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.
