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!

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.

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.