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.

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.

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

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