin please."  The response was like a slap in the face.  "We don't carry the harlequin anymore."  "WHAT?!?" Much to my surprise, I shouted the word and the waitress stared at me dumbfounded.  My shouting was followed by a barely audible "oh." I slowly backed away from the counter and left the restaurant devastated.  My beloved dessert was gone. 

For those of you who never had the pleasure of enjoying a harlequin, allow me to clue you in.  The words clouds, puppies and sunshine all come to mind, but why don't I just describe it for you?  The harlequin was a fabulous layered dessert akin to a parfait.  It was a vision in black and white - hence the name.  The bottom layer was a decadent and rich chocolate mousse.  Slightly nestled in that mousse was a small piece of rum-soaked pound cake that was so moist and delicious it took your breath away.  Covering the layers of chocolate mousse and moistened cake was a light, velvety layer of white chocolate mousse. The white chocolate mousse was quite fluffy and had an almost marshmallow quality to it.  The dessert was topped with chocolate ganache, playfully swirled and a chocolate dipped strawberry.  It was a magnificent creation.  It was relatively small so it satiated you perfectly and was just enough.  I loved it very much and miss it much.  At one point, I even petitioned La Madeleine on its comment card to bring the dessert back but have yet to see it again.  I can only hope to one day drum up the courage to try and recreate it in my own kitchen.

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Coyote Blues - Fresh Mexican Grill

By: Chad

3014 S. Acadian Thruway
225-329-2055
http://www.coyotebluesrest.com

Cuisine Rouge Rating:

Lafayette based Coyote Blues has taken over the former spot occupied by Lone Star steakhouse off Acadian Thruway near I-10, and has done so in a huge way. The new building is quite spacious, brightly decorated and features an interesting array of menu options, starting with their selection of 300 tequilas. Everything from your typical brands you can find at any bar up to the $40 per shot varieties like Herradura Suprema and Gran Patron Platinum.

We started out with drinks, sampling the house margarita and the Cosmopolitan, both of which were on a happy hour (4-7 daily) type special, priced at only $4. One nice touch I liked about the drink selection was the addition of mocktails to the menu. This offers those who don’t partake of alcohol the opportunity to join the party with some tasty drinks. Of course we were also presented with the standard Mexican restaurant greeting of chips and salsa, with the addition of another dip, an interesting combination of creamy avocado and cilantro that was quite tasty - almost like a guacamole blended with sour cream.

The food offerings are quite interesting with the menu showing a Cajun flair applied to many dishes. One that stands out is the appetizer, Fried Oysters on the Half Chip. Oysters crusted with ground corn, served atop nacho chips with a chipotle aioli. For our visit, we opted for the exotic sounding Mayan Pyramid, a pork tamale shaped like a pyramid, sitting on a bed of two sauces, black bean puree and roasted corn sauce. It was quite tasty, but also quite rich (a little too much for an app), and quite expensive for what was a relatively small portion ($7.29).

For entrees, we tried the Chicken Chimichanga and the Nuevo Crab Enchiladas. The chimichanga was straightforward and nothing outside of what you would expect out of the dish. It was well prepared, not overly greasy, and with good flavor. The enchiladas were very good, a nice twist on the traditional enchilada, featuring roasted corn crepes in place of the typical tortilla. They were filled with a flavorful crab stuffing and topped with a mango and red pepper salsa. They were placed atop two cream sauces, a roasted Poblano, and a red pepper Ancho. This was served with the sides of Poblano rice and cheese corn grits. While this is a very good dish, to call it rich is an understatement. The cream sauces provide a nice flavor and add to the quality of the dish, but be prepared to feel stuffed.

While we were not physically able to really enjoy dessert, we ordered one for the sake of our review, and tried the Tres Leches cake. It was served in an interesting presentation, cubes of the milk-soaked cake served in a margarita glass with the milk sauce and topped with whipped cream, toasted coconut and fresh fruit. It fell in line with our other items, tasty, but over the top with creamy richness.

Coyote Blues is a fun, indulgent restaurant. On the plus side, there’s great food, good service, and a fun environment. On the down side, it is quite loud, rather expensive for Mexican fare, and the food will leave you feeling like you’ve consumed a million calories. Overall, it’s a good restaurant worth giving a shot.


Mayan Pyramid


Tres Leches

Chicken Chimichanga

Nuevo Crab Enchiladas

Mmmemories - China Express

by:  Chad

The original China Express was opened on Coursey Blvd nearly 30 years ago by Nelson Lew.  It was the first Chinese establishment in that part of Baton Rouge, and quickly became a popular place for good, fresh Chinese cuisine.  Unlike the typical Chinese buffets found everywhere, everything was made to order, nothing sat in bins over boiling water for hours.  This resulted in quality and flavor unlike any other Chinese food I have found.

To give you an idea of just how good it was, there were a number of people who ate there daily.  Yes, every day they would visit for a meal, sometimes even twice a day.  Often, I would be dining there and see people venture back into the kitchen so that they could clean off their plates and silverware.  Since it was primarily a takeout place, and prices were so cheap, food consumed in the restaurant was served on disposable tableware.  However, die hard customers would actually bring in their own plates and silverware from their homes to keep there for when they visited.  That’s how often they were there, and how much they loved the place.  How many places can you say that about?

Sadly, as with all good things, they must come to an end and Mr. Nelson decided that he had reached an age where he needed to devote less of his time to running a busy restaurant.  He sold the place and it remains open today under the same name, but unfortunately falls into the category of the picture menu based, run of the mill Chinese fare. 

I would like to end this on a positive note, and tell you of another location in town where you can find Chinese as good as China Express, but I have yet to find it.  While it’s true that some Chinese restaurants and buffets are better than others, I can’t find the quality or taste I experienced there.  If you know of a great Chinese spot hidden somewhere in this town, please let me know, because I would love to give it a shot.

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Worth the Drive? Roberto's River Road Restaurant

River Road (3 miles south of Gardere Ln, or 1/4 mile north of Bayou Paul Ln)
Sunshine, LA 70780
225.642.5999
http://www.robertosrestaurant.net

Cuisine Rouge Rating:

5 plates

by: Chad

So you might be asking, with all the restaurants in the Baton Rouge area, why would one venture out on these deadly Louisiana highways way out to the far reaches of the parish to find dinner? After you navigate your way to St. Gabriel, you carefully watch the street signs to direct you to the river road, and once there, you arrive in the tiny town of Sunshine, home of Roberto’s River Road Restaurant. Upon parking my car in the gravel parking lot and looking over at the building, I silently asked myself again if this was a good idea.

The 150+ year old building the restaurant resides in what was once a general store, and still has that type of look to it. I remember thinking, “I’ve heard this place has great food, but is it going to be as old fashioned as its décor?” That thought would quickly disappear once the food came into play.

Looking at Roberto’s from the outside then walking in and finding the type of dishes served inside was kind of like opening the door to a truck stop bathroom and finding the Magic Kingdom. As simple as the place itself is, the food is the polar opposite. It is a very unassuming restaurant that is in no way full of itself. The staff at Roberto's priorities definitely lie within the kitchen. Don't get me wrong, this was no dive and the ambiance was fine, but the food was so unexpectedly refined that I was pretty amazed.

We started out with the eggplant crab cakes. These are an interesting twist on the traditional crab cakes, combining the slight bitterness of the eggplant with the sweetness of crab. They were served on a beurre blanc sauce and topped with a very tasty dill hollandaise.

I had the soup next, and my wife had a salad. The soup was a cream of brie with crab, and was excellent. A rich, creamy textured soup with sweet pieces of jumbo lump crabmeat swimming around. It didn’t suffer from the oiliness or chalkiness that I have sometimes found with other cream based soups. My wife described the salad as quite good, with fresh greens and a very tasty honey mustard dressing that had a nice sweetness to it.

For the entrée, my wife was interested in the pork tenderloin, however it was not available. Her second choice was the beef tenderloin filet. I too chose the filet, but in the special offered that night. My entrée was one of the most exciting, flavorful, and well prepared dishes I have eaten anywhere, not just in the Baton Rouge area.

The special was a grilled beef filet, set atop a Habanero grit cake, topped with jumbo lump crabmeat and a light blue cheese demi glace. The main element of the dish, the filet, was cooked perfectly, just as ordered, medium-rare. The grit cake was crispy on the outside with the creamy grits inside, and had a nice bit of kick from the Habanero. The jumbo lump crab was a pleasant surprise in that the portion was quite generous. There was actually so much crab that it couldn’t all be contained atop the filet. The crab had a nice sweetness to it, which balanced well with the heat of the crab cake, and the tanginess of the blue cheese demi glace.

The combination of flavors and textures were amazing. This dish was elegant and well prepared - an excellent example of combining classic ingredients in a modern way.

For desserts, we tried the two daily specials. Both had to be ordered to go and taken home to eat later, but were definitely worth ordering. My wife had the blueberry bread pudding. Rather than it being a plain bread pudding served with the addition of blueberries, it was made from blueberry flavored bread, so that flavor was present throughout. It was very well done and lived up to the expectations that most would have of bread pudding in this area. The chocolate cake was not quite as exotic, but was good, featuring candied pecans as its own little signature touch.

So is Roberto’s worth the drive? Absolutely. Take a break from the traffic nightmares of Sherwood Forest, Bluebonnet, and Siegen, and take a road trip to the country which will send your taste buds to another world.

(Note: Urbanspoon reports it to be located in Plaquemine for some reason, but that is not correct, it is on the east bank of the river in Sunshine, LA.)


Roberto's

Blueberry Bread Pudding

Roberto's Grilled Steak Special

Ronnie's Ribs - Jamaican Me Crazy!

5441 Jones Creek Rd.
Baton Rouge, LA 70817
225-753-5375
http://www.ronniesribs.com

For ten years now, Veronica (Ronnie) Carter has been producing the great tastes of Jamaica right here in Baton Rouge.  Lured away from her native homeland by husband Jimmy Carter (no, not the peanut eating crazy ex-President) she has successfully transformed a little corner of a nondescript strip mall on Jones Creek Rd into a culinary paradise.

The main feature of the restaurant is the daily buffet, served at both lunch and dinner for the extremely affordable price of $7.95 and $8.95, respectively.  Featured are a small but delicious variety of Jamaican staples, from smoked jerk chicken and pork to steamed veggies, mac & cheese, salads and soups.  Along with the jerk pork and chicken on the buffet, menu items include Ronnie’s famous jerk marinated smoked ribs; tender baby back ribs that spend some quality time in her homemade marinade of Jamaican spices before being smoked over wood from the native Pimenta tree.  This tree produces berries, which when dried become allspice.  This wood along with the allspice flavor are essential elements to authentic Jamaican cuisine, and Ronnie adheres to that religiously, despite her geographical disadvantage.

One of my favorite dishes she offers is featured on the buffet, and is a delicious variation on a Cajun staple.  Brown stew chicken is basically the chicken stew that most of us grew up on, but with the volume turned up to eleven.  It’s very flavorful, seasoned well with her Jamaican spice mixture, but not spicy hot.  One common misconception about Jamaican food and jerk is that it is extremely spicy.  While the Scotch Bonnet pepper is used (also known as the Habanero), it is not the main spice, and it’s use is typically quite minimal.  Ronnie’s offers jerk sauces on the buffet, one mild and one spicy, so you can enjoy based upon your desired degree of heat.

Besides the buffet and smoked meats, Ronnie’s also does some specialty items, including smoked and fried turkeys and rum cakes.  These items are prepared with the same homemade care and quality that goes into all her food.  The turkeys are injected with Ronnie’s own homemade mixture made from a combination of fresh fruit juices and spices.  Her spice mixtures are also on sale at the restaurant, made from only quality whole spices and not loaded with salt.  As a brief aside, if you don’t know, ingredient labels on products you buy list the ingredients in the order of quantity, meaning that the first item on the list is the one present in the largest amount in the product.  This is why in most store bought spice blends you see salt as the first ingredient.  While this is a very cost effective method of stretching out the more expensive spices, it isn’t the way she does things.

That same level of quality control is present throughout everything she does, and you can actually taste it when you visit her restaurant.  If the food and the affordability haven’t already convinced you, her personality should seal the deal.  She warmly greets everyone who enters and makes sure that you are comfortable and satisfied with your meal.

So, before you pull up to the drive thru to retrieve that burger from beneath the heat lamp, served up by the incoherent headset wearing drone that has all the enthusiasm of a root canal patient, think about visiting Ronnie’s Ribs.  You’ll be glad you did.

Bistro Byronz

5412 Government St.
225.218.1433
http://www.bistrobyronz.com

Cuisine Rouge Rating:

3.5 plates

by: Chad

In the restaurant world, terms used to describe an establishment are often thrown around, such as café, rotisserie, grill, or bistro. Rarely does the name truly fit the atmosphere as well as it does at Bistro Byronz. The simple, straightforward menu and quaint French style décor fit nicely together in a very casual yet refined setting.

The menu is a good one, with a great variety of choices including sandwiches, salads and lunch plates featuring everything from seared Asian style tuna to the French classic, cassoulet.

For our visit, we started out with the Bleu Cheese Chips. They make their own potato chips in house and for this dish, they pile them high and cover them with a creamy bleu cheese sauce laden with chunks of bleu cheese and topped with sliced green onions. If you like bleu cheese, this is a must have. The chips aren’t too thin, and have that kettle fried flavor. The crispy crunch of the chips combined with the tangy creaminess of the cheese make for a great combination of both texture and flavor.

My wife chose the Bistro Salad for her lunch, a tasty combination of Mandarin oranges, dried cherries and pecans on spinach with raspberry poppy seed dressing. She chose to add the chicken breast as well. When the salad arrived, she was quite pleased with her plate. First of all, the portion was very generous and could have easily served two. They absolutely did not skimp on any of the toppings. There were plenty of cubes of roasted chicken breast, toasted chopped pecans, dried cherries and mandarin orange slices. The raspberry poppy seed dressing, which she had served on the side so she could use it conservatively, was delicious. Sweet with a hint of sour which she concluded was red wine vinegar. Her one complaint was that the chicken lacked a lot of flavor and was relatively bland. Perhaps a hint of more seasoning on the chicken would have made a difference. However, she reported that the salad was pretty phenomenal on its own and was easily one of the best that Baton Rouge has to offer.

I ordered the Sesame Seared Tuna, prepared rare. Perhaps the menu item furthest from what one would consider bistro food, it had a distinct Asian quality to it. The tuna itself was very fresh, a generous 8 oz portion, crusted with sesame seeds and seared. The sesame seeds had a slightly burnt flavor, but something that is to be somewhat expected with a seared preparation. The tuna was topped with a sweet and sour glaze and drizzled with a wasabi based cream sauce, served atop a bed of thinly sliced cucumber ribbons. I found the tuna very tasty, cooked perfectly, and well seasoned. Personally I would have liked to see more of the wasabi cream sauce, but understood the need to use it sparingly to accommodate the average diner.

Typically I skip dessert these days, but the mere sight of Heavenly Hash cake on the menu quickly broke down my willpower. The base of the cake is chocolate sheet cake, topped with marshmallows and chocolate icing. It was served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and topped with a caramel sauce. The cake was a bit on the dry side, but was very tasty.

Overall, this a great place for a nice lunch in the mid-city area. Bistro isn’t just part of the name; it’s very descriptive of what’s inside.


Bistro Salad


Sesame Seared Tuna

Another Broken Egg

Update: Another Broken Egg was shut down in early 2011 due to legal issues.  However, we've heard it's coming back sometime this year.  So we'll keep you posted.


7655 Old Hammond Hwy
Baton Rouge, LA 70809
225-663-6468
Open Daily for Breakfast, Brunch and Lunch
7:00 am - 2:00 pm
http://www.anotherbrokenegg.com/index.php

Cuisine Rouge Rating: 

4 plates

by: Ginger

On a lazy Saturday morning, Chad and I decided that we'd do brunch at Another Broken Egg, a cafe specializing in a multitude of breakfast items as well as standard brunch and lunch fare. Upon arrival, we immediately noticed that the place was bustling with activity and the parking lot was practically full. We luckily found a spot in an add-on gravel lot in the back of the restaurant. The restaurant itself gives off the air of a quaint country French inn. It's roomy inside and yet gives the visitor that "cozy" feeling. The interior is very unique for a Baton Rouge restaurant and I loved it. Our wait was a short ten minutes and then we were seated upstairs in a cozy loft-like area that looked down on the restaurant. I immediately imagined our tray of food being dropped as it was carried upstairs, but my fears were alleviated as I watched full tray after full tray being sturdily carted upstairs with little difficulty.

Our waitress came to the table promptly to take our drink orders and we ordered two cups of coffee which arrived quickly in very cute earthenware mugs with the restaurant logo on them (which I recently learned you can purchase on their website). The waitress also set a full pitcher of water with lemon on the table which she left there. I looked around and noticed that every table had it's own pitcher of water and thought that it was a really nice touch. Another cheery addition was the small vase of fresh flowers as our table centerpiece.

The menu is definitely a big one and there are an overwhelming myriad of breakfast and brunch choices including an extensive list of omelette creations that feature everything from seafood to chicken to garden fresh veggies. Although an omelette seemed like a great brunch choice, I was intrigued by the pancakes (being an enthusiastic pancake lover and always in search of the best pancakes in Baton Rouge) and decided I would order their stack of three. The single pancake is listed as "plate size" and then underneath "stack of three pancakes" is listed. I assumed they would be the standard six or so inches in diameter. I also chose to add an order of scrambled eggs and bacon because I didn't want to eat at Another Broken Egg without trying their namesake. I saw that the restaurant offered a specialty item of blackberry grits which also sounded quite interesting, so I ordered those as well. Chad ordered the Crabcakes Cavallo which the menu described as freshly made crabcakes, benedict style with two poached eggs and smothered in a hollandaise sauce that is infused with andouille sausage and a hint of scallion served with country potatoes on the side.

I don't think ten minutes had even passed before we saw a waiter ascending the staircase with our food. I was stunned at how quickly we received our food. And then came my second "stun" of the morning. A platter of three pancakes, each one larger than my head, were placed before me. My eyes nearly popped out of my skull at the sight of them. My initial thought was "What is this? Man Vs. Food? (or should I say 'Woman Vs. Food?')" I was absolutely shocked at the size of these pancakes. I was also presented with my scrambled eggs and bacon, a nice-sized portion, and my blackberry grits which consisted of a bowl of plain grits with a small ramekin of blackberries in their natural juices on the side. Chad's plate was made up of two little towers of english muffin halves, topped with crabcake, poached egg and hollandaise. The dish was garnished with diced red bellpeppers and scallions. The cakes were served in a dish that resembled a ceramic skillet that was atop a larger dish. The skillet was surrounded by their country potatoes which were cube-style hashbrowns. It was a very beautiful presentation.

I ate my salty items first. The eggs were superbly cooked, quite fluffy and flavorful. The two slices of bacon were both crisp and juicy - not overcooked and shriveled. I assumed I was supposed to stir the blackberries into the grits and did so. The blackberry grits had a very interesting flavor, although I did add a little sugar to my dish to enhance the sweetness of the berries. Finally I tackled the pancakes. I must say that I think I may have found the city's best pancakes by far. Somehow, and I don't know how they did it, the pancakes managed to have a slight "donut" flavor to them. I know it sounds wacky, but I asked Chad to taste a piece and he thought the same. They were fluffy with a great texture and absolutely delicious served with warm maple syrup. My initial complaint was that the syrup was a bit on the thin side, but then I saw how well it soaked into the pancake (which meant a less likelihood of drips onto my shirt) and I liked that aspect of it. I could barely finish one of the pancakes. They were scrumptious and I was definitely taking home a to-go box to enjoy them for Sunday morning breakfast.

Chad absolutely loved the crabcakes cavallo and announced that he is adding it to his list of the best dishes in Baton Rouge. He said it had a distinctive cajun flavor to it with a good bit of spice provided by the andouille. He also noted that there was a generous amount of crab in the crabcake (since crabcakes can often be overshadowed by a lot of "filler").

Overall, we were immensely pleased with our entire experience at Another Broken Egg. The portions were generous, the service was excellent and prompt and the atmosphere was quaint, cozy and charming. And before you think that Another Broken Egg equals "another broken diet" I did note that there were several healthy choices on the menu including Dr. Maley's Coffee, which I've been told is a very generous platter of fresh fruit served with coffee and an english muffin.

I strongly suggest that you surrender your palate to Another Broken Egg. You won't be disappointed.


Pancakes


Crab Cakes Cavallo