EBR's Best of Baton Rouge: Latte e Miele Gelateria and Coffeehouse

Latte e Miele Gelato
17650 Highland Rd. Ste. A
Baton Rouge, LA 70810
Open Seven Days A Week 10am-10pm
(225) 751-4555
info@latteemielegelato.com



Not unlike the rest of America, Baton Rouge can sometimes appear to be nothing more than vast stretches of strip-mall chain mediocrity- soullessly effective in delivering sustenance to the masses, but lacking in quality, sophistication, and craft.
Luckily, every once in a while, you can stumble upon a jewel. So it was, when a sold out movie and three subsequently disappointed kids led to an impromptu search for that universal salve of children the world round- ice cream. EBR! had heard whispers of Latte e Miele and its transcendental gelatos, and set out down Highland Road on a cloudy Saturday to invoke the healing powers of gelato.




Just past the Country Club of Louisiana and before I-10, Latte e Miele (milk and honey, in Italian) lies nestled in (gasp!) a strip mall, albeit one of the snazzier versions that populate the CCLA area to serve its ritzy clientele. Occupying a bright, cheery interior, Latte e Miele just looks like a happy place, clean and colorful, dominated by a double case only half full with delectable offerings. The gelatos are are available two flavors to a small cup, ($4) or three flavors to a large cup or waffle cone ($6). Some of the flavors that shined this day were the Bacio Kiss, a chocolate hazelnut truffle-flavored gelato. It has a luxurious mouth feel, smooth and rich- reminiscent of Nutella, or more accurately, an ice cream version of a Ferrero Rocher. Divine! Also sublime was the black cherry yogurt, smooth and tangy white yogurt with fresh black cherry bits and sauce- a real home run. It was joined in receiving high marks by the Stracciatella (Chocolate Chip) gelato. Latte E Miele also offers several fruit based items, from the creamy strawberry sorbetto to an Italian Ice-like lemon sorbetto, bright and refreshing.




In addition to its gelato cups, Latte E Miele features a formidable selection of sundaes ($10) highlighted by its namesake dessert, the Latte E Miele Sundae- described as a simple cream gelato complimented with a topping of seasonal fresh fruit, and drizzled with Louisiana Orange Blossom Honey... Molto Bene!
For chocolate fans, there's also something for you.. the award-winning Colosseo a traditional Perugian chocolate sundae. Or try the Spaghetti... cream gelato extracted to look like noodles, covered in strawberry sauce to mimic the tomato sauce, even topped with coconut shavings impersonating parmesan cheese. Kids are sure to love this one.

Latte E Miele is also a coffeehouse, offering Italian espressos, capuccinos,teas, and specialty coffee drinks like the Affogato($5), which combines two scoops of their mouth-watering gelato topped with a shot of Bistrot espresso and fresh homemade whipped cream.

Gelato is a wonderful treat, more intensely flavored and lower in fat than most commercial ice creams. Latte E Miele delivers its deliciousness with an eye toward quality and an artisanal touch.

Latte E Miele- the newest member of Eat Baton Rouge!'s Best of Baton Rouge. Bellissimo!

Eat Baton Rouge! is back!

Hello EBR-ites, just a quick note to let you know NIls is back on duty eating, and reviewing the best that Red Stick and its environs have to offer.
Check back soon for some new content after a very long lay off. Thanks for reading and bon appetit!

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!