Eat Baton Rouge! Quick Bites: Montana's Restaurante

Check out one of EBR's! Favorites... Montana's Restaurante y Supermercado on Coursey... in addition to offering BR's only Colombian food (try the Arepas), they are now offering a Honduran menu. EBR's will sample it soon and return with full report. Muchas Gracias!

Bistro Byronz: The Good Gets Better

Hey all,

Just a little note I just got that one of EBR!'s favorites, Bistro Byronz, is adding some promising new menu items:



ABITA CHOPS

French cut pork chops marinaded in Abita Root Beer,

served w/ onion roasted potatoes & grilled asparagus

CHICKEN ST LANDRY

Flattened chicken breast topped with a tasso creme sauce,

served w/a savory mushroom bread pudding

PUDDING DU PAIN

Homemade savory mushroom bread pudding accompanied by our Mimi Salad

TURKEY AVOCADO SUPREME

Our traditional avocado supreme sandwich (avocado, lettuce, tomato,

sprouts & balsamic drizzle) topped off w/ a mound of turkey - now that's real good



Go support this local eatery, and then tell me how it was!

Get You Sum.

Dim Sum Seafood Restaurant
9431 Delcourt Ave
Baton Rouge, LA 70815-4127
(225) 924-3550


You've seen them... ubiquitous, it seems, on nearly every street corner in south Baton Rouge... the strip mall Chinese restaurant. Sadly, this is what has come to define the cuisine of China to many- the picture menus, the ordering by combo number, the same ingredients, precooked, trucked in from the port of Houston from some faceless, soulless warehouse in some godforsaken place like Bay City or Pasadena.
This obscenity ignores the thousands of years of the culinary culture of China- the regional dishes, the small courses of bliss, the traditional delicacies.
I have heard rumblings that at least one place in the metro B.R. still delivers these goods- and so, tucked away a block off Airline Highway in a nondescript building, I find Dim Sum.

Dim Sum means "a bit of heart" in Chinese, and that proved to be an apt description of what I found here... authentic food, prepared without pretense, simple and satisfying. I arrived a little late for lunch this day, and was concerned to find few cars in the parking lot, and save one table, I appeared to have the spacious dining room to myself. Upon entering, I am presented with two menus- one, a list of dim sum courses complete with an accompanying flip book of pictures for hapless gaijin like myself, and the other a menu of the McChinese offerings we've all come to know. Since I've eaten enough sweet-and-sour pork and sesame chicken to last me a lifetime, I boldly go the Dim Sum route. Dim Sum refers to a series of small courses served with tea- in this case ranging from around $3-5 bucks a piece, with four or so making a tidy lunch.

Perhaps sensing my uncertainty, I am guided by a most helpful employee by the name of Amy who, for the next hour, serves as my culinary tour guide. She also explains why I have the place to myself today... their big crowds come on the weekends, when large Asian families show up for a taste of the traditional, traveling from neighboring states in some cases to get a bite of some things you just can't get in most Chinese restaurants around here. Under Amy's steady hand, I make my choices- Cha Siu Bao ($2.50 for 3) a sort of bready dumpling filled with minced Chinese barbecued pork; the Siu Mai ($2.90 for 4) rice flour dumplings stuffed with pork, and the Ha Gow ($3.25 for 4)- pleated, translucent shrimp dumplings that seem born to be married with the soy sauce and homemade chili oil that stand on every table.
Since Dim Sum is made to be served with tea, I opt for a hot pot of Oolong, one of the many varieties Dim Sum offers.
The Cha Siu Bao look like they might be heavy or floury, but what I find is a light texture, slightly sweet, and filled with delicious minced pork bits in a Chinese barbecue sauce. On to the Siu Mai, these are moist, flavorful bits of pork stuffing in dumplings that took particularly well to the aforementioned chili oil. The Ha Gow were fantastic- snappy shrimp inside a translucent dumpling that releases juicy, delicious broth with every bite.
On the spot I resolve to return, as I have only scratched the surface... if you consider these as appetizers, there are also main courses- stir fries of rice noodles, vegetable stir fries, wontons, and an array of chef's specials ranging from the traditional clay pot dished that are sure to be my next meal here, to daily specials and fresh curries, even steamed whole fish.
If you are looking to break out of combo meal Chinese, make the trip to Dim Sum and experiment a little- you'll get a little taste of Hong Kong one small place at a time.

Sol Food

El Sol de Guerrero #1 (La Tiendita)
6031 Siegen Lane
Baton Rouge, LA
(225) 293-0879
Hours: Mon-Sat. 8:30am - 8:30pm
Closed Sunday


By now, readers of EBR can probably guess I have something of a taqueria-fetish. Finding the best of taqueria food in all the new spots popping up around Baton Rouge and its environs has become something of a quest for me. The simplicity and sincerity of the food served in these joints has pretty much ruined me for the Tex-Mex that used to be Baton Rouge's only choice for south-of-the-border fare.

Scratching another name off of my hit list in this way brought me to El Sol de Guerrero- "The sun of the soldier" en Espanol- a restaurant serving authentic Mexican food attached, as so many are, to a little Mexican grocery named "La Tiendita." Most people I've spoken with refer to the restaurant as such, as well.

Whatever you might call it, there is no mistaking that this place can be counted among Baton Rouge's hidden little treasures. The restaurant is a clean, attractive space- nicer than some similar outfits that have a restaurant as more of an afterthought in comparison to their groceries. I was met by a smiling server with a fresh, hot basket of tortilla chips- something I've found oddly inconsistent in taquerias like this. These were light, crispy, perfectly salted and served with a fresh salsa mexicana. Shortly afterward, two huge squeeze bottles of salsa verde and salsa rojo arrived as well. The verde was spot-on, a tangy mix of tomatillos, garlic, roasted peppers and cilantro.
The rojo is a bigger flavor, all smoky chiles and piquant notes.

First up was an order of one of my taqueria litmus tests...Tacos Al Pastor. Marinated, grilled pork sliced off a rotisserie, shawarma-style, served in a warm corn tortilla garnished with chopped red onion, pineapple, cilantro, and a squeeze of fresh lime. Like pizza, when these are average, they're still pretty good... and when they are great, they become truly transcendental. El Sol's version are of the latter type... in fact, I think they might just take the title of Baton Rouge's best taco away from previous champ El Paste Dorado. At a smooth $1.95 a piece, these could be the single best food deal in Red Stick. You can also add rice, beans, and salad for a paltry $2.95 more for a more complete dinner.

I also sampled the Burrito Asada ($4.95)- a large flour tortilla filled with cheese, beans, rice, sour cream, guacamole, tomatoes, lettuce, and carne asada (marinated, grilled skirt steak.) This was an all-around winner... served piping hot, it was a stick-to-your-ribs satisfying offering. The meat was flavorful and well seasoned, and when forkfuls of this burrito were doused with the aformentioned salsas, taste went to the next level- not enough to beat defending champ Juanita's Supermercado y Taqueria's sublime burritos, but certainly very, very good in its own right.

Lastly, we made a run at the Enchiladas Verdes de Pollo ($7.95), shredded chicken stuffed and rolled in corn tortillas topped with a tangy tomatillo sauce and a sprinkling of crumbled queso blanco. These were served with the requisite rice and beans side, both of which were good if not remarkable. The enchiladas were plenty tasty, a simple preparation in a peasant style which made for a delicious, filling lunch if a bit low on the "wow" factor.

I came away suitably impressed from this visit, one made all the much gladder when I realized how close El Sol is to the Eat Baton Rouge! world headquarters. I've already planned a return mission to eat more of those tacos, as well as some of the daily specials and seafood offerings. Buen Provecho, indeed.

One last tip- skip the soft drinks, even the tempting Mexican Coca-Colas, in favor of El Sol's thirst-quenching aguas frescas (tamarindo is my fave) or horchatas. You'll tell me muchas gracias later.

Here we grow again...

Hello again, EBR-ites. Just wanted to let you know that beginning soon, reviews by yours truly will be begin appearing at the newly-launched redsticklive.com. Check it out! Big thanks to Jeremy Harper for seeking me out and presenting me with this opportunity. Be sure to check out redsticklive.com's awesome features like Baton Rouge photo galleries, arts, music, and community postings, and even a place where you can contribute! Tres' cool.

A reminder- if you are the kind of person who likes to combine his passions (like food and LSU sports, for example) you can also catch the latest from Eat Baton Rouge! on the Food & Drink Blogs section of tigerdroppings.com. Mangia!

COOLinary Cranks Up In The Crescent City!

Get ready to savor the summer! COOLinary 2009 kicks off August 1st!


It's the most delicious time of year again! COOLinary 2009 will take place this August & September in restaurants all throughout the city. Enjoy a delicious New Orleans meal for less...Lunches are priced at $20 or less and dinner at $34 or less. Restaurants are signing up everyday so keep checking the COOLinary website for menus, specials and more!
http://www.neworleanscvb.com/restaurants/calendar/index.cfm/sectionID/1/subsectionID/11/

Benefit For Ritz Chef Matt Murphy June 14, $65

Thanks to Tom Fitzmorris for getting this out there:


Matt Murphy--the extraordinarily likeable, Irish-born chef of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel--is clinging to life at Ochsner Hospital right now. An invasive streptococcus infection has led to DIC--a condition in which blood clots form and interrupt normal blood flow throughout the body, causing organs to shut down.

He is in intensive care, and in need of blood donations. Go to Ochsner's Blood Bank at its Jefferson Highway facility if you can help.

What makes this particularly worthy of your generosity is that Matt and his wife are the parents of eighteen-month-old quadruplets. And they have another child on the way. This raises the spectre of a family financial crisis. A fund to help Matt's family has been established at Capital One Bank. It's called the Matthew J. Murphy Donation Account, #2077720319. Donations will be accepted at any Capital One branch.

As they always do, the chefs of the city have rallied around this worthy cause. There will be a fundraising benefit at the Ritz-Carlton on Sunday, June 14, 4-8 p.m. It is underpriced at $65; I recommend you give $100. Call 504-670-2828 to nail down tickets. Here's a partial list (more are signing on daily) of the chefs who'll be there serving food:

* Scott Boswell (Stella!)
* Justin Devillier (La Petit Grocery)
* Tenney Flynn (GW Fins)
* Donald Link (Herbsaint and Cochon)
* John Folse
* Bob Iacovone (Cuvee)
* Brian Landry (Galatoire's)
* Duke LoCicero (Cafe Giovanni)
* Jean Luc Albin (Maurice's French Pastries)
* Gus Martin (Muriel's)
* Mark Quitney (New Orleans Marriott)
* Greg Reggio (Zea)
* Jacques Saleun (Chateau du Lac)
* Susan Spicer (Bayona)
* Chuck Subra (La Cote Brasserie)
* Kevin Vizard (Vizard's)

Eat Baton Rouge's Best of Baton Rouge

BATON ROUGE'S BEST THAI BUFFET:

Thai Kitchen
4335 Perkins Rd
Baton Rouge, LA 70808
(225) 346-1230
www.thaikitchenexpress.com

With due deference to the excellent forerunner Rama Thai on Perkins, Thai Kitchen has emerged as the Capital City's most consistent spot for lunch from the Land of Smiles. Thai Kitchen's buffet features good variety and consistent quality... curries, Pad Thai,salads, soups, and even sushi. Thai Kitchen is also the home of the city's best Tom Kha Gai- the coconut-chicken soup that is a delicious staple of Thai cookery.

Bistro Byronz c'est magnifique.

BISTRO BYRONZ
5412 GOVERNMENT STREET
BATON ROUGE LOUISIANA 70806 - 225-218-1433

Hello again, Baton Rouge foodies.... EBR! is proud to bring you another report on the Capital City's most famous- and infamous- eateries.
We had the pleasure of revisiting one of our darlings- Bistro Byronz. We've come to appreciate the consistency and value Byronz provides, and our latest trip did not disappoint.
Byronz aspires to nail the brasserie aesthetic... replete in black and white tile, frosted glass and faux antique fixtures. Located in a renovated old house on Government Street, it makes for a comely combination of homey and chic.
We were greeted and seated promptly by a hostess decked out in a french white apron, and our orders were taken with little delay. Byronz features a brasserie-style menu featuring everything from the sandwiches which made the old Byronz famous, to hors d'oeuvres like the savory and delicious blue cheese chips,succulent salads like the Steak Frites salad (more on that later) soups, a la carte sides, and entrees.

Since there was a bit of a chill in the air the evening of our visit, we began with a pair of soups- the Corn & Shrimp ($4.45) and the Sweet Corn & Crab ($ 4.45). The Corn and Shrimp featured its star ingredients in a tomato-ey broth with a spicy kick. It's a bit jarring at first for those more accustomed to a sweeter corn and shrimp soup, but still satisfies with sinus-clearing blend of big, bold flavors. The Sweet Corn & Crab arrives as a thicker, cream based bisque with kernels of corn and chunks of claw crab meat suspended in it. Though a bit toothsome, this soup had great flavor and hit the spot.
In keeping with the comfort food angle we had working, Bistro Byronz's Pot Roast Creole ($13.95)was up next.A fresh green salad tossed in Byronz's house vinaigrette was followed with a hefty serving of fork-tender pot roast reeking of beefy, winy goodness. Accompanying it came the requisite side of garlic mashed potatoes with a flavorful gravy, and a serving of home style french green beans. This was a formidable meal in portion- big, stick-to-your ribs fare. While it was satisfying, it lacked any wow factor, any little thing that might truly set it apart and make it unique. One key ingredient, a little truffle oil or something similarly special would have taken this already good dish to the next level. We'd have liked to see them "chef it up" just a little. Still, we weren't disappointed.
We also tried the Steak Frites Salad, ($13.95) the salad version of Bistro Byronz popular brasserie staple, Steak Frites ($19.95). Seared and sliced Filet Mignon is served atop bed of crunchy romaine lettuce,topped with bleu cheese crumbles and a delicious cane vinaigrette. Layered on top of that is the hallmark of any decent brasserie worthy of the name- perfectly cooked, crispy, thin frites- what God intended French Fries to be. It may seem anathema to put fries on a salad,but here it's just what the doctor ordered- a salty, crunchy counter punch to the rich beef and pungent cheese, just screaming out for a glass of red to complete your trip to nirvana.
If the frites were cooked in duck fat, this dish would become truly otherworldly, but for now it will just have to settle for being the best salad in Baton Rouge.
We ended the evening over a piece of the Key Lime Pie ($5.95). It was a tasty finale, but not memorable... next time we might opt instead for the Heavenly Hash Supreme, or on a chilly night like this one, the Bistro Bread Pudding.
Bistro Byronz is a perfect date night stop that hits all the high notes- good, unpretentious food served in chic, charming atmosphere that won't break the bank, best of all. C'est Magnifique!

Sakura misses the mark

Sakura Sushi & Hibachi
7951 One Calais Ave
Baton Rouge, LA 70809
(225) 766-2088

Hello after a long time, EBR-ites. My quest for the best things to eat in Red Stick recently brought me by the recently opened Sakura Sushi Bar and Hibachi, housed in that little piece of real estate hell known as One Calais, in the building that has previously been the dining kiss-of-death for such forgettable attempts as Louisiana Pizza Kitchen and (most recently) Vincent's Italian Cuisine in addition to countless others.

After shoehorning the old SUV into one of Sakura's limited parking spaces, we were greeted by the charming spectacle of busboys congregated outside the front entrance having a smoke. We entered the foyer to be greeted by a pleasant smiling hostess asking us whether we wanted to eat "traditional or sushi," which was a bit of a head-scratcher as I've never known those two terms to be mutually exclusive. Apparently, what she meant was sushi-bar seating, or seating in the cavernous, maze-like dining room. Seriously- this place is huge, looking even bigger inside than one would surmise from viewing the exterior. We were seated in the hinterlands of one of the rear dining rooms- an outpost so removed from the rest of the restaurant that we thought we might have to order via telegraph or carrier pigeon. It was an odd sensation to go from the bamboo and black lacquer cliche' of the foyer to the warm beige and ochre dining room- completely unchanged from its previous incarnation as Vincent's, right down to the paintings of Venice on the wall. Even the pens we were given to fill out our sushi slips were still labeled as Vincent's- I guess they came with the paintings. We sat bathed in hellishly bright ceiling mounted floodlights that didn't exactly scream "atmosphere." Feeling like french fries ready for pickup, we decided to press on.

Our meal began after a drink order from a rather surly server, whose frustrated visage belied her attempts at being nice and polite. We thought it might be because they appeared to be slow this night- odd, considering it was the first Friday night during Lent in south Louisiana. Our server clarified with surprising candor- it seems they were breaking in a new manager (apparently just having fired the old one) and the transition wasn't going so smoothly. A passing server stopped to chime in, and it looked as though there might be mutiny. Throwing caution to the wind, we elected to press on, trying the "Sushi for 2" ($32) which features 18 pieces of chef-selected sushi, a California Roll, a spicy tuna roll, and tempura roll, along with a salad and miso soup. The soup and salad arrived first. The miso soup was terribly watery, thin, and lacking flavor. Moving on the salad, we found bagged iceberg lettuce mix topped with a bottled ginger dressing. Neither of these first two courses were finished. Mercifully, the sushi arrived next on a huge white platter. It was presented beautifully, fanned out from the center like a star, with rolls on each corner and a little tree made from an herb sprig planted in a mound of wasabi. Nice!

Our buoyed spirits were short-lived though, as the sushi failed to deliver on its promise. The salmon and tuna nigiri were good, although under seasoned- no sweet-and-vinegary tang in the rice, no wasabi under the fish. This made for a rather bland bite as the fish itself lacked in flavor. The shrimp nigiri was old and brown around the edges- unpalatable. The snapper had an off-scent. The whitefish garnished with green onions was better, surpassing the rubbery fluke alongside it. We ate what we could stomach and left the rest behind. Our server passed by once with an "Any complaints?" which there surely were, but her bluntness left me speechless. After it became apparent that the order of a second glass of wine had been missed, we elected to make for the exits.

I'm not sure whether Sakura is a lost cause, but it is certainly teetering on the brink. Half-empty on a night it should be packed with hungry Catholics, it doesn't look good. Sakura seems to lack focus... it's menu is all over the place, trying to be all things to all people (there is a full Chinese menu as well, which is concerning in a place that bills itself as a sushi restaurant)- and misses its target altogether. It has no brand, no vibe, no consistent feel, this Asian mess stuffed into an old Italian joint. Perhaps the new manager was warranted considering the lack of discipline and professionalism displayed by the staff- and if they get that turned around, and get the kitchen committed to delivering FRESH food made with care- Sakura has a shot. This night, though, Sakura had the feel of a loose ship tottering on a uneven keel.

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Soaking up Philly like a sponge...

353 S. Sherwood Forest Blvd., Baton Rouge, 70816. Phone: 225-293-1003

Some of life's greatest pleasures are simple. In a sense it's harder to make a dish with only a few ingredients really sing than to create an ornate, involved dish. There's nothing to distract, nothing to mask or hide less than fresh ingredients or flawed preparation. In the same vein, as someone who eats out a lot sometimes I have to set aside the beurres blanc and demiglaces and curries and whatnot and just go get something simple and good... the perfect burger, some fried chicken and another of my favorites, a good Philly cheese steak. Alas, an authentic Philly has usually been very hard to find in a town like Red Stick. There are many pretenders, but most folks here just don't really nail it, as there are few here who've actually had the real McCoy to use as a frame of reference.
When I stumbled across South of Philly- newly arrived on Sherwood Forest Boulevard, I approached with a bit of skepticism. S.O.P.'s menu claims "Authentic Philadelphia Cheese Steaks and More", so I set to put them to the test. Entering the restaurant, I felt as if I had stumbled onto the set of Sponge Bob Square Pants... in its previous incarnation, this space was obviously a seafood joint, complete with the requisite aqua paint scheme and kitschy nautical nonsense on the walls. So far, it seems, the decor hasn't caught up with the new cuisine. Resisting the urge to order in me finest pirate voice, I approached the counter and observed my first good sign-literally. Above the counters was a bright sign explaining the proper ritual for ordering a cheese steak. Starting with size, and "wit" or "witout" onions, and what kind of cheese, you tell them how to make your masterpiece. Normally I like provolone on steak sandwiches, but in the interest of authenticity, I ordered mine as God intended in the City of Brotherly Love- with onions and yes, Cheez Whiz. Cheez Wiz? Yes. Cheez-freaking-Whiz. Those looking for a less authentic Philly experience can also opt for American, Provolone, or Mozzarella.

Lesser cheese steak purveyors use cheap minute steaks, so my validating experience continued when my Philly arrives full of minced rib eye, sauteed onions, and Cheez Whiz on Amoroso bread- the real Philly cheese steak bread served in Philadelphia. There's only so much waxing poetic I can do, but suffice it to say I was blown away by this cheese steak... a hot, fresh, satisfying meal. The bread was fresh, hot, and soft. The minced rib eye was hot and juicy, the onions perfectly caramelized around the edges, and the cheese melted perfectly on top. Another pleasant surprise came in the form of the fries served on the side of the Philly- too often, a soggy afterthought. These fries were hot and crispy, and still had the skin on like honest-to-goodness home fries- like fries should be. When it comes to their signature dish, South of Philly hits a real home run.

South of Philly also offers other Philly-based sandwiches like pepper steak, pizza steaks, and mushroom steaks, all in $6 to $10 range. SOP also offers an array of poboys, or a build your own burger setup for those less enamored with the pinnacle of Pennsylvania cuisine. For me, though, I've found a new home in which to scratch my cheese steak cravings. So, don your lime green jogging suit and gold chains, and head over to Sherwood Forest to soak up a taste of Philly like a sponge.

Celebrate Valentine's Day with Carrabba's... that's amore'!

This year Valentines Day falls on a Saturday, and many people will avoid the weekend crowds by dining out earlier in the week. That's why Carrabba's is offering consumers the ultimate pre-Valentine's Day celebration "Dal Cuore Nights," meaning "From the Heart Nights" at Carrabba's.

About The Dal Cuore Nights Celebration

• The Dal Cuore Nights celebration includes a Prix Fixe Menu (Less than $20 per person) and $10 off any bottle of wine, including Ruffino's Dal Cuore di Carrabba wine, a limited-edition baby Super Tuscan created exclusively for Carrabbass. The prix fixe menu includes an appetizer, entreé and mini-dessert. Featured entreés include Carrabba's favorites such as Sirloin Marsala, Chicken Bryan, Chicken Marsala, Polo Rosa Maria and Grilled Salmon with the sauce of the day.
• Topping off the evening, guests on February 11 and 12 will receive a special Dal Cuore Valentine's Day Card featuring a "heartfelt" quote. One lucky quote recipient will win a romantic Italian escape for two including 7 night cruise and airfare. Beginning Sunday, March 1, 2009, the winning quote will be revealed on Carrabba's website at www.carrabbas.com, where complete details are available.

Eat Baton Rouge Quick Bites: Importfood.com

If you are an aficionado of Thai food, check out importfood.com- it's my favorite online Thai grocery store and recipe site. It's got all the traditional recipes that you'd find in most American Thai restaurants as well as some street vendor food recipes that are dy-no-mite. If you have trouble finding Thai ingredients where you live, those are available too... and not just canned or boxed mixes- they also have fresh ingredients like lemon grass or kaffir lime leaves they can ship right to your door. There is also a section for Thai cookware featuring hot pots, mortars-and-pestles, and other de rigeur Thai kitchen equipment.Sawadee!

Derek Chang's Koto

Derek Chang's Koto Japanese Restaurant
3023 College Drive
Baton Rouge
225.924.1980
http://www.kotoofjapan.com/


Sometimes first impressions can be wrong. It's also said that everyone deserves a second chance. I've visited Koto in the past, leaving less than blown away by what I found. Lately, perhaps due to its impending move into a plush new space off Corporate Boulevard, Koto is being talked about more and more. I'd gotten several reports as to Derek Chang's sushi-roll wizardry of late, followed by looks of blank incredulity when I opined that there were other Baton Rouge area sushi spots that I felt were more deserving of my yen. Things change, I thought to myself, and harkening back to my own experience working the line, I knew that some days just aren't good days at every restaurant- so, with a spirit of redemption, I dropped in to Koto for a workday lunch to see what the fuss is about. Sans dining company and a luxe expense account, I opted for a sushi bento box ($11.50) and Koto's signature roll, 'The Bomb' ($8.00) to get a representative sample of Koto's offerings.

I was seated at the sushi bar, and greeted promptly by a server with a steaming hot hand towel- always a nice, if standard, touch at a sushi bar. My visit came on a chilly Louisiana day, so I began with a pot of hot green tea. Service at Koto proved to be friendly, attentive and efficient... a highlight of this visit. The lunch bento box features a soup (your choice of miso or mushroom... this day, I chose mushroom) fried rice, house salad with ginger dressing, gyoza dumplings and a snow crab roll. The sushi offerings consisted of one piece each of tuna, salmon, crab stick, shrimp, and white fish.

The mushroom soup arrived first, a steaming, clear broth with floating slivers of white mushroom and bits of tempura batter. This was simple goodness and did not fail to satisfy. Next up came 'The Bomb'- billed as Chef Chang's signature creation. Described as grilled tuna inside a tempura roll, dressed in a homemade three-sauce combination, garnished with scallions, sesame seeds and masago. In the interest of disclosure, I can be something of a sushi purist. I'm not a sushi snob, though, and I have no problem eating non-authentic sushi (the ubiquitous California Roll, for example, certainly isn't Japanese.) I also recognize that Chang is known as kind of a sushi-fusion guy who likes to experiment- an admirable trait in the competitive commercial marketplace. It is with these things in mind that something like 'The Bomb' challenges me. When one thinks of Japanese food, one thinks of simple, light, succulent bits of food... balanced,clean, clear, fresh flavors balancing hot and cold, balancing the sweet, sour, salty, spicy and fifth realm of taste then Japanese call 'umami', meaning 'savory'. The bomb roll in many ways in the antithesis of this philosophy. It arrives deep-fried and a little heavy. It's grilled tuna takes away what would have been a wonderful contrast had the tuna been raw inside the warm crispy roll. A flavorful fish like tuna is lost beneath thick, sweet, cloying sauces that cover rather than enhance the taste of the fish. A fried roll such as this would be better served with something lighter and more astringent. Instead, it's a muddle of flavors where no one ingredient shines.

The Bento box was up next, featuring a pair of gyoza dumplings, warm and tasty. Alongside was an iceberg salad with ginger dressing that was enjoyable as well. Things went horribly south with the fried rice that accompanied the Bento box- dry, flavorless, almost stale. At best an afterthought, I found it wholly inedible. The snow crab roll, was a step back to the right direction, although the sweetness of snow crab is effectively lost when served as it is, minced and bound with Japanese mayo. The nigiri failed to impress, as well. None of the fish seemed especially fresh... the tuna lacked in flavor, the salmon was a bit slimy. The crab stick was safe enough as it is a processed food, but the white fish was a poor cut, containing a fair amount of the bloodline- yuk. The shrimp was similarly stale with touches of brown around the edges- a symptom of age. This was so off-putting, I had to eject only having eaten part of my meal.

Now, I'm no Philistine... and I realize that the Bento box is the sushi equivalent of a Happy Meal. Still, if it's on the menu and you charge a price for it, it should be good. Should you pay a visit to Koto, it may be wise to stick to some of the other rolls or go to the Hibachi. As for sushi, I've given Koto two chances, and in a town like Baton Rouge where sushi options grow by the day, that is probably enough.

Eat Baton Rouge Quick Bites- Juanita's III

If you are into Mexican food- the real deal, not Tex-Mex... do yourself a favor and head over to Juanita's Taqueria y Supermercado. Born on Muriel Drive off of Sherwood, it has grown into two more locations around town, Juanita's II on Perkins Road, and the brand-spanking-newest being located at the corner of Florida and Sharp in the location of the old, and creatively-named, I might add- "Chinese Restaurant".
Arrive hungry and order the Beef Burrito- a foot-long log of cheese-covered tortilla filled with flavorful rice and juicy, tender bits of carne asada which are the best I've encountered in Baston' Rojo. It comes garnished with shredded iceberg lettuce, sliced avocado and tomato, a handful of pickled peppers and crema (south-of-the-border sour cream.) At $7.99, it's a real bargain to boot. Check it out, and just point to the menu if you can't speak Spanish!

-Eat Baton Rouge-

Cafe' Mediterranean

Cafe' Mediterranean
4347 Perkins Rd
Baton Rouge, LA 70808
(225) 336-4501

It's always interesting to me when one of my favorite poor-student-food campus haunts grows up and moves out into the city. Generally, they get bigger and better looking- but sometimes, they lose their identity and fail to satisfy like they did back in the salad days. One of my regular stops at LSU in those days was Cafe' Mediterranean, then located on Chimes Street. For a broke fan of Greek and Lebanese cuisine, this old hole-in-the-wall was a gold mine, featuring big plates of great fresh fare for a song. Since then, Cafe Med has led, appropriately perhaps, a nomadic existence- moving downtown for a stint before landing in the Southdowns Shopping Center on Perkins Road, next door to another of Eat Baton Rouge's favorite chow spots, Thai Kitchen.

One wonders if the new Cafe' Med might get a little overlooked in strip-mall anonymity... a shame, as on a quiet Saturday afternoon there were few diners to enjoy the spacious, artistically painted interior that is a reminder of Cafe Med's Chimes Street beginnings.
We got started this day with a spinach pie, which proved to be a heftier offering than what you'd find at most B.R. Greek and Lebanese eateries. Big triangles of buttery, flaky phyllo dough were stuffed with a better-than-average spinach filling- oniony, garlicky, and delicious. Washed down with ice-cold sweet Lebanese heavily perfumed with rosewater, it appeared we were in for a treat.

Next, we were treated to an order of extraordinarily fresh hummus... it seemed to have been just-made, with a coarser texture than one usually encounters, and redolent of raw, freshly chopped garlic- almost spicy, with a peppery finish and lemony tang. For garlic aficionados such as yours truly, this was right in my wheelhouse. For lesser fans of the stinking rose, this dish may be a bit much.
Along with the hummus, we ordered a pair of kibbi which arrived nicely cooked with a golden brown exterior and a flavorful ground lamb filling which was tasty, if a bit too dense.



We also tried the Chicken Shawarma Salad, which arrived at the table as a huge bowl enough to feed two, even though we ordered a small. It was piled high with chicken and yogurt sauce atop crisp iceberg lettuce tossed in a tangy lemony dressing. This was tasty and satisfying even though the chicken was a bit dry. We also sampled some of Cafe' Mediterranean's meat-stuffed grape leaves, an order of six wonderful little tubes of goodness. We were surprised to find the filing of these to be more of meat than rice, with a texture almost akin to a meatball. Topped with a squeeze of fresh lemon and a dollop of cool yogurt sauce, these were a real home run.

So, it seems- despite it's slightly more uptown digs- Cafe Med still delivers... in atmosphere, in service, in mouth-watering food, and even (college students rejoice!) in value... we escaped after such a feast for only $32 including tip! Too good to be overlooked.

Of Chain Restaurants...

Carrabba's Italian Grill
7275 Corporate Blvd.
Baton Rouge, LA 70809
225-925-9999
225-925-9943 FAX
Mon-Thurs 4:00pm-10:00pm
Fri-Sat 11:30am-11:00pm
Sun 11:30am-9:00pm
www.carrabbas.com


A popular criticism (and an unfair one, at that) of many is that Baton Rouge is a lame and chain-restaurant infested culinary wasteland... boring food made for boring people. While you could strain to find some grains of truth to support that, natives know that BR and its environs hold many delectable treats if only one knows where to look. I'll be the first to admit that I prefer to patronize local places over national chains... not only because it's the right thing to do, but because the locals tend to yield better chow. Still, one of life's lessons that has taught me the most is not to have 'contempt prior to investigation'... something that sounds simple, but can be hard to apply to the things I am most passionate about... food, music, LSU football. Generally speaking these subjects are no place for moderation. Besides, there are some chains that provide a consistently good product, and what's wrong with that? To sacrifice a bit of originality for consistency is a deal I will take sometimes. Bonefish Grill, for example, has never disappointed me.

So, with this spirit of open mindedness we set out for a trip to Carrabba's in Towne Center- a locale, despite being open quite some time now, I hadn't made to yet. It's an impressive looking building in a shwanky (for Baton Rouge, anyway) part of town. I dug the stands of fresh herbs that surround the entrance... it's nice to smell the rosemary as you are walking in the door.
Fresh from playing in a tennis tournament and famished, we were seated after a short wait in one of Carrabba's spacious booths. As my ever-expanding waistline will attest, I'm a bread guy- and this is one area Carrabba's gets right... a moist, doughy, sliced loaf appears promptly along with a dish of dried Italian herbs to be mixed with olive oil from a bottle on our table. It makes a delicious dip for the bread, and it is devoured quickly.

Craving calamari (small $6/regular $8) we opted for the larger one to split between us. It arrived piping hot and crisp, with none of the greasiness or rubbery-ness that one sometimes encounters with lesser calamari. It came flanked with lemon wedges and a bowl of marinara. The calamari were scrumptious and like the bread before it, disappeared in record time. Next came a pair of salads, a small Caesar ($4.50) for my wife and a Mediterranean , included with my entree', for me. The Caesar was, well, a Caesar- decent, average, uninspiring. The Mediterranean was a cut above... moist, leafy, dark mixed greens with some interesting garnishes including artichoke and pepperoncini tossed in a pesto vinaigrette.

For main courses, we opted for the luxurious-sounding lobster ravioli ($16.50), stuffed with Maine lobster in a white wine cream sauce with diced tomatoes. Joining the ravioli, I selected the veal marsala (political correctness be damned! I like veal. It's delicious, and the Italians perhaps above all others, know what to do with it.) The Marsala ($16.50) consisted of three small scallopine of veal, sauteed and topped with mushrooms, prosciutto and a Lombardo marsala sauce. This dish is also available as a piccata, topped instead with a lemon butter sauce.
The ravioli arrived, looking a bit puny on the big white plate, with minimal sauce and topped with freshly-grated parmesan. The sauce was a bit bland and would have done well do have had a bit more wine it. We'd also like to have had more of it to sop up. The round ravioli were filled with little chunks of lobster meat, a pleasant surprise as we expected a more homogenous filling with shredded lobster and a filler like cheese or breadcrumbs. Served in chunks and nothing else, the lobster meat showed off its delectable sweetness.
The veal, however, is where an otherwise promising meal landed with a dull thud. Despite looking great on the plate, the veal was disappointing... chewy, gristly texture in a sauce that was the opposite of everything you'd expect in Marsala sauce... bland, unseasoned, unflavorful. A properly made Marsala is a velvety smooth, sweet, winy, wonderfully flavored accompaniment to luxurious veal and melt-in-your-mouth mushrooms. Not even doctoring up with the imported Italian sea salt and Tellicherry pepper on the table to could save this effort. Disappointing as well was the side dish, cavatappi amatriciana, spiral macaroni in an insipid light tomato sauce topped with flavorless cheese. The pasta was overcooked and mushy which completed making this dish a real zero. So off-putting, in fact, that we elected to forgo our usual dessert course and try our luck elsewhere. It was Olive Garden-bad. (There is perhaps no greater scourge on the Earth than Olive Garden to a lover of Italian food.)
This colossal failure aside, Carrabba's may warrant a second visit, if for no other reason than to confirm suspicions. The pizzas, to their credit, looked appetizing- as did the offerings emanating from Carrabba's wood-burning grill. Perhaps the lesson here is that if you are visiting Carrabba's, one is best served keeping it simple and leave the fancier treatments to the Gino's of the world.

Serve You?

Every once in a while,  I come across a little something or another that lets me know that my childhood is just a little farther away in the rear view mirror than it was the day before.

I grew up in the  seventies in a middle-class neighborhood in Baton Rouge, and as a kid it was a treat to go with the family to Piccadilly- fancy dining to kids whose only eating out usually consisted of fast food burgers and fries.

A kid could eat like a grownup at Piccadilly, picking out his own dishes (red jello!) and being waited on by ladies who only addressed you with a sing-song "Serve you?" It was a symphony of gloriously fried food that was like heaven to me. Shrimp, catfish, chicken, you name it. My favorite, though, was that icon of southern eating- the chicken-fried steak.  Cube steak coated in thick cracker crust and big enough to wholly cover a plate... so big, they'd curl up in the deep fryer and come out dark, golden brown, full of hills and valleys that would contain the creamy, white gravy like little pools. A rich, solid meal perfect for a kid who just finished a game of ball or a couple of yards worth of mowing.

Now, I normally loathe when people wax nostalgic about inane things, but hey, it's my blog so... I'm going to anyway. I try to reproduce some of the good experiences of my childhood with my children,now that I am a Dad... so as I took my youngest to Piccadilly for dinner tonight (her request, I guess it's genetic or something) I couldn't help but notice things just aren't the same.

I ordered my old friend, chicken-fried steak, along with some corn and carrot souffle' (another weakness of mine.)

Rather than the mammoth, twisty slab of fried beef that I had pictured in my head, I was instead greeted by something that looked suspiciously like a formed patty... just a little too uniform to look made from scratch. Worse yet, it barely covered HALF the plate! Panic set in, my mind racing with images of someone back in the kitchen fetching pre-formed, pre-frozen CFS patties out of a Sysco bag and tossing them in the Frialator. Shuddering, I tried it. Houston, we have a problem. This was not your father's chicken-fried steak. Instantly, I was bummed out. Now I know you are thinking, "What's the big deal? It's just a chicken-freaking-fried steak. Get a life!" But you see, it's bigger than that... this was like the food version of the J. Geils Band song "Centerfold" to me. My blood ran cold. My memory had just been sold.  My angel is a prefabricated piece of meat or something like that. Everybody now! NAH-NAH-NAHNAH-NAH-NAH! NAH-NAH-NAH-NAHNAH-NAH-NAH!

I'm sorry.

Anyway, as my shock subsided, I tried to look for positives. This was, after all, a place that- despite being a chain, and a cafeteria chain at that- has consistently over the years produced gumbo and etouffee' that I have counted among the best in the city. Piccadilly has been in financial straits throughout the years, and I guess they had to cut some corners. You know, the same way they have paper napkins now instead of the old crimson cloth ones they used to give you. There are still some good things to eat there, as demonstrated by the rapidly disappearing fried catfish in front of my daughter. It's also possible, of course, that I am romanticizing something from my past, as I am occasionally wont to do, or that things just looked bigger and better through a kid's eyes.  I guess that it's just, every time I have an experience like this... when a Baton Rouge icon like Phil's Oyster Bar closes, or changes, it becomes a milestone that I envision referencing as an old man, beginning sentences with "Back in my day...". I'm slowly (or maybe not so slowly) becoming "that guy". Then, the thought occurred that may be older isn't necessarily better. I looked down at my little daughter, doing her best to cover as much of her skin in chocolate pudding as possible. Maybe one day she'll look back fondly at eating catfish at Piccadilly with her Pop. She leans over in the booth and squeezes my arm, and lays her head on my shoulder, happy to have a dinner date with Dad. That's worth a wrong turn down memory lane.

Dos Hermanos Tacos and Burritos Express

2698 S. Sherwood Forest Blvd., Baton Rouge

(225) 291-3477

(225) 291-3478 FAX

It's been my experience that some of the best food arrives out of some of the most humble surroundings. So, with that spirit in mind, I darkened the door of Dos Hermanos Tacos and Burritos Express, inelegantly shoehorned into the old Taco Bell location on  Sherwood Forest near I-12.

The old run-for-the-border spot has been rechristened with a red, white, and green paint scheme in tribute to the Mexican flag, but otherwise is laid out about the same, minus a few Spanish-language DVD racks and a huge projection HDTV wedged into one corner featuring Spanish programming. 

Dos Hermanos has kind of an odd set-up in that the customer comes to the front counter, is handed a menu, and is then told to go sit at one of the booths or tables. Soon, a server appears, ready to take your order, chips and salsas in hand.  In addition to the standard salsa dish, you are also presented with twin squeeze bottles full of salsa verde (green tomatillo) and salsa rojo (red chile) respectively. Good thing, too, as these both outshined the rather ordinary salsa Mexicana in the dish, which was lacking in zip and had a slightly gritty texture. I quickly went through a basket of chips, two-fisting the squeeze bottles of salsa.

My lunch entree' this day would be the Combinaciones dos Hermanos ($8.99), a combination plate featuring one  cheese enchilada, one tamale, and one chile relleno served with the requisite spanish rice and refried beans. The enchilada and chile relleno came bathed in a red ranchero sauce with bell peppers and onions. The enchilada was good if unspectacular. The chile relleno was an improvement, a flavorful poblano pepper filled with gooey cheese that had been battered and fried. The batter could have used a bit more salt to my taste, but it was delicioso nonetheless. The surprise star of this meal was the tamale... frequently an overcooked, dry filler on a combo plate. Not so here- the tamale was served in a corn husk, with a moist masa dough layer inside, covering- to my happy satisfaction- chunks of carne asada that were lick-your-fingers good.  When topped with a squirt of the aforementioned salsa rojo, every bite of tamale was a home run. Another surprise were the refried beans.... dos Hermanos gives these the attention they deserve, serving a creamy and flavorful refried beans that resulted in my making a happy plate! I elected to wash all these down by ordering an Horchata ($2.50), the sweet, creamy, cinnamon flavored rice drink that perfectly quenches the chile fires one sometimes gets eating south-of-the-border cuisine.

Service here was attentive, pleasant and quick. Don't wait on a check when you are done, though... you still have to pay up front at the counter.The good news is that Dos Hermanos presents a good value... I got out of the door, stuffed for just under $13. Dos Hermanos has a large menu that will suit many tastes... all the regular items you'd expect in a Mexican joint... tacos, burritos, nachos... but don't miss out some of their other offerings like Huevos (eggs) or Tortas (Mexican sandwich). Dos Hermanos also has daily specials featuring mole poblano, ribs, and soups like pozole and menudo.

Mexican is a popular choice in Baton Rouge, and also with readers of this blog according to our most recent poll... now, there's another place that provides quality Mexican fare at a good price right in the middle of Baton Rouge- Dos Hermanos Tacos and Burritos Express. Buen Provecho!