La Mestiza

14724 Airline Hwy. Ste. 10

Prairieville, LA
225.313.4191
http://www.mestizorestaurant.com

Cuisine Rouge Rating: 

3.5 plates

Not to be confused with the typical Mexican restaurant, La Mestiza and its big brother, Mestizo, are Louisiana Mexican restaurants, a point of clarity that chef/owner Jim Uridales wants people to know about.  With his creative menu he has managed to incorporate our delicious seafood bounty into traditional Mexican fare, creating a fusion of cuisines that is delicious and unique.

We visited La Mestiza on a Thursday evening and found it to be moderately busy, but not overcrowded.  In keeping with tradition, I felt compelled to order a margarita immediately, for professional evaluation purposes of course.  For a house margarita it was pretty good, better than most that I have had.  Just the fact that it wasn’t that disgusting neon green color that is so often seen was a good sign.

Mestiza Margarita

The obligatory chips and salsa were presented, and I found the salsa to be okay.  Personally I like it a bit spicier; I found this one to be a little too much on the mild side.  The addition of carrots was unusual, but I think it adds nice little hint of sweetness, which some extra heat would have paired with nicely.

Mestiza's salsa

The plethora of seafood dishes on the menu was instantly appealing to me.  Crawfish and spinach con queso, shrimp and crab nachos, crawfish burrito, and shrimp and Portobello quesadillas to name a few.  Although I would have loved to sample all of these, time and money dictated otherwise.  I opted for the best combination of seafood items available, the Mendoza.  This combination platter consisted of a crawfish chimichanga, shrimp and crab chili relleno, and a guacamole salad.  I requested rice in the place of the salad since I’m not a big fan of guacamole, but sadly my request got lost before I received my dish.

Mestiza Combo

The highlight of the combo was easily the chili relleno.  The stuffing of crab and shrimp was delicious, and was great with the pepper which was softened nicely from the frying.  The chimichanga was good, not too bready as some I have had, but didn’t stand out remarkably.

My wife, who loves tamales, was quite disappointed that the masa on her tamales was a bit on the dry side.  

The dessert offerings were fairly typical, and tempting, but this time around were skipped.  All in all, Mestiza is a nice place to go to fill the need for Mexican food, but not be subjected to the same ordinary dishes.

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.

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

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

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

Specialty Stores of Baton Rouge – LA Boilers

By: Mark

2741 Oneal Ln
Baton Rouge, LA 70816-3126
(225) 752-0211

In this start of a new series, I wanted to focus on LA Boilers. Located on Oneal Lane, this small shop boils up seafood with big flavor. Upon entering the store, you will notice a long display case showcasing only Louisiana seafood. Fresh shrimp of all sizes, catfish filets, picked crab meat, and chilled boiled shrimp along with bags of boiled corn and potatoes. My order, two dozen and a half boiled crabs, was ready for pick up. They were hot and full of sweet crab meat. They were spiced perfectly, as a slow burn could be felt on my lips throughout the meal. The corn and potatoes were seasoned perfectly as well. The shrimp were large and easy to peel. They too had a wonderful spicy flavor. So if you are in the mood for spicy boiled seafood and fresh Louisiana produce, then definitely give LA Boilers a try.

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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.

Freaky Foods of Baton Rouge - Soft-Shell Crab

Louisiana is a birthplace of freaky foods and the soft-shell crab is one of them. As a crab molts, there is a brief moment when its shell is extremely soft. Whoever thought of the idea to fry them should be considered a genius. The crab is dredged in egg wash and seasoned flour and then fried to a golden brown. You eat everything; the meat, the shell, and all the rich, creamy guts and fat. The majority of the crab tastes great, but there will be a noticeable difference in taste and texture when you are no longer eating meat. The innards are strong in flavor and are so weird tasting that they are delicious. Get one on a poboy or just on its own. In my opinion, the soft-shell is the king of fried seafood.


Softshell Crab Poboy



Fried Softshell Crab

Freaky Foods of Baton Rouge - Blackened Alligator

To native Louisianans, alligator seems pretty tame. But for too many people, eating this large lizard makes stomachs crawl. One of the specialties of The Chimes is their blackened alligator. Chunks of tender tail meat are coated with blackening seasoning and seared in a cast iron skillet. The salty and spicy seasoning goes well with the mild, white meat. To those who say it tastes like chicken, you can believe that. But I think it may be better than chicken.

Freaky Foods of Baton Rouge - Boudin Balls

By:Mark

Boudin is such a Louisiana favorite that we really don’t realize how freaky it is. Boudin was originally devised as a way for Cajuns to utilize the organs of the animals. Since the organs were the first part to spoil; the heart, kidney, and liver of a pig were combined with ground pork and seasoned rice. The mixture was then stuffed into intestinal lining. The result is a deliciously rich flavor which rivals any traditional sausage. Here in Baton Rouge, we enjoy our boudin in links and also rolled up into tight balls and deep fried. Many places in Baton Rouge serve boudin well; such as The Chimes, Opie’s Cajun Café, and Ronnie’s. So the next time you order the boudin balls, they may not be as innocent as you thought they were.

Mason’s Grill – A Solid Sunday Brunch

By: Mark

http://www.masonsgrill.com
http://www.masonsgrill.com/menu_jefferson/breakfast_weekend.html

Mason’s Grill on Jefferson Highway has always been known as the place to grab a burger, but it may soon be known as the place to grab a good brunch. Two diners and I ventured over to Mason’s to grab a bite to eat. We made sure to get there early to beat the church crowd. We arrived at approximately 10:45 AM and were seated promptly, even though the restaurant was nearly full.

We started our meals with River Road brand coffee, which was some of the best tasting coffee I have had. It was smooth and bold with a little bite. My two companions also ordered champagne ($3.95 for all you can drink). Our waitress was attentive and very friendly. Our coffee and champagne glasses rarely went half empty.

For my meal, I ordered the special, the alligator sauce piquante benedict. Two biscuit halves were topped with Canadian bacon, a poached egg, and smothered in a spicy alligator piquante sauce. Flavor wise, the meal was very good. The sauce was rich and had a nice level of heat. My only problem was the small portion of alligator meat. I think I might have received a slight sliver, but I felt if I was paying extra for alligator, I should see a decently sized piece of it. I also ordered a sweet potato pancake. The pancake was almost the size of the dinner plate. The pancake was fluffy and had a wonderful nutmeg and cinnamon flavor. These are a must when dining at Mason’s. The meal also came with hash browns, that were fried crispy and speckled with sautéed onions and peppers. They are a delicious side to any breakfast choice.

The other two guests both ordered the crab cake and eggs. The crab cakes were large, but thin. They were decent in taste, but had a slightly fishy flavor (a possible by product of cheap crab meat). They were topped with a poached egg and had a creamy hollandaise sauce drizzled on top. My companions enjoyed them immensely.

Mason’s offers a full breakfast menu with traditional and Cajun influenced dishes. They also serve their full menu for those looking to start their day with a famous burger. The meal wasn’t cheap ($70 for three diners), but Mason’s offers a wide variety of great food. This may become a Sunday tradition for me.

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Walk-On's

Cuisine Rouge Rating:

2 plates

By: Chad

Where we live, seafood is king.  In many areas of the country, simply having our fried seafood delicacies on your menu will make you a great restaurant.  However, in our area these delicacies are far too easily found, and a restaurant has to be on top of the game to be successful.

Walk-On’s has some things going for it.  The LSU location is a prime spot, right in the shadow of the mighty Tiger stadium.  That alone makes it a hot spot for LSU fans, which this town has no shortage of.  The availability of young, attractive college coeds as wait staff doesn’t hurt either, making it a haven for guys who like that magical combination of food, sports, and attractive girls.

Unfortunately though, the food takes a backseat to these things.  A sampling of several different fried offerings ranged from lackluster to passable.  Nothing shined or stood out in comparison to some of the other big name seafood houses in town.  The best dish I tasted was the signature item, the Angels on Horseback.  Jumbo sized butterflied shrimp are stuffed with an oyster, then wrapped in apple-smoked bacon and fried.  Served with the accompanying remoulade sauce these were fairly tasty.  However, other dishes such as the stuffed shrimp lacked the spiciness and flavor in the stuffing that makes the dish.  The other items sampled included the red beans and rice, chicken fingers, catfish Acadiana, and chicken club croissant.  All were reported as ‘okay’ by the members of my party who tried them, but their feedback was filled with about as much excitement as a bingo game at a rest home.  This same level of enthusiasm was echoed in the service.  Our waitress seemed to have a demeanor that screamed ‘how much longer till my shift is over’.

Here at Cuisine Rouge, we make a conscious effort to promote the positive aspects of local restaurants.  We aren’t out to bad mouth or tear anyone apart, but at the same time, we want to inform our readers of where good food and great deals can be found.  Sadly, Walk-On’s just doesn’t have either of these things to offer.  Several places around town have better seafood dishes at better prices.  Of course, your opinion may differ from ours, and we always welcome your comments and feedback.

Opie's Cajun Cafe

by: Wesley

http://www.opiescajuncafe.com/

I was looking for a good place to eat lunch in Mid-City this week, and my coworkers and I decided Opie’s Cajun Cafe would be a great place to chow down. This turned out to be a great decision!

We were promptly seated in the dining room, and a very friendly and attentive server took our drink and appetizer orders. The 3 of us split 2 appetizers - the crawfish pies, and the 10 piece BBQ chicken wings. The crawfish pies were about 2 bites big, filled with creamy crawfish and accompanied by a remoulade sauce. They were tasty and not greasy. As delicious as the pies were, I was more excited about the wings. The wings aren’t on the menu of Opie’s but are provided care of Sharky’s Wing’s, which is conveniently attached to Opie’s restaurant. The wings were lightly breaded and then deep fried, coated in a sweet and tangy BBQ sauce, and then brought to the table with a cup of ranch dressing. These wings were so good that I didn’t need the ranch - they were delicious all on their own.

For our lunch, 2 of us split the blackened shrimp po-boy with fries, and our other lunch partner ordered the crawfish ravioli. The po-boy was not bad, and had great bread, but I was disappointed in the shrimp. They tasted good, but there were too few of them on the sandwich. The real star of the show was the crawfish ravioli. They were so rich and filling that he couldn’t finish them on his own, so he was obligated to share them with me. I was very impressed with what I tasted. The ravioli are stuffed with ricotta cheese and fried, then covered with a crawfish cream sauce. It’s a great combination of chewy, creamy, and savory. Did I mention this is a very rich dish? This is what I’ll be ordering for myself next time around - it was so good!

So to sum it all up, Opie’s has great food, good prices, and friendly staff. If you are looking for a GREAT place for a Cajun seafood lunch (with a chance of wings) you have to give Opie’s Cajun Cafe a shot! They also feature a full bar, and the attached Sharky’s Wings does larger orders for take out.

Mudbug Madness

Well, it's that time of year when the crawfish cravings are in full swing.   Thanks to recent rains, the crop is looking up and the prices are starting to stabilize.  As most Louisianians know, the normal curve for pricing tends to swing upward as we approach Easter weekend, then fall back down after.  Right now, it seems that somewhere in the neighborhood of $3/lb boiled is typical pricing in the BR area.

Last Sunday my cravings came to a head and I had to get a fix.  Despite the fact that Tommy's Fish House is located right near my house, I had to venture into the city because they were closed.  When open however, you can find boiled for $3/lb and on some nights get all you can eat for $20.  My first thought on where else to go seemed obvious.  Logic told me that a place I would be sure to find what I needed would be The Crawfish Place, however they too were closed on a Sunday.

So, I found myself heading over to Sammy's on Highland Rd.  The pricing was much like the crowd there, a little on the upscale/trendy side.  There were a mix of local celebrity types and college students inside filling the place with a lively atmosphere.  The crawfish were good, seasoned nicely, but not cheap.  A tray containing 3lbs cost me $13.95, not including corn and potatoes which were $3 extra.  For an additional 2lbs, it was another $3.95 plus another $3 for more potatoes.  Of course you can't have hot boiled crawfish without beer, so my total damage came to about $40.

All in all, not a bad experience.  I could have saved money eating at home, but wanted to get out and go somewhere, so I guess that factors into the cost as well.  There are other choices of course, I know there are some seafood restaurants in town such as Drusilla that are doing all you can eat deals as well.

Of course, I could have just went with buying live and boiling at home.  I find it interesting just how many different procedures there are out there for accomplishing this task.  I have heard all sorts of methods, such as steaming them in an ice chest, covering them with ice, letting them soak for some time, and even throwing raw onions on top once they come out of the boil.  The other curious thing is what some people will integrate into a boil.  This really runs the food spectrum as covers a large amount of items.  Foods like eggs, sausage, mushrooms, broccoli, carrots, and even chicken breasts have found their way into the spicy brew by people I know.

So, let's hear your thoughts.  Where is the best place to find boiled bugs, and how do you do it?