225BatonRouge.com

TSUNAMI

Best Ambience

100 Lafayette St., Sixth Floor, 346-5100, servingsushi.com

With previous Best of 225 accolades in the Asian, sushi and outdoor dining categories, it’s no surprise that 15.49% of survey respondents think Tsunami’s blend of sleek Asian cuisine, museum rooftop location and Mississippi River view give it the best ambience in town. When the restaurant’s Baton Rouge location opened five years ago, nighttime downtown dining was an iffy business proposition, but restaurateurs (and sisters) Leah Simon and Michele Ezell (and Ezell’s husband Sean) have proven that if you build it—and fill it with fabulous food and cocktails—they will come. This category’s runners-up offer completely diverse atmospheres of their own. Diners at second-place finisher Juban’s whet their appetites in a New Orleans-style patio bar before being seated in understated elegance, while Gino’s Italian Restaurant is all about family-friendly, old-world charm.

LOUIE’S CAFÉ

Best Late-Night Cuisine

209 W. State St., 346-8221, louiescafe.org

A quarter of readers (25.05%) named Louie’s as their favorite early a.m. spot. In a word, hashbrowns! Well, those, and the omelets, burgers and pancakes. Even the salads. All available around the clock—although the venerable institution (celebrating an astonishing 70th anniversary next year) is proud of its many customers who’ve never been there while the sun is out. Burgers, red beans and rice and zesty appetizers like blackened alligator keep hungry partiers coming to the second-place Chimes, while the allure of tangy dipping sauce and indulgent Texas toast beckons night crawlers seeking those crispy Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers.

COYOTE BLUES FRESH MEXICAN GRILL

Best New Restaurant

2450 S. Acadian Thruway, 361-0676, coyotebluesfreshmex.com

New to Baton Rouge, that is, where its migration from across the swamp has long been anticipated. Coyote Blues (28.11%) will likely give the usual suspects in the best Mexican/Latin category a run for their money in years to come. The menu features all the standards, with twists here and there (smoked duck quesadillas, grilled tilapia tacos, kobe beef or quail fajitas), and features some outstanding specialty items as well. Be sure to try the Churrascaria, which translates here to “massive tower of meats.” Bringing fine dining downtown earned Stroube’s Chophouse second place. Third went to another Lafayette expat, Enoteca Marcello’s, where diners can complement great southern Italian specialties with a bottle of wine selected from the shop at retail price.

RUTH’S CHRIS STEAK HOUSE

Best Service

4836 Constitution Ave., 925-0163, ruthschris.com

This first-time category revealed some unusual results, not the least of which was a drive-thru going head-to-head with top drawer steakhouses. You might expect service in a restaurant that comes from the largest fine dining company in the world to have somehow gotten lost in the shuffle, but that’s not the case at the Baton Rouge location of Ruth’s Chris, which got 15.32% of the vote. In this case, it’s about attention to detail: having steaks cooked to customers’ specifications, and getting the side orders right, since everything’s ordered separately. And it doesn’t hurt to have community relations maestro Mike Cammarosano (pictured) making sure diners are taken care of. Service is also about speed, of course, which explains why the voters’ No. 2 choice is Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers, where they don’t call it fast food for nothing. And Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse took third in this category thanks to an attentive, savvy staff which is skilled at helping diners pair fabulous wines with sumptuous meats.

ROBERTO’S RIVER ROAD RESTAURANT

Best Restaurant “Worth the Drive”

1985 River Road in St. Gabriel, 642-5999, robertosrestaurant.net

Roberto’s proprietor came from Guatemala to Baton Rouge to study engineering at LSU. Fortunately for us, he wound up in a century-and-a-half-old general store next to the levee just south of here, serving up some of the best cuisine for miles around. Even if the drive were a lot longer, Roberto’s River Road Restaurant (24.37%) would be worth it. The exterior is, um, shabby chic, the chairs don’t match and the tables are covered with butcher paper. These are all foils to the fabulous food and service. Even if you think you don’t like sweet potatoes, you’ll like the ones you find under the Roasted Duck St. Gabriel. The Cream of Brie with Crab Soup is chock-a-block with lump crabmeat, and the Seafood Platter (yes, they go there, too) is an enormous mound of golden-fried goodness. Past winner Middendorf’s Seafood Restaurant is nothing less than a family-friendly legend where generations have flocked for the fresh seafood bounty there. Closer to Baton Rouge, Houmas House continues to win new fans with its impeccably renovated grounds, and a menu of gourmet Louisiana cuisine served in a setting that takes a few centuries to create.

PF CHANG’S CHINA BISTRO

Best Asian

7341 Corporate Blvd., 216-9044, pfchangs.com

Asian cuisine in Baton Rouge often conjures up massive buffets with steam trays as far as the eye can see. (Not that there’s anything wrong with that.) But 225 readers like their Asian fresh, and most of the category’s entrants serve it up that way. None more so than P.F. Chang’s, which garnered 23.28% of the vote. A large new gluten-free menu probably didn’t add to their overwhelming popularity, but it does demonstrate an attention to the latest trends in nutrition and healthy eating. In a city whose Asian food scene once was dominated by buffets, it’s worth nothing that a pair of top-notch sushi restaurants finished second and third. Ichiban Japanese Grill and Sushi Bar is like an Asian oasis in the suburbs, while Tsunami’s diners enjoy tucking into fresh sushi and exotic fusions on the top floor of the stylish Shaw Center for the Arts.

VOODOO BBQ AND GRILL

Best BBQ

Three locations, voodoobbqandgrill.com

This eatery’s auspicious beginning—it was born on Mardi Gras day in New Orleans—has played out into 10-plus locations in southern Louisiana, making it the choice of a third (29.27%) of 225 readers. The BBQ flavor is not on the pulled pork, brisket, sausage or chicken at VooDoo, it’s in it. Instead of relying on a sea of sauce, they slowly smoke the flavor in over pecan and oak. Add your own sauce, then move on to their signature side items, like corn pudding, gris-gris greens and white chocolate bread pudding. Their third location (VooDoo Xpress) is in the Mall of Louisiana. All that flavor, only faster. And Zea’s Rotisserie & Grill nipped Jay’s Bar-B-Que for third place.

TONY’S SEAFOOD MARKET & DELI

Best Boiled Crawfish

5215 Plank Rd., 357-9669, tonyseafood.com

Because where else can you get boiled crawfish, live (as in swimming) catfish, boudin balls and seven different kinds of pralines? Most 225 readers (36.35%) would probably love it if the colorful seafood market would open up a South Baton Rouge location, except driving up to Plank Road to get crawfish is part of the experience. No trip back from the airport is complete without a swing by Tony’s—even if crawfish aren’t in season. And when they are, there always seems to be a fresh, hot (and not too spicy) batch just coming out of the back. Sammy’s Grill wasn’t far behind Tony’s Seafood, which should not come as a surprise since this popular Highland Road bar and grill is packed all crawfish-season long. Rounding out the top three was LA Boilers and Seafood Market, whose recently added second location is already heating up boiled-crawfish competition in South Baton Rouge.

ANOTHER BROKEN EGG CAFÉ

Best Breakfast

7655 Old Hammond Hwy., 663-6468, anotherbrokenegg.com

By just a few percentage points, our readers prefer frou-frou over diner-style breakfasts. And by frou-frou, we mean a cream cheese omelet topped with Brie and garlic-sauteed Maine lobster, served in a light champagne sauce. Another Broken Egg Café, which includes that concoction among the 14 omelets on its four-page menu, garnered 22.5% of the votes for best breakfast. And what they do with grits is amazing (think crabmeat…think blackberries.) Everything and anything else you could possibly contemplate for breakfast is here, too. Close behind this year’s winner was a pair of Baton Rouge institutions, not to mention past Best of 225 winners. Louie’s Café finished second, while Airline Highway institution Frank’s Restaurant was barely a point behind at third.

GEORGE’S RESTAURANT

Best Burger

Multiple locations, georgesbr.com

Competition seems to get closer every year in this category, but once again George’s squeaked by Dearman’s to retain the top spot with 15.80%. The atmosphere in the original Perkins Road location is sometimes described as “gritty” or “divey,” but that only seems to enhance the flavor of George’s cooked-to-order 12-ouncers. Also sneaking in to the top three this year (knocking out perennial favorite Brew-Bacher’s, and breathing down Dearman’s neck) is the Riverside Patty, known for their enormous burgers.

LOUISIANA LAGNIAPPE

Best Seafood

9990 Perkins Rd., 767-9991, louisianalagniapperestaurant.com

Platters piled high with broiled catfish, shrimp, crab and oysters. Hushpuppies and fries. Ice-cold beer to wash it all down. Isn’t that why we live here? As you might expect in this town, the percentage of voters who couldn’t name a favorite seafood place was quite small. The three front-runners are way ahead of the pack, with a tiny margin separating the winning Louisiana Lagniappe (17.67%) from Parrain’s. Fabled Mike Anderson’s is close behind. A meal at any of these three is a seafood lover’s dream.

LOUISIANA LAGNIAPPE

Best Cajun/Creole

9990 Perkins Rd., 767-9991, louisianalagniapperestaurant.com

Maybe completed road construction helped push them over the top, but more likely it was the consistently good reviews that helped Louisiana Lagniappe edge out Parrain’s to earn the No. 1 spot with 19.40% of the vote. We do mean edge—the difference amounts to less than 1%. The real surprise in this category was Mike Anderson’s, which dropped out of the top three, replaced by Roberto’s River Road Restaurant.

GALATOIRE’S BISTRO

Best French

17451 Perkins Rd., 753-4864, galatoiresbistro.com

It took a while to catch on, but Galatoire’s landed solidly atop the heap this year with 20.14% of the vote. No wonder—with a short drive out Perkins Road, diners can find the same delights of French cuisine that for more than 100 years they’ve been trekking down to Bourbon Street for. If the ambience is different, it’s because no place else on Earth is like Galatoire’s in New Orleans. But the bistro has its own charm, not to mention this year’s French cuisine crown in Baton Rouge. Past winner Juban’s enjoyed a strong second-place finish, while Mansur’s on the Boulevard wasn’t far behind at third.

COLD STONE CREAMERY

Best Ice Cream

Two locations, coldstonecreamery.com

Baskin-Robbins may boast 31 flavors, but the new trend in ice cream is mash-ups, and no one in 225 is more popular for its sweet concoctions than Cold Stone Creamery. They offer dozens of flavors, and even more mix-ins ranging from crushed up candy bars to fresh fruit. Only three points behind the winner was hometown favorite Kleinpeter ice cream, whose handful of locally inspired flavors are barely a year old. But don’t count out the nostalgic, established appeal of the aforementioned Baskin-Robbins, which finished less than a point behind Kleinpeter.

GINO’S RESTAURANT

Best Italian

4542 Bennington Ave., 927-7156, ginosrestaurant.com

Many other restaurant categories saw some juggling this year, but no one’s yet managed to top Gino’s for Italian food in Baton Rouge. Tortellini carbonara, baby veal piccata, arancini and Laurence bread—what’s not to love? After 42 years and counting, 20.23% of 225 readers still like Mama (Marino) to do the cooking. It’s a favorite for a romantic night out, as well as live jazz on Thursday and weekend evenings. Runners-up were perennial favorites also, with DiGiulio Brothers just edging out the Little Village.

ALBASHA GREEK AND LEBANESE RESTAURANT

Best Mediterranean

Multiple locations, albashabr.com

It wasn’t that long ago that we had only Serop’s and then Zorba’s. Now there are literally dozens of options for a Mediterranean night out, but the same three—Albasha, Serop’s and Roman’s—have been 225 readers’ top selections for five years running. Albasha’s the overwhelming favorite, with 45.34% of the vote, and its fans think it could compete with eateries in Beirut or Athens. Favorites here are the chicken shawarma, gyros, Lebanese tea and especially the hummus.

SUPERIOR GRILL

Best Mexican/Latin

5435 Government St., 927-2022, superiorgrill.com

Clearly, Baton Rougeans like their Mexican lively: for the third year in a row, Superior Grill was chosen as best Mexican restaurant with 22.56% of the vote. Not the least of its attractions is an authentic south of the border vibe; it’s like actually eating in Mexico minus the fear of being caught in some druglord’s vendetta. Superior has expanded its brand s-l-o-w-l-y—it’s still in only four cities—which, thankfully, has not messed with its recipe for success: huge Tex-Mex platters, frosty margaritas and a legendary happy hour. Of course, Baton Rouge is no one-restaurant town when it comes to Mexican and Latin food. It’s just as hard to get a table on a Friday night at runner-up Ninfa’s Mexican Restaurant as Superior Grill. The newest of the three, La Carreta has added a second location and continues to win fans with its fresh food and festive atmosphere.

AMBROSIA BAKERY

Best Pastries

8546 Siegen Lane, 763-6489, ambrosiabakery.com

Many people may not know that Ambrosia has expanded its menu to include all sorts of lunchtime offerings, including salads, sandwiches, wraps, burgers and quesadillas. That might be because to get to the lunch menu board, you have to pass the bakery displays. Easier said than done: if the giant cupcake versions of all their specialty cakes don’t grab you, the éclairs or the ganache mousse torte will. Fully half of 225 readers polled (50%) think this is definitely the place to eat dessert first. They may not have snagged as many votes, but walk into your workplace with a box from Baum’s Fine Pastries and Chocolates and watch your colleagues’ faces light up. Whole Foods Market may have arrived in Baton Rouge with a reputation as haven of tofu and wheatgrass, anyone who has stood at the pastry case spying pies piled high with fresh whipped cream, decadent cakes and fresh chocolates knows this place will kill you as fast as any of them!

ZEELAND STREET MARKET

Best Plate Lunch

2031 Perkins Rd., 387-4546, zeelandstreet.com

Art students arriving for class at 9 a.m. in the studio next door to the Zeeland Street Market are tantalized by the aromas wafting from this Perkins Road eatery. Already the kitchen’s cranked up and the air is heavy with the promise of great homestyle cooking. When lunchtime arrives, there’ll be a line, but service is fast and the wait’s not long. Plate lunch is a new “best of” category this year, and results were fairly evenly spread, both percentage-wise (Zeeland won with 18.65%) and geographically. Baton Rouge is a plate-lunch town, and Sammy’s Grill is not far behind. Dempsey’s Poboys, a newcomer to the Jefferson Highway/Corporate Boulevard area restaurant scene, made a strong showing, finishing a close third.

FLEUR DE LIS

Best Pizza

5655 Government St., 924-2904, fleurdelispizza.com

They may have huge marketing budgets, but the chains don’t crack the top three in Baton Rouge when it comes to pizza. Three local eatieries consistently take the top spots, with Fleur de Lis (42.15%) a clear front-runner. Doggedly resistant to change inside and out, Fleur de Lis has been serving up the same little round and big rectangular thin-crusted cheesy, greasy beauties for more than 50 years from its art deco-ish Pepto pink landmark on Government Street. The menu is stunningly simple: choose from a baker’s dozen of single toppings, or one of the two combos: Around the World (for serious carnivores) or the Vegetarian. DeAngelo’s Pizzeria and Pastime Restaurant and Lounge round out the top three.

ROCCO’S NEW ORLEANS STYLE PO-BOYS AND CAFÉ

Best Po-boy

Three locations, roccospoboys.com

As a student at LSU, Troy Rocco Moreau had trouble finding po-boys quite to his liking—what he considered true New Orleans style, with lots of meat or seafood and real French bread. He opened his own store, and New Orleans style quickly became a Baton Rouge favorite. Rocco’s was chosen tops in our inaugural Best-of survey in 2006, then played second fiddle to George’s for a few yeas. Rocco’s returned to the top of the heap this year with 16.02% of the vote. Perennial favorite Pastime was knocked out of the running by Acme Oyster House, which was almost as popular as George’s.

J. ALEXANDER’S

Best Salad

6457 Bluebonnet Blvd., 766-8630, jalexanders.com

It’s easy to make a meal out of one of J. Alexander’s salads—chicken is paired with feta and olives, cilantro and peanuts or pecans and avocado all over leafy greens with exotic dressings that belie the restaurant’s tag of “straightforward American food.” There’s an ahi tuna offering as well as caesar and garden salads. With 14.58% of the vote, the Baton Rouge location of the chain beat out 2009 champ DeAngelo’s. Capital City Grill just edged out Silver Spoon for third place.

MAXWELL’S MARKET

Best Sandwiches

Three locations, maxwells-market.com

A huge menu featuring everything from wraps to croissants to burgers and po-boys helped Maxwell’s garner 17.43% of votes for best sandwich spot. A plus is the wide variety of wines, hard-to-find gourmet foods and prepared specialty items to browse through—nothing like picking up lunch and taking home supper while you’re at it. The health-conscious helped Jason’s Deli, with its half-sandwiches, reduced potato portions and calorie counts, come in third, while the not-so-health-conscious fans of burgers and po-boys put George’s in second place.

THE CHIMES

Best Soup or Gumbo

Two locations, thechimes.com

We added “soup or” to the category this year, but the winner’s still the same—the Chimes with 20.71% of the vote. Whether you order the chicken and sausage or the seafood gumbo, you’ll get just the right seasoning, the perfect proportion of soup to rice, and a mouthful of meat or shrimp in every bite. Something tells us Mansurs’ cream of Brie and crabmeat soup, as well as its smoky, rich gumbo, helped place it No. 2. Juban’s own creole gumbo and creamy seafood-studded soups earned it a third.

RUTH’S CHRIS STEAK HOUSE

Best Steaks

4836 Constitution Ave., 925-0163, ruthschris.com

Ssssssssssssssss. That’s the sound of your Ruth’s Chris steak, still sizzlin’ when it arrives at your table in all its juicy perfection. As always the Baton Rouge landmark is the front-runner in the trifecta of high-end franchise names that sweeps this category every year. Ruth’s Chris leads the pack by a wide margin, with 35.76% of the vote, and it’s no coincidence that they took top honors in the service category, too. A pair of chains that have gone out of their way to cater to local tastes finished less than a point apart, with Flemings Prime Steakhouse taking second and Sullivan’s Steakhouse finishing third.

ICHIBAN SUSHI

Best Sushi

5741 Essen Lane, 767-2288, ichibanbr.com

The atmosphere may be hibachi-scented, but it’s the sushi that takes center stage at Ichiban. Innovative roll combinations that read off the menu like insanity—but make perfect sense to the taste buds—put Ichiban Sushi at the top of the list with 25.46% of the vote. It’s sushi with its heart and soul in Baton Rouge—you won’t find a Death Valley, Bayou, LSU or Redstick Roll in San Fran or Tokyo, only here. Tsunami finished a strong second, while Sushi Yama, which has endured many months of Perkins Road construction inconvenience, finished third.

WHOLE FOODS MARKET

Best Vegetarian-Friendly

7529 Corporate Blvd., 218-0452, wholefoodsmarket.com

If you live near Towne Center, it’s possible to ignore all your own appliances and consider the hot bar at Whole Foods Market your own personal kitchen. We know people who do this, although they probably don’t make up the entire 28.48% of voters who chose the market as the best place to go meatless. Whole Foods Market takes the thinking but not the flavor out of responsible eating, with its vast array of foods served up fresh and sold by weight. Albasha’s vegetarian special of five items plus a feta salad (not to mention its perennial popularity) puts it in second place, while the gourmet delights of Chelsea’s Café earned it a third-place finish.