Mason's hits a home run worthy of the hype.

Mason's Grill
13556 Jefferson Highway
Baton Rouge, LA 70817
(225) 756-8815

 Greetings, EBR-ites. When it comes to burgers, yours truly is something of a purist. With rare exception, I prefer quality ingredients and simple, quality preparation over tons of gimmicky ingredients, or sheer excess for excess's sake. (The dearly departed Times Grille's Hawaiian Burger being a notable and delicious exception.)


So, it was with a jaundiced eye that I finally made my way over to Mason's Grill on Old Jefferson to take a crack at their much-ballyhooed 'Cajun Shrimp Burger," a star of their menu and of the Food Network as well. We rolled in on a Thursday for lunch, wading through a packed parking lot to be led to a table in Mason's spacious interior. Service proved to be a bit aloof- our server seemed a bit disinterested and then pushy by turns. It was a busy lunch service, and her impatience was palpable. We ordered the signature burger along with what seemed a natural complement of onion rings.

On this day, Mason's perhaps wasn't the best choice for a quick workday lunch. Our food took an inordinately long time to arrive, to the point where our mouths were watering as our neighboring tables got a wide selection of grilled fish, steaks, and of course, these signature burgers. It is said that good things come to those who wait,  and Mason's did not disappoint.

The Cajun Shrimp Burger arrived in all its splendor, redolent of shrimp and cheese, with crisp red onion slices, fresh tomatoes, and a small heap of fragrant onion rings. So fragrant, in fact, that they were chosen for our first bites. They were perfectly cooked, crispy yet light, not soggy in the least, and not mouth-searingly hot- just scrumptious. The burger, when assembled into all of its vertical glory, proved to be quite a handful- literally. Deciding that discretion would be the better part of valor today, we elected to break proper burger etiquette and cut this mammoth into more manageable pieces.

The explosion of flavor that followed was more than just the sum of its parts. The bun was soft, made of quality bread (an overlooked factor in lots of burgers) with almost a sweet finish. The burger was  cooked a perfect medium, keeping it juicy and flavorful inside, and it had a nice char on the outside which blended nicely with a topping made up of grilled shrimp, jack cheese, and jalapeno peppers.
I'll admit i thought shrimp and hamburger might be a dubious combination, but this surf-and-turf on a bun was a surefire winner. It ended in a juicy, satisfying mess requiring extra napkins to clean up, as any respectable burger should.

It's not cheap -a hair under $11- but the Mason's Grill Cajun Shrimp Burger lives up to the hype. It's worth checking out, and will be a strong contender for our year-end Best of Baton Rouge awards.

RECIPE: Piperada (Basque-style eggs)

From "Spain: Authentic Regional Recipes" by M. Teresa Segura
Perfect for brunch or tapas, from the Pyrenees to your table...

Ingredients:
4 tbsp. olive oil, preferably Spanish
2 small onions, peeled and finely diced
1 medium green bell pepper, seeded and sliced into thin strips
1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and sliced into thin strips
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 sliced cured ham, cut into strips
2 large tomatoes, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
4 eggs
chopped parsley, to garnish

Serves 2


Heat the oil in a skillet and saute' the onions, bell peppers, and garlic until tender. Fold in the ham and tomatoes, and season with salt and pepper. Continue to heat until the vegetables are almost cooked.

Lightly beat eggs with a fork. Pour the eggs over the vegetables and cook over low heat until the eggs are thick but still soft. Garnish with parsley and serve warm.

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.