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.

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.

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

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

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

Stroube's Chophouse - Best New Restaurant in Baton Rouge

107 Third St. (downtown)
Corner of Third and North Blvd.
225-448-2830
http://www.stroubeschophouse.com

Cuisine Rouge Rating: 

By: Chad

Now, as I’m sure you astute readers have noticed, another restaurant in town was deemed by my fellow contributor as best in the city, but with time comes change, and I’m confident in saying that for me, Stroube’s currently holds the title as the best BR has to offer.

Chef Justin Ferguson is good.  Not just good as you might describe a good movie or good book, but good as in the way you talk about an athlete or actor.  He is clearly meant to do what he’s doing, and it shows vividly in his food.  He’s an avid believer in scratch cooking, baking his own bread, making his own pancetta from pork belly, and even churning his own butter.  It is this kind of dedication to cuisine as an art form that truly sets Stroube’s apart in the Baton Rouge dining scene.

I had previously visited the restaurant several times for lunch, and sampled a few items from the impressive lunch menu.  The wild mushroom pizza was excellent, a delicious mix of sautéed mushrooms, pancetta, and mozzarella topped with a drizzling of truffle oil.  The Wagyu burger was ridiculously good, undeserving of being lumped into a food category that shares it name with fast food chains.  Served with Yukon gold potatoes, it redefines what a burger and fries should be.

For my ‘official’ visit, my wife decided that this was her choice for a birthday dinner.  Seeing as it was a celebration, we didn’t skimp.  We started out with drinks; she opted for the Pineapple Martini, while I tried the Vanilla Manhattan.  Both are made from infusions that they create, something rather popular in bars these days.  Both were very good, and given the fact that they were made with premium liquors, $5 wasn’t too steep a price.  We tried the baked brie as an appetizer, and it was delicious.  The brie is topped with a sweet butter and honey based sauce, golden raisins, and roasted pecans; and comes served with slices of house made bread.

We then split the blue cheese wedge salad.  A wedge of iceberg lettuce is topped with a creamy blue cheese dressing and bits of pancetta, with a few cherry tomatoes garnishing the plate.  This was also excellent, and that should register with some gravity, given the fact that I’m basically the polar opposite of a vegetarian and rarely eat salads.  The only slight complaint with it was the lack of pancetta bits.  They added such a great element to the salad that it was almost torturous to see only a few.

For entrees, she got the herb marinated chicken breast, served with risotto and sautéed greens.  This was a good dish, but nothing out of the ordinary.  The chicken was cooked perfectly, and the risotto was tasty, although lacking a bit of exotic flair, expected due to the other items on the menu.  I ordered the nine ounce filet, and it was easily one of the best steaks I have ever eaten.  Now that should be framed within some context.  One could make such a claim, and if the extent of their steak consumption has been Ryan’s steakhouses, then it would be laughable.  However, as evident in my size, I have had many fine steaks at many fine restaurants, and this one was truly remarkable.

All of Stroube’s meat comes from Allen Brothers, a company which prides themselves on the quality of their meat.  The steaks are wet-aged, hand selected and hand cut from only the finest of USDA prime meats.  The filet is priced at $29 without any accompanying sides, but for the quality and flavor experienced, is worth every penny.  It had a buttery taste without a sense of greasiness, and really needed no topping, although I was unable to resist the gorgonzola demi glace, one of several sauces offered.  Besides being unneeded, it was also below expectations, containing a trace amount of the cheese and a watery consistency.  Don’t be lured by the sauces, you won’t need them.

We also got the fresh corn and sage parmesan grits, which were awesome.  Being fans of a very similar item at another restaurant, it was impossible not to draw comparisons, but these truly stood out as superior, if for nothing else than the fact that they are freshly stone ground.  They had an excellent texture and flavor often sorely lacking in the afterthoughts of steakhouse side dishes.

Perhaps the biggest overall disappointment of the meal was the dessert.  While both were done very well, they lacked the same thread of innovativeness present in the rest of the meal.  The cheesecake was simple and basic, and the flourless chocolate cake is a common offering found nearly everywhere these days.  On a previous visit, I had sampled another dessert which seemed more in line with my expectations, however tonight it was not offered.

Service and décor were as to be expected in such a high level restaurant, both impressive and without any negative aspects.  Stroube’s is a welcome addition to the downtown scene, offering something that has truly been absent from the atmosphere trying to be established there.  A world class restaurant with great food providing a great experience.

Rama - Big Taste in a Small Place

2919 Perkins Rd.
225-387-5943

by: Chad

Thai food is one cuisine that is still yet to take on a strong foothold in the Baton Rouge area. However, it is very tasty and provides a great alternative to the typical Chinese and Japanese restaurants. In talking to several fellow foodies around town, we were told that the place for Thai was Rama. Having been frequent fans of other Thai establishments, the Cuisine Rouge team had to pay it a visit.

Rama is located in the artsy area of the Perkins Rd overpass. A great spot for experiencing some of the best entertainment the city has to offer. Describing the restaurant as small is almost an understatement. This place is so small in fact that they employ an element often seen in mobile homes to make them look larger, mirrored walls. Despite this cozy interior, once you get past the funhouse atmosphere, you get to really enjoy some great Thai flavors.

We started out with some appetizers, the golden burgers, cold spring rolls, and fried wontons. The golden burgers come in two varieties, the beef and the shrimp. We opted for the shrimp, and quickly learned that this exotic sounding item was a Thai take on the Chinese shrimp toast. That being said, they were good, and better than the often greasy Chinese equivalents. The cold spring rolls were not a very big hit, as they had a strange texture and were rather bland. The fried wontons were standard fare, tasty, but not anything special.

For entrees, we sampled the Pad Thai, Rama Duck, and the Panang Pork. All were very good. The Pad Thai was good, with lots of peanut flavor, and the typical sauce, which had good flavor but was rather light in comparison to others we have tried. While we found this dish to be well done, it didn’t stand out over the other Thai restaurants in town. The Rama Duck was the highlight of our meal, cooked perfectly, and well seasoned; this was a great dish and the first to disappear from its serving platter. The Panang Pork was tasty, with pieces of pork, mushrooms, and green beans swimming in a delicious coconut milk-curry sauce made with fresh chili peppers and basil. Unfortunately, the green beans were clearly frozen, making for a disappointment in an otherwise great dish.

The menu at Rama is large and this is a small sampling of the fare they offer. Friends who have visited have raved about some of the fish dishes, which we weren’t able to try on this visit. If you are a fan of Japanese and Chinese flavors, check out Rama. It’s a great little restaurant that will provide you with an interesting change of pace.


Pad Thai (top) and Panang Pork (bottom)


Rama Duck

TJ Ribs

2324 South Acadian Thruway
225.383.7427

6330 Siegen Lane
225.291.8100

http://www.tjribs.com

Cuisine Rouge Rating:

4 plates

by:  Chad
Since the late 1980’s it has been nearly impossible to be in Baton Rouge and think of ribs without thinking of those two letters – TJ.  Thomas “T.J.” Moran, isn’t a Baton Rouge native, but adopted the city as his own, and quickly became one of its most hardcore LSU fans.  When he first decided to venture into a restaurant specializing in ribs, spare ribs were the typical offering.  However, TJ decided upon babyback ribs which were considered something of a novelty at that time.  Today of course, this is their most well known and best selling dish.

Walking into the original location on Acadian Thruway is like stepping into an LSU museum.  Tons of LSU memorabilia are displayed, the highlight of which is Billy Cannon’s 1959 Heisman trophy, a must see for any true LSU fan.  I visited the new location on Siegen Lane with my family, which based on the constant flow of non-stop business at the original site, seemed to be a long time coming.

We arrived right at prime time on a Saturday night, but were seated immediately, thanks to the spaciousness of this venue.  I was surprised to learn from our server that they offer a selection of thirty beers on tap.  Call me crazy, but you can’t have barbecue without beer.  It’s like Christmas without Santa.

Speaking of barbecue, you will get some hardcore purists that will tell you this is not true barbecue.  Sure, it isn’t completely cooked over a wood fired pit for hours and hours, but you have to consider how much volume these guys do.  Their cooking method is multi-dimensional using dry rubs, marinades, roasting, and then finishing by grilling.

They offer your typical fare of appetizers, spinach dip, chicken wings, stuffed mushrooms, nachos, etc.  We opted for their take on chimichangas, where they fill flour tortillas with chopped barbecued beef and deep fry them.  Served with their own barbecue sauce, these are tasty and a nice intro to the items to follow.

The menu offers a fairly diverse selection from which to choose.  If you aren’t into pork or barbecue, there are burgers, pastas, salads, and several seafood choices including king crab legs, my choice if I ever develop an allergy to red meat or pork.

I ordered the babyback ribs with a baked potato, my wife ordered the pulled pork sandwich and the little guy got his standard, mac and cheese.  The ribs were good as always, cooked perfectly and very tender, with meat coming easily off the bone.  They lack a strong smoky flavor which some enjoy, but I found them to be tasty.  As simple as the baked potato is, I have found some places will either not bake it long enough, or they only give you enough toppings for a few bites.  This wasn’t the case here, as the potato was spot on, cooked thoroughly and loaded up with all the standard toppings.  My wife enjoyed the sandwich, but said it could have used more sauce, given the dryness of the meat.  Since you are provided with sauce on the table, this is a non-issue.  It’s much easier to add sauce than to remove it, so the sandwich as served seemed logical to me.

The mac and cheese my son had was obviously straight out of the box, served with some smiley faced fries.  Not necessarily a bad thing, since he seemed to like it just fine.  The only way I would consider this offensive would have been if they offered the same food as a side on the standard menu.

There was no room for dessert, although the selections were tempting.   All are fairly straightforward items, nothing exotic or unusual, but solid choices, including crème brulee, bread pudding, a brownie ice cream sandwich, cheesecake, and more.

Service was good, as I would expect, given the fact that the staff likely all got trained at the original location, where things are non-stop busy at all times.  In conclusion, this is a good place to get ribs, and a great place to take an out of town friend who loves LSU sports.  I wouldn’t go as far as to call it the best barbecue in town, and I dare say you can find ribs just as good at a few other spots.  But if you’re craving ribs and don’t want to take chances, rely upon this Baton Rouge institution.

Local Owner Interview: Scott Duffer & Robert Raach – South of Philly

By: Chad

Scott Duffer and Robert Raach are co-owners of South of Philly, an authentic, Philly cheesesteak restaurant located at 4353 S. Sherwood Forest Blvd in Baton Rouge.  Both are east coast natives who after years of dabbling in the restaurant business found themselves in Baton Rouge, bringing their beloved steaks to our city.  These guys were kind enough to sit down with me and answer a few questions for Cuisine Rouge.

1. How did you get started in the restaurant business?

Robert - “I managed several different restaurants while in my twenties, in various places around the east coast.” Scott – “I went to culinary school, and worked as a chef in many fine dining establishments in the Philadelphia and DC area.”

2. What or who were your influences?

Scott – “Al’s Steakhouse.  A landmark cheesesteak shop in Alexandria, Virginia since 1956, they serve the best steaks.  They are using only the freshest, best ingredients.  I just wanted to duplicate that quality product in my own shop, which we feel that we have done.”

3. When did you know you could make it in this business?

“We are still learning.  Watching things very closely and focusing on the food primarily.  We are doing well, growing fast, and very focused on our success.”

4. How did you decide on this location?

Robert - “It was available.  It was a good location for us because it was ready to go.  We didn’t have to build out anything, we just basically moved it and setup shop.  We did have to make some changes to the décor, which we are still in the process of doing, but it’s coming along nicely.”

5. What do you love about your job?

Scott - “I love it when people stop by the counter on their way out and let us know how good their experience was.  Putting a smile on people’s face when they eat our food.”

6. What do you hate about your job?

Robert - “The constant building maintenance that goes with owning a restaurant.  Things breaking and disrupting our flow of business.”

7. When you aren’t cooking, what do you like to do?

Robert - “We are both avid frisbee golfers, so we do that when we can.  I’ve got three kids at home, so family time is also pretty busy.”  Scott – “I’m a gamer, so you can often find me on the X-Box.”

8. What would you be doing if you weren’t doing this?

Robert – “I have a contract with a local telecom company, and my guys do lots of work for them, so I would be going back to doing that full-time.”

9. What is your favorite dish on the menu?

Robert - “The Smokehouse Philly – the classic Philly steak topped with bacon, green peppers, bbq sauce, onion rings, and cheese on the Amoroso bread.”  Scott – “The Tiger Steak – fresh sliced ribeye with jalapenos, and our Blackened Bayou Beer sauce.  It’s got a bite to it.  It’s an homage to the love folks have down here for spicy foods.”

10. What would your last meal be?

Scott - “Country fried steak, smothered in gravy.  I’m a big fan of anything with gravy.”

11. What is your best moment as a restaurant owner?

Scott - “My best moment was the day the guy finished the work painting our building.  Seeing our real sign hung up outside, and no longer having our restaurant look like the set of Sponge Bob (it was formerly a seafood restaurant).”

12. What is your worst moment as a restaurant owner?

Robert - “When we came in to find that there was a Freon leak and our cooler was at 55 degrees.  We had to throw out everything.  We lost the entire cooler, which was fully stocked with all our meats, produce, etc.  Not a good day.”

13. Anything new for the future?

Robert - “We are looking at getting a mobile concession stand to be able to serve our same products out at different places, like sporting events, fairs, stuff like that.  We are also looking for possible future locations in other surrounding areas.”

14. Other than what you make, what other foods do you enjoy?

“We both love trying new foods, and we love seafood.  Seafood down here is whole different animal than it is up north.  We love crabs, crawfish, oysters, all of it.”

15. If a person is only visiting your place once, what dish should they get?

Scott - “The classic Philly steak, prepared the classic way, with the provolone or the Cheese Whiz.  Some folks kinda worry about having the Whiz on there, but I promise you, you can’t go wrong with it.”

Cuisine Rouge would like to thank Scott and Robert for taking the time to answer our questions.  Best of luck to these guys and South of Philly in the future!

On The Half Shell

37390 Perkins Rd. Ste. ABC
Prairieville, LA
225-673-1951

9828 Bluebonnet Blvd.
Baton Rouge, LA
225-767-3667

http://www.onthehalfshell.biz

by: Chad

Author Jonathan Swift is quoted as having said, “He was a bold man that first ate an oyster”. That may be true, but here in south Louisiana, bold men and women eat them up in large quantities. Whether you like them freshly shucked, roasted, fried, or baked in a dish, On The Half Shell has you covered.

This restaurant started out in Prairieville, and now has a location on Bluebonnet near Burbank amidst the rapid growth of that area. This new location offers a more spacious environment than the original, which started out as one parcel of a strip mall and has now, expanded to three. Live music is featured every Thursday through Saturday night, which adds to the atmosphere and helps to promote the local entertainment scene. Usually there’s someone doing an acoustic set, which means you can enjoy your meal without being blasted with sound (unlike some other places).

On my visit, as with nearly every visit, I have to start out with their specialty, Gold Band brand oysters. These are the oysters served, and they are always excellent. Gold Band uses a revolutionary process called HPP to pasteurize their oysters, utilizing high pressure instead of other methods. This results in all bacteria being eliminated to non-detectable levels while causing absolutely no change to taste or texture. This process has led them to win the American Culinary Institute’s award for best tasting raw oysters three years in a row. And to top it off, these guys are from just down the bayou in Houma.

While I will almost never pass up a freshly shucked raw oyster, on this visit I needed to maximize my review potential, so I opted for the Guidry’s dozen, a mixture of the four types of grilled oysters served with garlic French bread. This first type in the sampler is the Rockefeller, perhaps the most well known, a topping of creamy cheese and spinach, topped with breadcrumbs, very tasty. As good as I have had the dish anywhere. Next was the Bienville, my personal favorite; cheese, shrimp and mushrooms, placed atop the oyster and finished with bread crumbs, also very delicious.

The other two varieties are quite interesting. The Piccante di Fromaggio topping is made of asiago cheese, parmesan cheese, bacon bits, and jalapeno peppers. The Casso (the namesake of the restaurant’s owner) features oysters that are brushed with olive oil, then topped with balsamic vinegar, cane syrup, sun-dried tomatoes, and a touch of oregano. While both of these offerings are tasty, I felt the flavors overwhelmed the natural oyster flavor. Aside from texture, there really could have been anything underneath the toppings.

Since this is no appetizer sized array for just one person, I chose one of the smaller dishes for the entrée. Shrimp Jefferson is a specialty developed by the kitchen, and it’s a good one. It starts with eggplant that is peeled and diced up, mixed with crab and shrimp and cooked down thoroughly into a casserole. It is then spooned out into a small baking dish, topped with large fresh shrimp and jumbo lump crabmeat and baked in the oven. This dish is quite good, and I enjoyed it, despite not being a huge fan of eggplant. My only slight problem with it was that it was not served with bread. It seemed to me that a dish with such a stewed type consistency needed a good piece of crusty bread. Of course when I asked my server about it, it was promptly presented to me.

The dish is served with a side, and I got the baked sweet potato. The potato is served with butter and cinnamon sugar, and unlike some places, it is not smothered in these toppings, but rather modestly added to preserve the natural flavor.

The Half Shell is a nice place for a seafood dinner. They offer all the standard fare you would expect at any seafood eatery in town, along with special items like the ones just discussed. The atmosphere is nice, and the service is typically quite good. My only true negative about it would be their policy to not accept Visa or Mastercard. This is due to some issues they faced in the past with fraudulent cards and other problems. I can appreciate the fact that a restaurant can’t stand to lose sales over such things, and that they are in the business of food service and not banking, and shouldn’t be burdened with problems. However, in today’s mostly cashless society, this is a huge inconvenience to a lot of customers, and does drive some folks away. That being said, if you love good Louisiana seafood, especially oysters, give them a try.

Waka House

by Chad

4625 S. Sherwood Forest Blvd.
225-293-4077
http://www.wakahouse.com

We’ve all heard phrases such as ‘food is art’ and ‘we eat with our eyes first’. In the highly competitive world of today’s restaurant scene, presentation is important, and something that can really set a place apart from its competition. In my opinion, there is no other culinary offering like sushi to illustrate this.

Hidden in the corner of a strip mall at the intersection of Sherwood and Coursey lies Waka House, a small establishment offering big sushi flavor. Small is a definite description of this restaurant. There are only a handful of tables inside, seating probably only about thirty or so people total. The restaurant is minimally decorated, sort of giving the impression that it is a work in progress or a temporary situation. Some of the tables feature a glass top, with a smaller shelf underneath housing some decorative items. While this looks cool, it doesn’t fare well for taller guests, making seating somewhat uncomfortable.

The sushi here is quite good. Some of the rolls we sampled on our visit included the Spicy Tuna roll, Eel roll, Salmon Dragon roll, Karadynamite roll, and the Thompson roll. All were very tasty, featuring fresh fish and a nice mix of accompaniments. The spicy tuna was one of the better versions of this roll that I have had. Very fresh tuna mixed with just the right amount of spiciness. Speaking of spicy, the Karadynamite roll is an excellent choice for those who like it hot. It is spicy tuna, fresh salmon, yellowtail, cucumber and avocado, topped with scallions, crunchy batter and a spicy sauce. The Salmon Dragon roll is a must for the salmon lover, loaded with fresh salmon on the inside, wrapped with nori and sushi rice, and topped with more fresh salmon. This is served with two pieces of salmon sashimi on the side and seaweed salad. My personal favorite was the Thompson roll, a tasty combo of fresh tuna, avocado and cream cheese, topped with crunchy batter and snow crab.

The non-sushi items were hit and miss. The seaweed salad was reported as tasty with a sweet vinegar taste. The pork dumplings are tasty, very light with a good flavor, served with a flavorful sauce that had hints of soy, ginger, and cilantro. Perhaps the biggest disappointment in the food was the teriyaki chicken. Ordering it ‘as is’ on the menu presents you with a mixture of chicken pieces, all dark meat and somewhat off-putting in texture. The waiter informed us that a white meat chicken version was available, but had to be requested. That information really should be presented to the customer up front, and placed on the menu for clarification. Offerings for kids are slim here, but the crunchy batter coated chicken strips seemed to be a hit with our little eater.

In summary, Waka House has great potential with its sushi items. They offer some interesting rolls with real potential. Very fresh fish and a huge variety should please most sushi enthusiasts. Some refinements could make this place great, like better quality on the non-sushi items and a better and more spacious environment, but overall this place deserves a try.


Salmon Dragon Roll


Thompson Roll

Louisiana Lagniappe – The Best Restaurant in Baton Rouge?

By: Mark

http://www.louisianalagniapperestaurant.com/

In my opinion, Louisiana Lagniappe is the best seafood restaurant in town! Pretty bold claim, huh? Well how about this one: Louisiana Lagniappe just might be the best restaurant in Baton Rouge! A pretty big statement that I believe holds true. LL is located at the intersection of Perkins and Bluebonnet. With the traffic generated by Perkins Rowe and construction, it is easy to miss this restaurant. But if you find it you will be in for a wonderful dining experience.

I arrived at 6:30 on a Monday night and had to wait for a table! The restaurant was packed. No worries as my family and I grabbed drinks at the full bar. LL does not take reservations so come early or be prepared to wait if you don’t. The dining area is pretty plain and sits a large number of people. The only problem this caused was an excessive amount of noise. LL is not a quiet restaurant, but the food makes up for having to speak louder to your dinner guests.

Our waiter started the meal by bringing us fresh baked French bread. The bread was soft and warm on the inside with a chewy crust. We then proceeded to soups where we were treated to the roasted red pepper soup and crab and corn soup. Both soups were extraordinary with perfect balances of cream and spices. Both were also brimming with chunks of lump crabmeat and tender shrimp. Despite being cups, the portions were large enough to satisfy you.

The next course featured appetizers and salads. The crab cakes were delicious as two large cakes stuffed with lump crabmeat were presented with a spicy remoulade sauce. The other appetizer consisted of grilled shrimp wrapped in thick slices of bacon and then drizzled with a pomegranate, pineapple, and habanero glaze. The five jumbo shrimp were cooked perfectly and the bacon had a great smoky flavor. The glaze had a bright, fruity front that was then followed by a warm burn from the habanero. One diner decided on the portabella mushroom salad with goat cheese, sunflower seeds, and a house made vinaigrette. The grilled mushroom warmed the goat cheese and really made this salad stand out. The only blemish was the house sensation salad, which appeared to have been made in advance thus causing the acidity of the dressing to wilt the greens.

Appetizers, salads, and soups are great, but entrees are the stars of the show; and the stars of LL shown bright. Two diners ordered the Ponchartrain; a large filet of pan seared black drum topped with a large, fried softshell crab and drizzled with a hollandaise sauce and candied pecans. The fish was cooked perfectly as was the crab. The hollandaise and candied nuts elevated the dish to a level of decadence. Another diner ordered the crabmeat au gratin which was served piping hot in a dish filled with a spicy, rich cream sauce loaded with jumbo lump crab and topped with melted cheese. The final entrée may have been the best of the night as a piece of pan seared black drum was topped with six jumbo sea scallops. The fish was cooked well and the scallops were sensational with a nice crust on top and a moist center. The dish was then drizzled with a lemon butter beurre blanc. The presentation of the entrees was well done and the amount of sauce was perfect as it accented the dish and did not over power it. Twice baked potatoes accompanied each dish; an afterthought in most restaurants but the ones in LL were creamy, buttery, and loaded with cheese and blended toppings.

The service at LL was near perfect. Drink glasses rarely went unfilled for very long, plates were cleared quickly, and the best part was the courses were paced perfectly. This shows a great chemistry between the front and back of the house. The hostess was pleasant and attentive as was the bartender. A surprise was the majority of the wait staff were fairly young and showed great pride in their jobs; a rarity in a college town.

This review was pretty long but LL deserves it. The restaurant’s flawless execution of its food and attentive wait staff make it one of the tops in the city. Though a bit pricey (entrees range $21-$32) it is worth every penny and should be a regular visit for any diner in Baton Rouge.

Pros:
- Excellent Service
- Delicious Food
- Large Portions for Your Money

Cons:
- No Reservations; Arrive Early or be Prepared to Wait
- Wilted Salad was a Disappointment
- Very Loud Dining Area