Zea’s – American Fusion at Its Best

By: Mark

http://www.zearestaurants.com

Cuisine Rouge Rating:

4 plates

Cuisine Rouge made a promise to not focus or promote chains, but this local chain (started in Harahan, LA) deserves to be mentioned. Zea’s combines Asian and Mediterranean flavors into classic American foods. The outcome is a tasty fusion of big flavors. Zea’s rotisserie meats are some of the best around. Each day, a new slow roasted meat is featured (veal, lamb, pork, and beef are some) and their famous chicken is offered all the time.

I arrived at Zea’s on a Sunday night. I was celebrating my birthday with friends and concluded that Sunday would be the best night to entertain a table of ten. I walked in and noticed plenty of tables available. I asked the hostess for a table for ten and she looked at me as if she didn’t understand. “A table for ten, please.” I said again. She told me they would set me up a table, but I couldn’t sit there until 75% of my party had arrived. I glanced around the restaurant (which was approximately 75% empty) and said, “Fine.” I must admit, when a hostess cannot use good judgment it absolutely annoys me. I understand if a restaurant is full or near capacity, but I should be able to sit in a nearly empty restaurant. When 5 of my guest arrived (only 70%), we were able to sit.

The waitress was warm and friendly. She readily took our drink orders and brought us our drinks promptly (non-alcoholic). Shortly the remainder of my party arrived. Several of us ordered alcoholic beverages. Zea’s offers a variety of mojitos so I ordered the ginger mojito. It was delicious. The spicy ginger mixed well with the cool mint and the burn of the rum was pleasant. Several others ordered different mojitos and another guest ordered a cucumber martini; which she loved. In all, six of us ordered a mixed drink and another a beer and still the drinks took a long time to come out. This is excusable when a restaurant is full, but not when it is nearly empty. I wonder how long the drinks sat at the bar before being served.

We went light on the appetizers; with one couple ordering the Mediterranean hummus. This hummus is some of the best around. A large serving of creamy hummus is crowned with feta cheese, strips of julienned basil, sun dried tomatoes, olives, roasted garlic, and olive oil, Served with warm pita bread, this is a delicious way to start the meal. Other excellent appetizers are the Asian almond shrimp and the duck empanadas. Also, Zea’s signature spinach salad with pepper jelly vinaigrette is a must.

For entrees, Zea’s offers a wide range of roasted meats, seafood dishes, sandwiches, and local favorites. For my meal, I split the Thai ribs with my girlfriend, who ordered the twice cooked duck. The Thai ribs were fall-off-the-bone tender and were very juicy. The ribs were glazed in a sweet and spicy Thai sauce and adorned with toasted sesame seeds and cilantro. The twice cooked duck, (which three people ordered) was perfect as always. Two large leg quarters were slow roasted till juicy and then flash fried to make the skin crisp. The spicy honey soy sauce was a perfect sauce to bring out the duck’s natural flavors. Another diner ordered the rotisserie ribeye steak, which he enjoyed. Two diners sampled the rotisserie chicken; one opting for lemon and rosemary flavor and the other opting for a sweet chili glaze. Both were very pleased with their meals. Two diners also ordered the rotisserie meat of the day, which was the beef with  mushroom sauce. Both were very pleased with the flavor of the meat, but wished more mushrooms could have been present in the sauce. The side dishes of Zea’s were also delicious. Creamy roasted corn grits, spicy braised cabbage, tangy Thai snap beans, and sugary mashed sweet potatoes were some of the sides enjoyed by all.

A complaint, and this shows the wait staff of a college town, was about ten minutes after we ordered the waitress came back saying there was a twenty minute wait on the chicken. She wanted to know if the rest of the table wanted their entrees. Why would I go out to dinner with friends if I wanted a twenty minute head start in my meal? I politetly told her we would wait. The meals were all brought out together and all were pleased.

For dessert, one diner ordered a homemade chocolate brownie and another ordered the bread pudding. The brownie was hot and gooey with chocolate and served with ice cream. The bread pudding was unique in that it was served like a wedge of cake. It was huge and the women (and Wesley) were very happy.

Zea’s is the kind of restaurant I enjoy eating at. Its mix of familiar foods with an exciting twist that certainly makes for an interesting meal. Its heavy Asian and Mediterranean influences can also serve as a stepping stone for new diners to try other ethnic dishes. Zea’s has become one of my “go-to” restaurants due to its diverse menu and big flavors. Zea’s is sure to please any person in search of a good meal.

Local Owner Interview: Johnny DeAngelo – Johnny D’s New York Pizza Company

By: Mark

Johnny DeAngelo is the owner of Johnny D’s, an Italian and New York style pizza restaurant located at 13214 Coursey Blvd in Baton Rouge, near the intersection of Stumberg Lane and Coursey Boulevard. Johnny is a native of New Jersey, where he grew up making pizzas, something he still does, and does well. He has been kind enough to sit down and answer a few questions for Cuisine Rouge:

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

“I made my first pizzas in 1973 in Mr. Hill’s Restaurant and Bar back in Bayonne, New Jersey. My sister Janet and I ran the kitchen. I was fresh out of high school and I knew cooking pizzas was what I wanted to do with my life.”

2. What or who were your influences?

“When I was a kid my biggest influence was the great Julia Child. She inspired me to not only cook, but to also pursue a cooking show of my own. I also learned from my mom and sisters, especially working in my sister’s restaurant Mortorano’s (which is now Schlitz and Giggles downtown).”

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

“Do you ever really know you will make it in this business? When my sister closed her restaurant, it sat vacant for a year (the Jones Creek location). I reopened it and the biggest indication we were doing something right, was the people’s positive reaction. We had to be doing something right! We have had plenty of regular and return customers over the years.”

4. How did you decide on this location?

“I started looking as soon as I heard of the plan to expand Jones Creek Road. There was a good chance I would lose my parking lot and that would have been very bad for business. I drove around and just saw a “For Sale” sign in the window. I inquired and the rest is history. It was truly God’s will that I ended up in this location.”

5. What do you love about your job?

“I love to make people happy. I love the interaction with the customer. Every day I get to meet new and interesting people; people from all walks of life that are united by their love of pizza!”

6. What do you hate about your job?

“When things are out of my control. The service by the wait staff, the performance in the kitchen; I have no control over how someone ultimately does their job. It causes great stress when you can’t control someone’s performance. I take it personal when a customer does not receive the highest quality of service.”

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

“I love to shoot guns. I have many pistols and rifles and enjoy shooting them at the range. I am an avid believer in the Second Amendment.”

8. What would you be doing if you weren’t the owner of Johnny D's?

“I used to work for a security sales company, so I would probably be doing that. Or I would be working for my wife at DeAngelo Real Estate.”

9. What is your favorite dish on the menu?

“The Johnny’s Choice pizza – loaded with Italian sausage, onions, and mushrooms.”

10. What would your last meal be?

“Pizza of course! My perfect pizza has a nice thin crust, light on the sauce and cheese, and plenty of quality ingredients such as Italian sausage, onions, and mushrooms.”

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

“My best moment was being able to provide all the food for a wedding for one of my friends. Knowing I was able to do something so nice for someone was a good feeling.”

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

“When Hurricane Gustav hit Baton Rouge. To a small business this was devastating. We had to shut down for two weeks and I lost a lot of money and all of my food. We were literally on the brink of disaster.”

13. Anything new for the future?

“Well I would love to have my own cooking show in the restaurant. I have also decided to place the rosemary and garlic baked chicken with roasted vegetables on the menu as a special. Also I am reapplying for our liquor license. It will take 90 days to get approved but we should be able to serve beer and wine soon.”

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

“I love Chinese and Mexican. My wife especially loves fajitas. I am also a fan of sushi, however the more standard, cooked stuff, not sea urchin. My favorite non-Italian meal would be a perfectly cooked filet mignon with a fully loaded baked potato and a good salad.”

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

“The spaghetti and meatballs. It is simple, good comfort food and I am very proud of it. Make sure to top it with plenty of Pecorino Romano cheese.”

Cuisine Rouge would like to thank you Johnny DeAngelo for taking the time to answer our questions. Good luck to you and Johnny D’s in the future!

Doe's Eat Place

By: Wesley

3723 Government Street
Baton Rouge, LA 70806
(225) 387-5331

http://www.doeseatplace.com/

This review must be prefaced with this warning: CuisineRouge makes a point of avoiding “chain” restaurants for good reason - most chains are devoid of soul, creativity, and real talent in the kitchen. There, I said it. I’m not trying to hate on them, but a locally owned, original restaurant symbolizes someone's ambitions and life savings, not the clever franchising decisions of a real-estate investment consortium. We do what we can do to shine the light on these places, as they often are overlooked.

Doe’s is an interesting compromise for us. It started out fairly close to home, over in Greenville, Mississippi, and over the years, Doe’s has grown to have two family-owned locations, and twelve franchise locations. Since the family-owned locations are not within a 30-minute drive of Baton Rouge, we visited the franchised location on Government Street.

So enough bull, where’s the beef? My two amigos and I were craving some steak, and Doe’s Eat Place sounded like a fun place to pig out. This is what I learned: Doe’s is probably the most honest and least pretentious steak restaurant that I’ve ever dined at. There is no tacky theme, vegan waif offerings, or chicken served at this establishment (although I hear the menus do vary location to location).

I am hesitant to call this restaurant “manly,” as I don’t want to give any woman hesitation to eating at Doe’s - perhaps “simple,” “elemental,” or “pure” are better adjectives to use. The menu is the very essence of “less is more” as there are only three main items: steak, tamales, and shrimp. Now hold on - there is a bit more to it, as there are 4 types of steak to choose from: sirloin, ribeye, filet mignon, and t-bone/porterhouse.

We each ordered a glass of tea, and in addition one of my fellow diners ordered a glass of Russian Standard vodka, which I hear is hard to find in most restaurants. Kudos to Doe’s for having fancy liquor! Per him, this vodka is the cleanest, best tasting vodka on the market, made by the people that invented the stuff. A must try for those who are hung up on the trendy goose named French offering, ordered blindly by those looking to be cool. Drinking French vodka is kinda like eating Chinese food in downtown Tijuana, but I digress.

The tamales....these aren’t what you get at the Mexican joint down the street. These are “Delta style,” which essentially means they aren’t bland and wrapped in a corn husk. “Delta style” comes in a paper wrapper, and instead of canned chili, you get the scraps from the beef the steaks are cut from ground up coarsely and prepared into a delicious and tangy stew. You simply unwrap the tamale, spoon on some chili, and then enjoy. The beef, corn, and chili come together in a most satisfying way. The three of us split a half-dozen as an appetizer, but if the possibility of steak wasn’t looming, I’d gladly settle for a dozen as my meal, and not feel slighted in the least.

Now about the beef. One thing that is positively refreshing is the amount of respect that Doe’s pays to the Bos Primigenius (That’s what scientists calls cows). Doe’s refuses to ruin the beef by burning it (also known as “well done,” the greatest culinary oxymoron). Since we all were shooting for a light meal, we each ordered the smallest steak on the menu, the pound and a half porterhouse. That might blow your mind, and that’s okay. The steaks are offered in roughly one pound increments, with the intention that you order a big one to share with your partner, with some of the cuts even offering two different temperatures per order.

Ordering the steak was easy: pick your cut, your poundage, and your doneness. After that, another tantalizing choice: fries or boiled potatoes. One amigo picked fries, two picked the boiled potatoes. The waiter warned us the potatoes were bland, prepared only by placing them into unsalted boiling water with butter, and the fries were the better pick.

Every steak dinner is preceded with a marinated salad, consisting of iceberg lettuce and cherry tomatoes soaked in a lemon juice, garlic, and olive oil infusion. The salad tasted good, a little sour/spicy, but the wilted lettuce was a bit of a turn off and I wish it had been colder. The wooden bowls were a rustic touch, and there is an interesting story about the salad, invented by Aunt Florence, that you can find on Doe’s website. True carnivores may not care about the salad, but it is a Doe’s institution.

On to the steaks - yes, the whole point of going to a steak restaurant is the big slab of sizzling beef, untainted by ketchup, A1, Heinz 57, pineapple glaze, or peppercorn mushroom congealed disappointment. Sauces like these are the refuge of weaker cuts of beef, and Doe’s doesn’t offer them because they don’t need them. The ketchup on the tables is only for the fries! Our porterhouses arrived at the table, cooked perfectly. Along with the sizzling spread came a basket of curious brown biscuits. These “drop biscuits” consist of dough, deep fried, and served with butter and honey. Think country-style beignets and you are close enough.

The next part is little hazy. Once we started eating the steaks, the witty banter gave way to the tinkling sounds of cutlery, and other less delicate sounds. Watching two other men eat steak isn’t pretty, so it’s best to focus on what’s on your plate. I had ordered the boiled potatoes to accompany my steak, against the recommendation of the waiter, and they were just that - boiled potatoes, bland and unremarkable. Thankfully, there were enough French fries to go around, and they were cut and seasoned perfectly.

Our waiter, who was something of a likeable smart-ass, encouraged us to pick up the bone and get the good parts if we couldn’t manage with fork and knife alone. We happily obliged. I don’t know how else to tell you - the steak was perfect, tender, well seasoned (with salt and pepper alone, as far as I can tell). We were offered dessert, but passed due to a complete lack of room to hold it.

So what else is there to say about Doe’s Eat Place? Well, it’s a great place to get a perfect steak, it’s got a fun and casual atmosphere, and it’s the absolute worst place to bring your Hindu and vegetarian friends. My bill, which included two tamales (1/3 of the half dozen), iced tea, and the one and a half pound porterhouse was $44. Not bad at all! I’m really looking forward to eating here again. Go Eat at Doe’s!

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.

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

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.

Pinoy – The Philippines comes to Baton Rouge

By: Mark

http://www.pinoybr.com

Tucked away in a strip mall on the corner of Coursey Boulevard and Sherwood Forest Boulevard lies Pinoy; Baton Rouge’s first Filipino restaurant. In fact, it is only the second Filipino restaurant in the entire state. The cuisine of the Philippines is influenced heavily by its history of Spanish rule, which is exhibited by some of the dishes on the menu and the official beer of the Philippines. The Cuisine Rouge team assembled and dined at Pinoy on a Thursday night.

We began our meal with a cold San Miguel beer. This beer was cool and clean and had a light taste. It was the perfect way to start our meal. As we enjoyed our beer we took note of the layout of the interior. The restaurant was painted with light green walls and painted glass that depicted scenes of the Philippines. An area for karaoke was located in the front, and another area containing a TV and the game Rock Band was set up in the back for children to play while their parents dined. What was also noticeable was that many Filipino and Asian locals dine here. In fact, such a large party was present, that they nearly took up the entire restaurant.

After we finished our beers, we ordered a few appetizers. We tried the Sisig ($6.99) which was finely diced pork, hot sauce, onions, and lemon served on a sizzling skillet. The pork had a nice sweet and spicy flavor and the bottom was caramelized by the hot skillet, giving the dish a crispy bottom. We ate the sisig accompanied with jufran (a banana flavored sauce with the look and consistency of ketchup). We also ordered the Lumpia ($7.99) which were miniature egg rolls stuffed with pork and vegetables. They were fried perfectly and were not greasy, served with a sweet and spicy chili sauce. These were a great start to our meal.

For our entrees we decided to order three dishes that really represent the style of cooking that Pinoy is trying to showcase. We ordered the Lechon Kawali ($8.99) which is slow roasted pork belly that is then fried. The dish is absolutely delicious as the tender meat marries with the creamy fat for a truly extraordinary bite. The meal was served with sweet, vinegary pickled papaya and spicy sautéed bean sprouts. Our next entrée was the Palabok ($6.99). This is a noodle dish which contains shrimp, ground pork, pork cracklins, boiled eggs, and green onions. The dish is then topped with a palabok sauce which resembles an etoufee. This dish was extremely disappointing as we discovered it contained no flavor. I could taste the blandness of the noodles but that was it. Even with the addition of lemon, salt, and pepper I still felt I was eating salty, peppery, lemony noodles. I sampled the sauce on its own but still could not find a trace of flavor. This dish left us not only perplexed but very let down. Our third entrée arrived and we quickly forgot about the palabok as our waitress set down the Crispy Pata ($17.50). It is a bit pricey but this is Pinoy’s signature item. Deep crossing slices are made into a pork leg that has been marinated in garlic and soy sauce. The entire leg is deep fried to perfection. The result is heaven on a plate. The meat is perfectly juicy and delicious and the skin is fried to a perfect, crackling brown. A jazzed up soy sauce that had hints of ginger, chili, and cilantro was served to accompany it. The leg was served with rice and corn. The only downside to the meal was the side of corn was bland and cold, almost an afterthought. In all, the entrees at Pinoy are very good and any pork lover will be in heaven.

We saved just enough room for dessert and we were treated to Leche Flan ($2.50) and Halo-Halo ($4.99). The flan was some of the best I have had. It was firmer and creamier than a traditional Mexican flan and it was topped with a nice caramel sauce. The halo-halo is one of the most interesting desserts I have ever come across. It is a mixture of shaved ice and milk, containing rice crispies, boiled sweet beans and fruit, which is then topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. What is produced is a sweet dessert with plenty of interesting textures and flavors. This is a must try for anyone.

Baton Rouge is becoming quite the place for ethnic dining. The addition of Pinoy introduces an entire new cuisine to the city. If you are a lover of pork, or just a lover of interesting food, I highly recommend Pinoy. With its friendly owner and beautiful wait staff, hopefully this restaurant will become a fixture of the growing ethnic Baton Rouge scene.

Pros:
- Great pork dishes
- Service was excellent
- Fun atmosphere enjoyed by locals

Cons:
- Not many places to sit – large party almost took up entire restaurant
- Very bland noodle dish and corn
- Restaurant temperature was very warm



Crispy Pata


Sisig


Lechon Kawali


Halo-Halo