A popular Baton Rouge food truck will be out of commission temporarily after it was struck allegedly by a drunk driver and destroyed. Bogdan Mocanu's Wood Fired Pizza truck was hit Tuesday night around 8:30 p.m. Mocanu says the incident occurred after a successful food truck event at Pecan Grove Elementary School in Gonzales. The Gonzales Police Department confirms the accident and states the driver hit the food truck trailer as well as another vehicle. Officers say the driver has been charged with a DWI and reckless operation of a vehicle. Mocanu says his trailer is destroyed. A day after the accident, Mocanu was in poor spirits. Though he wants to begin serving customers again as soon as possible, he doesn't see that as a possibility right now. "I think I will lay low for a little bit, and I hate doing this," he says. "It's my passion to cook for all these people. It's the way I live my crazy dreams. For me, I lost my way of expressing myself." Mocanu says he will meet with his...
May is National Burger Month, and the Red Stick has more than a few options if what you want is a great burger. Each week, Maxwell's Market locations have been celebrating the American staple with its Burger of the Week, taking the normal dish and fashioning it into the talk of the town. Maxwell's launched this serial innovation last year. Some of Maxwell's past burgers include the Breakfast Bistro Burger, with a fried egg and bacon; the Wang Chuck Burger, with peanut-Sriracha sauce; and the Blue Apple Burger, with slices of red apple and blue cheese. This week's variation is the Cowboy Burger, dressed with peppered applewood bacon, barbecue sauce, beer-braised onion rings and light mayo. Read the full story on Maxwell's burgers and others around town and get your fill of local culinary news in this week's edition of the 225 Dine e-newsletter here.
Last In Concepts, the restaurant group behind Walk-On's, The Roux House, Happy's and others, has hired Chef Jeremy Coco as its director of culinary operations and training. Coco will primarily focus on developing the menu and training the staff at all Walk-On's locations. Coco has an impressive background: He has worked at Juban's and was formerly the executive chef at Cafe Vermilionville in Lafayette as well as at Fleming's in Baton Rouge, in addition to serving as the dean of education at the Louisiana Culinary Institute. Walk-On's co-owner Jack Warner says Coco will improve patrons' experience. "We want to build a better team to grow [Walk-On's]. To take that to the next level, we needed to bring in [someone to] teach, coach, train and lead our staff," he says. Coco says he wants to concentrate on fixing the small things now before developing any new menu items and that he thinks the future is bright for Walk-On's. "This company has great growth potential," Coco says. "I have a...
Chef and 225 contributor Jay D. Ducote and Chef Chris Wadsworth hosted the Bad Guys, Good Eats! dinner at Restaurant IPO Wednesday night. The dinner was themed around famous movie villains, pairing cocktails and ales with plates of food resembling famous baddies like The Joker, Lord Voldemort, Hannibal Lector, and many others. The highlights of the night were the three middle courses—a black bean soup laced with blood sausage to signify Lord Voldemort, a brace of coneys on black eyed peas resembling Sauron, and lamb medallions atop a fava bean puree to pay homage to the famous favorite of Hannibal Lector. Check out photos of the dishes from Collin Richie here.
Jack Warner has heard all the stories about the inconsistency at Walk-On's. Warner will be the first to admit that the food has been an afterthought in the restaurant and bar's decade-long run. "If you liked our étouffée or gumbo one day, you might get something completely different the next day," Warner says. "We messed up so many things repeatedly. Now, we've figured out a lot of things, but we have an opportunity to grow on the food side." To improve on the kitchen and culinary aspects of Walk-On's, Warner and Brandon Landry's Last in Concepts have hired Chef Jeremy Coco as its director of culinary operations and training. Coco will primarily focus on developing the menu and training staff at all Walk-On's locations. Coco has an extensive résumé—he has worked at Juban's, was the executive chef at Café Vermilionville in Lafayette and Fleming's in Baton Rouge, and served as the Dean of Education at the Louisiana Culinary Institute (LCI).
Louisiana restaurateurs and retailers who have been holding off on a renovation could soon get some encouraging news. A measure is winding its way through Congress that would permanently extend the 15-year recovery period for qualified improvements on restaurant and retail properties. Proponents, including local restaurant owner Jim Urdiales, say the extension would spur construction. "If you guarantee a 15-year schedule over 30 years, we'll see some restaurants who were putting this off from last year go ahead and do it now," says Urdiales, who owns Mestizo Restaurant. The 15-year depreciation schedule would otherwise expire at the end of this year, giving some restaurant owners heartburn about moving forward with needed renovations. The National Restaurant Association estimates that restaurants undergo renovations every six to eight years just to stay current and combat the effects of daily high traffic. Sen. Robert Casey, a Pennsylvania Democrat, filed the measure last month.
Ruffino's previously announced deal to purchase Cochon Lafayette on the Vermilion River closed today for $3.3 million, according to sources familiar with the transaction. The new restaurant—Ruffino's on the River—will open May 20. "We are very excited about opening our doors in Lafayette," say Ruffino's co-owners, Ruffin Rodrigue and Peter Sclafani, in a written statement. "The community has welcomed us with open arms, and we look forward to bringing the same energy and experience of Ruffino's Baton Rouge to Lafayette." Cochon Lafayette closed earlier this year so that the restaurant could focus on the New Orleans market, where Chef Donald Link's upscale Cajun fare has been better received than it was in the heart of Acadiana. Ruffino's on the River hopes to succeed where Cochon failed by focusing on the cuisine that has proven so popular among its diners in Baton Rouge—steaks, seafood and Italian. Sclafani says the Lafayette menu will be very similar to that at the...
Street Breads, the Lake Charles-based eatery, opened its Baton Rouge location in the Perkins Road overpass area on Monday. By Tuesday, a crowd had packed into Street Breads, eager to try its concoctions of fresh-made sauces, spreads and breads. The concept is not unlike a Subway or Izzo's, with the ingredients displayed so you can see the sandwiches being built right in front of you. However, there is a wide range of ingredients and flavors, with sauces and fresh toppings prepared daily. You can try an Italian Roast Beef, topped with Asiago cheese, sun-dried tomato relish, Cajun rémoulade and bacon; or the Mediterranean Portobello, which features the meaty mushroom along with eggplant, zucchini, feta cheese, sun-dried tomato and pesto hummus. Each sandwich comes prepared on fine artisan bread, in a wrap or pita, or on fresh focaccia. Delivery and online ordering will begin in about a month, says owner Josh Priola, and a pickup window will be in service then, too. Access the complete...
The Dolce Vita Wood Fired Pizza and Three Bones BBQ food trucks will set up shop in the shopping center parking lot on South Acadian Thruway and Perkins Road for dinner five nights a week and all day Saturday starting tonight. Dinner starts at 5 p.m. For more information, visit Dolce Vita's Facebook page and Three Bones BBQ's Facebook page.
Sunday is Cinco de Mayo, a United States celebration of Mexican heritage and culture that tends to draw crowds to many local Mexican restaurants. Several such restaurants are marking the occasion with drink specials and live music.
Chef and 225 contributor Jay D. Ducote will team up with Restaurant IPO chef Chris Wadsworth for a movie villain-themed dinner Wednesday, May 8, and tickets are going fast. A limited number of spots are still available. Tickets are $65 and can be purchased online.
Watch the Kentucky Derby in style at Juban's (Map it!) Saturday at the Junior League of Baton Rouge's Triple Crown event. This fundraiser for the Junior League features live music, free cigars, bourbon tasting, casino games and more while the big horse races are screened.
Street Breads, the Lake Charles-based shop, opened its Baton Rouge location (Map it!) Monday. By Tuesday, a crowd had already packed into Street Breads, eager to try its concoctions of fresh-made sauces, spreads and breads.
Brian Medlin, owner of Smokin' Aces BBQ on Government Street, knew that opening a barbecue restaurant in Baton Rouge that both locals and travelers would love would be a challenge. However, since opening in October last year, the “shack”-style joint has maintained a loyal customer base.
Had you told Kasie Coleman she would have her own Baton Rouge bakery a few years ago, she probably would have laughed. However, Coleman's life changed in 2010 when she was diagnosed with an extremely rare cancer, peritoneal mesothelioma. A former pharmaceuticals rep, Coleman was in and out of work, and then eventually laid off. With free time on her hands, she picked up baking—which was also her grandmother's special talent—and started giving away goods to her friends. Coleman eventually decided to open up her own shop, Sugar Belle Bakery, at 5151 Plank Road. Since opening its doors last weekend, she has routinely sold out of whoopee pies, Bundt cakes, cupcakes, pralines, and teacakes. To read more on Coleman's story and to get your fill of culinary news, check out the new issue of 225 Dinehere.
This weekend's 27th Festival International de Louisiane in Lafayette will draw world music lovers from the region and around the country for an annual celebration of the French, African, Caribbean and Hispanic influences that shaped Louisiana. Along with great musicians like The Wailers, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, Sergent Garcia, Red Baarat and others, the festival offers plenty of hospitable eats.
With a menu offering fresh fried chicken, beignets, shrimp and grits and more, Leroy's is now open at 4001 Nicholson Dr. in the space formerly occupied by Cou-yon's (Map it!). The family-friendly kitchen had a soft opening earlier this week, according to Leroy's brand strategist Renee Trusty. The concept comes from Steven Hightower, owner of Frankie's Dawg House, who will be incorporating modern twists on diner-style food, as well as aiming to take comfort food up a notch. The recipes and restaurant's feel are based on family gatherings Hightower recalls from childhood. Trusty says Leroy's is targeting everyone from college students to those who just got out of church. "When you come in, we want you to feel like you're part of...
If you've driven on Interstate 10 near the College Drive exit, you have no doubt noticed the bright blue logo for The Pelican House. The bar/restaurant specializes in high-end beers, with more than 130 taps at its main bar and an additional bar with even more beers on tap, as well as a large selection of bottled beers, whiskeys, scotches and bourbons.
Local restaurants will participant in the Dining Out For Life national event tonight. Five participating restaurants—Bistro Byronz, California Pizza Kitchen, Mestizos, Monjunis and Stroubes—will donate 25% of their lunch or dinner sales to the HIV/AIDS Alliance for Region Two (HAART).
Kasie Coleman is a perfectionist. On a Wednesday afternoon in her new shop, Sugar Belle bakery on Plank Road (Map it!), she's glancing at a lemon cream cheese pound cake, noticing its crust is too crumbly. She couldn't possibly sell that. Since opening last Saturday, Sugar Belle has consistently sold out of its delicious lineup of bundt cakes, whoopee pies, teacakes, cupcakes and pralines. The problem with being a perfectionist and the new sweets goddess around town is she has to constantly bake fresh goods. "I haven't worked this hard since I don't know when," Coleman says, laughing. Owning a bakery was something she never would have imagined a few years ago.
With a menu offering, among other things, fresh fried chicken, beignets, and shrimp and grits, Leroy's will open Thursday at 4001 Nicholson Drive in the space formerly occupied by Cou-yon's. The family-friendly kitchen had a soft opening earlier this week, according to COO Renee Trusty. The concept comes from Steven Hightower, owner of Frankie's Dawg House, who will be incorporating modern twists on diner-esque food, as well as aiming to take comfort food up a notch. The recipes and restaurant's feel are based on family gatherings Hightower recalls from childhood. Trusty says Leroy's is targeting everyone from college students to those who just got out of church. "When you come in, we want you to feel like you're part of something," she says. By mid-May, Leroy's plans to be open for breakfast, serving combo plates as well as eggs Benedict with a beignet base. For more information and a look at Leroy's menu, visit its website
The land of scrapple and chipped ham is starting to get a taste for jambalaya and boudin, thanks to an influx of Southerners filling jobs in north-central Pennsylvania's booming natural gas industry. The Associated Press reports the region, which is not often placed on culinary maps, is finding itself flush with the food-ways found below the Mason-Dixon line, the source of some of the nation's richest culinary traditions. Suddenly, convenience stores stock sweet tea, barbecue is a hot seller, and the almost Norman Rockwell-quaint Country Store in Pennsdale is making its own boudin. Store owner and Pennsylvania native Tom Springman had never heard of boudin until a few months ago, when a customer—a relocated Southerner—came in looking for a local source. "They're paying for 50 to 100 pounds of boudin to be shipped in from Louisiana. I'm thinking, We could make this easy," Springman says. At Hurley's Fresh Markets in Towanda and Dushore, the offerings are starting to look a...
Wayne Stabiler, the man behind The Little Village and Le Creolé restaurants, is almost ready to open his next venture: Stab's Steak and Seafood. The high-end restaurant, focusing more on steaks than seafood, should be ready to open by June in the TND in Central called The Village at Magnolia Square, he says. Stab's will feature Sunday brunch and outdoor dining on a patio that features a "fire fountain," with water spilling from the sides and fire at the center, similar to the one found at Pat O'Brien's in New Orleans. The executive chef will be Justin McVey, and the sous-chef will be Patrick Brown, both of whom have been cooking at Stabiler's other restaurants. Stablier says he didn't know much about Central at first, but decided the concept would work after some research. "They've got a lot of money in that area," he says. "It's just a real close-knit community that I think is going to rally around this restaurant." —David Jacobs
Chef and 225 blogger Jay Ducote took a drive over to Le Creolé, a seafood and Creole restaurant on East Petroleum Drive, to try a top-selling item—the crab cake.
Fans of crawfish should be gearing up for tonight's CrawFête event from 6 p.m.-9 p.m. at Mockler Beverage Company, 11811 Reiger Rd. The Baton Rouge Epicurean Society is hosting the event, which features a range of crawfish dishes from area chefs as well as craft beers, wines and spirits.
The Drew Rodrigue Foundation will be hosting the fourth annual Bugs & Brew for Drew Crawfish Cook-off and Beer Festival, which will take place at a new location on the banks of the Mississippi River at River City Plaza at Mardi Gras World in New Orleans on April 20, 2013 from 11:00 a.m–5:00 p.m. Featuring a crawfish competition, Louisiana beer garden, local music, and children's entertainment, this family-friendly festival will benefit the Drew Rodrigue Foundation, a local non-profit which celebrates heroes in the face of adversity, in honor of Drew Rodrigue, a local football coach who battled against cancer.
At the end of 2000, Dinos and Polina Economides shut down Zorba's, a community-favorite traditional Greek restaurant near the intersection of Perkins Road and Bluebonnet Boulevard. The couple traveled back to their homeland of Cyprus for more than a decade and learned some new Grecian recipes during the stay. When the Economideses returned last year, they decided to bring back the eatery. However, this time around, it will be a smaller bistro concept, seating 50 to 55 diners. The new Zorba's will open in May in the Essen Crossing Shopping Center next to French Quarter Daiquiris, Dinos Economides says, a plan that has excited attention from the former restaurant's regulars. "We've already got people talking about it," Economides says. "Lots of friends are hearing about it and calling me. I think it won't take much time to get a lot of our old customers back." The bistro will lay emphasis on fresh foods, Economides says, and traditional dishes like moussaka will be baked individually...
Rotolo's Pizzeria is opening its 29th restaurant today in Denham Springs, marking the casual dining chain's ninth outlet in the Baton Rouge area and fifth new restaurant since the beginning of the year. "We've opened quite a few stores in just the past few months, and we have several more in development," says owner Mitch Rotolo, who established the first Rotolo's on Nicholson Drive near LSU in 1996 but did not begin expanding and franchising his brand until after Hurricane Katrina. Revenues have nearly doubled since last summer—to $25 million from $13 million—and increased some tenfold over the past five years. Though he declines to disclose margins, Rotolo says the 14 company-owned restaurants in the chain are profitable, while the 15 franchise stores are doing well for their owners. "I don't think it's aggressive expansion so much as it is that our prices are competitive," he says. "You can feed a family of four for $50." Despite the apparent competition of pizzeria...
Ruffino's Executive Chef, Peter Sclafani, won't be in the kitchen at the popular Highland Road restaurant this weekend. Instead, he'll be preparing some of his most creative signature dishes for a crowd of 75 diners at the prestigious James Beard Foundation home in the West Village of New York City. "I've been trying to get it for a long time," says Sclafani, of a coveted invitation to cook at the Beard home, which showcases the work of some of the country's finest chefs. "This is my first time so we're really excited about it." Sclafani says his meal, which will be served Saturday night, will feature plenty of Louisiana seafood, something he has been trying especially hard to promote since being appointed earlier this year to the Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board. Among the dishes on Sclafani's menu are, for appetizers: charbroiled oysters, shrimp corn dogs, corn and crab shooters, and crawfish arancini; while he'll be serving crab cheesecake with meyer lemon foam,...
A Panera Bread bakery and café is still planned for Baton Rouge, says the owner of the franchise rights in south Louisiana, but it won't be built and open until September at the earliest. Tom Krings has been working to open a Baton Rouge franchise since late 2010, and has had to change the planned location along the way. He says he is still in negotiations to lease four acres of land on the east side of Jefferson Highway, just south of Corporate Boulevard. “I think we're close to making things final there,” says Krings, who has 21 Panera Franchises total in Louisiana, Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia and North Carolina. Krings says he's also working the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development on a curb cut issue at the site. “Once all that's done, we're off to the races,” he says. “I have a local construction company that is ready to begin—Faulk and Meek—and our expectation is for a September opening there.” Krings had planned...
Mansurs on the Boulevard will host a wine and food pairing next Wednesday, April 10, coupling fine dishes with selections from the Whitehall Lane vineyard. The menu items on tap for next week's dinner are a butter-poached diver scallop, crepes stuffed with cinnamon-marinated duck breast, espresso-braised short ribs paired with lamb lollipops, and panna cotta for dessert. Tickets are $100 per person. To make your reservation, call 923-3366.
After more than 50 years serving Mexican food on Airline Highway, the Karides family plans to close the doors of La Fonda for good Saturday. Mary Ann Bolger's 76-year-old mother, Panagiota Karides, has been working at La Fonda for more than three decades and is the sole family member left at the restaurant. Bolger says other members of the Karides family, which is of Greek descent, have tried to help with the business from a distance.
Boiled crawfish piled high on backyard tables might be the enduring way to consume the celebrated Louisiana crustacean, but the Baton Rouge Epicurean Society and Mockler Beverage Company want you to enjoy crawfish in its many forms, including salads, tarts, pad Thai, charcuterie and more. The two organizations will co-host the gourmet crawfish festival CrawFête on Thursday, April 18, at Mockler Beverage Company, 11811 Reiger Rd.
The Belle of Baton Rouge is exploring options to develop its atrium into a mixed-use space that would include new restaurants and retailers. The casino and hotel has hired a consulting firm to help it evaluate the interest level of vendors who might be a good fit for the 55,000-square-foot space. "We are hiring an outside consultant to help us fill up some of the retail space we have available," says Mike Donovan, marketing director for the downtown casino. "It's all contingent on us being able to get some sort of critical mass of folks who want to bring businesses down here." Donovan says the Belle has a master plan for developing the space but that the company doesn't want to "spend millions on a mixed-use facility and have no one in there." While the consultants evaluate options—a process that is expected to take several months—the Belle has made some changes to the facility to improve access and atmosphere. "We have doing some things on the atrium side with...
The trial of former Pizza Hut magnate Larry Lundy, who was forced to shutter his 44 restaurants in 2011—including 16 in the Capital Region—after years of worsening relations with the restaurant chain is now slated to begin in September, The Times-Picayune reports. The trial had been scheduled to start on April 29, but Judge David Godbey of Federal District Court in Dallas has rescheduled the trial for Sept. 30. The trial is set to last one week. "It is extremely unlikely that any further continuances will be granted," Godbey says in his order. The pizza chain filed suit Jan. 3, 2011, claiming Lundy Enterprises had fallen behind on royalty payments. Pizza Hut and Lundy Enterprises, which had 1,200 employees across 64 stores in south Louisiana at its height a decade ago, spent much of 2011 in arbitration. Both sides reached a deal that would have transferred Lundy's assets to Pizza Hut, federal court records show, but the value of the assets, pegged at $7.8 million,...
After more than 50 years of serving Mexican food at 7838 Airline Highway, the Karides family plans to close the doors of La Fonda for good on Saturday. Mary Ann Bolger's 76-year-old mother, Panagiota Karides, has been working at the restaurant for more than three decades and is the sole family member left at the restaurant. Bolger says other members of the Karides family, which is of Greek descent, have tried to help with the business from a distance, but to little avail. The restaurant, which has survived three moves since opening in 1961, has seen a decline in business, says Bolger, who formerly worked at the restaurant. She says La Fonda is not only the first Mexican restaurant in the Baton Rouge area, but a local landmark. "We've been using the same recipes all these years," Bolger says. "Some waitresses have been here since they were 18 years old. It will be sad it see it go." Already, Bolger says she's getting emotional about the final week. "I walked in here last night and was...
It's one of Zeeland Street Market's most popular lunchtime items: pepper seared fresh Gulf tuna sliced and served over a bed of mesclun with avocado and grapefruit sections, blue cheese crumbles and drizzles of raspberry walnut vinaigrette.
After you make it past the din of the casino floor, perhaps with a lighter wallet, you reach 18 Steak, the fine dining restaurant of the new L'Auberge Casino & Hotel.
Tsunami's Shaw Center location and Restaurant IPO, both located in downtown Baton Rouge, are among the Top 100 Hot Spot Restaurants in the country, according to OpenTable, which provides online restaurant reservations. The awards reflect the combined opinions of more than 5 million restaurant reviews submitted by OpenTable diners for more than 15,000 restaurants nationwide, according to the company. Tsunami and IPO were the only Louisiana restaurants on the list.
You might find yourself sipping a rare ale or fine bourbon in a brand-new bar off Corporate Boulevard this time next month. The Pelican House, a bar/restaurant specializing in high-end beers, whiskeys and bar food, is set to open in late April, co-owner and operating partner Garret Morgan says. The Pelican House will feature more than 130 taps at its main bar, plus an additional bar with another selection of taps. The new bar/restaurant will also feature a large bottled beer, whiskey, scotch and bourbon menu. Morgan says an outdoor patio and possible live entertainment are also in the works. The owners have also brought in Chef Noah Lessard to do some "fun" dishes. "We're going to offer Louisiana fare and twists on certain bar items," Morgan says. "We're going to find a nice medium with weekly rotating specials. We want to incorporate some fun, fresh ingredients." —Matthew Sigur Get more local culinary news from the new 225 Dine e-newsletter
Many of the shops at Acadian Shopping Center are scheduled to open this fall, and the spaces are filling up quickly. Among the many tenants planned is La Divina Italian Café, a new restaurant that specializes in local ingredients and Italian-inspired dishes, gelato, sorbet, salads and soups. La Divina Gelateria started in 2007 in New Orleans on Magazine Street with a focus on lunch items, gelato and coffees. Since opening, La Divina has expanded with two more locations in New Orleans. The Baton Rouge café will be the fourth overall for the Louisiana business. Co-owner/co-founder Katrina Turillo says the café could be open between October and November. Though Turillo and her team haven't decided the hours and dishes for the new spot, she will bring a mission of sustainability with her. "For us, it goes back to the Italian tradition," she says. "Italian recipes in general are rather simple and rely a lot on the flavor of the individual ingredient. Usually, what will taste best is what...
If everything goes smoothly, Josh Priola could have his Baton Rouge Street Breads location open as early as next Friday. But Priola says that's optimism talking. "We have to make sure we execute well," he says. "That's the biggest thing. As of now, I'd say we're 99 percent there." The new sandwich shop will open up in the former Loft 3H space in the Perkins Road overpass area. Street Breads specializes in almost 20 sandwiches and other items built from scratch each day with flavors stretching across the culinary map—Argentina, Italy and Latin America to name a few. But rather than concentrate on the meat of the sandwich, Street Breads is focusing on what's around it. "Our diamond is let's go to the baker who does the best job and buy that bread," Priola says. "It's not this mass-produced bread. It's something done in smaller quantities." The business originated in Priola's hometown of Lake Charles. There, he "worked out the kinks." But the Street Breads concept was meant for a...
You might find yourself sipping a rare ale or fine bourbon in a brand new bar off Corporate Boulevard this time next month. The Pelican House, a bar/restaurant specializing in high-end beers, whiskeys and bar food, is set to open in late April, co-owner and operating partner Garrett Morgan says.
If everything goes smoothly, Josh Priola could have his Baton Rouge Street Breads location open as early as Friday, April 5. But Priola says that's optimism talking. "We have to make sure we execute well," Priola says. "As of now, I'd say we're 99% there." The new sandwich shop will open up in the former Loft 3H space in the Perkins Road overpass area. Rather than concentrate on the meat of the sandwiches, Street Breads' focus is on what holds them together. "It's not this mass-produced bread," Priola says. "It's something done in smaller quantities." The business originated in Priola's hometown of Lake Charles. However, he feels the Street Breads concept was meant for a bigger market, and the decision to move was an easy one. "This idea was intended always to go to Baton Rouge," he says. "[Street Breads] was credible in terms of a bigger marker. We felt like we could explain it in a bigger way here, and it could become more relevant." —Matthew...
Raising Cane's founder and CEO Todd Graves says his company is committed to opening a downtown restaurant in the Richoux Building on Florida Boulevard and Third Street. As Daily Reportpreviously reported, the chicken finger chain is negotiating with businessman Mike Crouch—who has signed a purchase agreement to acquire the 11,000-square-foot building from attorney Danny McGlynn—to open a restaurant in the 8,000-square-foot ground floor space. Though neither the sale of the building nor the lease agreement between Crouch and Cane's is finalized, Graves says he has long dreamed of opening a Cane's downtown. "I want to be downtown," he says, adding that it will be a challenge because of the business model fast-food restaurants follow. "We do a high volume on very tiny margins," he says. "So I'm just...
Baton Rouge La Madeleine locations are now offering signature items in a new catering menu. Among the items are the tomato basil soup, Strawberries Romanoff, sandwich trays, bistro boxes and more. The dishes serve eight to 10 per small order. Medium-sized menu options serving up to 20 are also available. For more information, visit lamadeleine.com/catering.
Chef Peter Sclafani and the Ruffino's team will head to New York City to prepare dishes at the prestigious James Beard House in April. Local patrons can be a part of the festivities in a special weekend trip package. The trip starts Friday, April 5, and features sightseeing, tickets to the Tony Award-winning musical Jersey Boys, and a dinner menu that includes five hors d'oeuvres, four main course items and a dessert. Among the dishes are shrimp corn dogs, corn and crab shooters, grits and grillades, crab cheesecake, braised Mississippi rabbit and head-to-toe pork. Trip tickets cost $1,650 per person. To make reservations, call 753-3458.
The Melting Pot is now offering a customizable menu where items are broken down into separate portions for the diverse palates at your table. Assistant general manager Michael Kearley says the menu will also offer new feature cheeses, salads, chocolates and an a la carte selection that switches every couple of months. Also new is the "Fondue by You" where you can choose from an array of proteins, including sirloin, duck, chicken pot-stickers and more. You can even customize your experience online before you step foot in the restaurant. For more information, visit meltingpot.com.
With many excellent restaurants in town, folks may think twice about driving to nearby Sunshine for lunch or dinner. But those who have dined at Roberto's River Road Restaurant know that a few extra minutes of drive time off the beaten path is definitely worth the trip.
Barbara Auten, executive director of Alzheimer's Services of the Capital Area, has quite a few favorite dishes she couldn't resist sharing with 225. In Baton Rouge, Auten loves the sea bass with mango salsa at Bonefish Grill. The mango salsa, she says, "brings out the flavor" of the bass, and "the service is always great." In Gonzales, Auten also digs the classic steak dinner at Sno's Seafood and Steakhouse Restaurant. "There's great atmosphere with a great steak," she says, "and [owner] Todd Sheets always makes you feel welcome."
Two restaurants in the Southdowns Village Shopping Center on Perkins Road shut their doors for good last week. Landlord Donnie Jarreau says he's already received calls from restaurants interested in the space previously occupied by Romacelli. A sign on the Romacelli door reveals that the restaurant plans to reopen in a new location. For Stephanie Riegel's full story in Baton Rouge Business Report, click here.
The gluten-free food craze is becoming more than just a fad, with more brands and restaurants carrying gluten-free products by the day. Whether you have celiac disease, gluten intolerance, or you are just trying out a gluten-free diet, Find Me Gluten Free is an app that will help you easily locate restaurants, fast food, bars, cafes, grocery stores and more with gluten-free items. By using the app's search function, you can view menu items, get directions and see reviews from other users in your area. For more information, visit findmeglutenfree.com. This app is available for free download in the iTunes and Android app stores.
Open a little more than two weeks, Frankie Marcello's Restaurant is aiming to establish itself on consistency and made-from-scratch dishes. Owner Frank Marcello is a Baton Rouge native whose parents own The Bread Basket on Florida Boulevard. Marcello has done some franchising in Mandeville, but once he found the Perkins Road location, he made his return to Italian and Creole food with this new restaurant. At Frankie Marcello's (no relation to the former, now closed Enoteca Marcello), managing partner Paul Nelson says patrons can expect a mix of traditional Italian and Southern flavors.
From anise cookies to rabbit gumbo to championship crawfish étouffée, the range of foods found at Louisiana's spring festivals—this month alone—seems endless. For starters, there's this weekend's Sicilian Heritage Festival in Independence, where you'll find stuffed artichokes, muffulettas and the same sumptuous Italian cookies that drape St. Joseph altars. Next weekend, Amite holds its annual Oyster Festival; the same weekend, you can head to St. Bernard Parish for the Los Isleños Festival celebrated by descendants of Canary Islanders who immigrated to Louisiana in the 18th century. Also on March 16 are the Cassidy Park Wild Game and BBQ Cook-off in Bogalusa, and the Jumbo Gumbo Cook-off in Thibodaux.
Matherne's Supermarket on Highland Road is beloved among local oenophiles for its regular wine dinners, but next week's event features a new twist. Chef Regan Hounshell's multi-course meal will include seven recipes from River Road Recipes IV, Warm Welcomes, the next installment in the Junior League of Baton Rouge's celebrated cookbook series. Its first volume, published in 1959, is still required reading among local cooks and is loaded with emblematic regional eats like spinach Madeleine, oysters Rockefeller and crabmeat ravigote. It went on to become the nation's top-selling community cookbook.
Fashion Week in New Orleans wraps up this Saturday at several locations in the Central Business District. We asked a few people to pitch us their choice New Orleans restaurants and bars to visit between shows.
Daniel Lewis is the COO of Active Entertainment, a local motion picture distributing company that has been around for a little more than a decade. In between his busy schedule, Lewis gave 225 a peek into his favorite Baton Rouge dish: John's Favorite off the dinner menu at Maison Lacour, 11025 N. Harrells Ferry Rd. "The dish includes a filet, lump crabmeat, and garlic shrimp topped with homemade béarnaise sauce," Lewis says. "And everything is cooked to perfection."
Restaurant IPO will be flexing its culinary muscles with a tequila-infused menu and pairing dinner tonight at 7 p.m. Executive Chef Chris Wadsworth says the dinner will feature a five-course meal and specialty drinks, showing off several Patrón tequilas. "We'll be preparing something with everything from the $500 bottle to the $40 bottle," Wadsworth says.
Portobello's Grill, the Italian restaurant with two Baton Rouge locations, has announced an overhauled menu that brings the focus back to Italian favorites. The menu features more than a dozen new appetizers, sandwiches, main courses and cocktails, including an Osso Bucco Debris Po-Boy topped with melted provolone and homemade horseradish cream sauce.
Boudin is associated with the prairie parishes west of Baton Rouge, but mercifully, the Capital Region isn't without strong sources of traditional Cajun meats. Just off I-10 West in Port Allen (take the Highway 415 Lobdell exit), Bergeron's serves luscious boudin balls, smoked and steamed boudin, cracklin', crawfish pies, meat pies and all sorts of smoked sausages and stuffed meats.
Plans are under way for a new beer and pizza joint at the site of the former Stella Boutique on Perkins Road, which closed earlier this year. The restaurant will be called Ice House Coal Fired Pizza and Pizzeria and, as its name implies, will feature a coal-fired oven with handmade pizzas and more than 40 brands of beer, according to New Orleans businessman Jack Rizzuto, who hopes to open the new establishment in 90-120 days. Before that can happen, Rizzuto must first renovate the 2,500-square-foot building, which is located in the popular Perkins Road overpass neighborhood. He also has to get permission from the Planning Commission to change the zoning at the site from C-1, or commercial, to CAB-1, which will allow him to serve alcohol on the premises. The Planning Commission is scheduled to take up the matter at its regular monthly meeting in April. "We think it's a great location," says Rizzuto, whose Ice House will be joining nearly a dozen other restaurants in a six-block strip.
Two restaurants in the Southdowns Village Shopping Center on Perkins Road shut their doors for good last week. But landlord Donnie Jarreau says there is no connection between the closures of Bushwood BBQ and Romacelli Bistro. The former, which opened in 2011, was subletting its 3,000-square-foot space from the previous tenant, Café Mediterranean. Jarreau says that space, which is along the main strip of the shopping center, is a challenging one for a restaurant because of its configuration. "The way the space is designed is long and narrow, and it's difficult for a restaurant," he says. "We are hoping to replace them with some sort of retail." As for Romacelli, Jarreau says its location in a 3,300-square-foot outparcel, previously occupied by the popular Enoteca Marcello's Wine Bar & Café, was not a factor in the restaurant's decision to close. "We've already had five calls from good restaurants interested in the space," he says. "We are going to be selective there." Romacelli's,...
Since 2006, the number of new restaurants in Baton Rouge has grown 10% to 15% a year, creating a competitive market for proprietors. As the piece of the pie gets smaller and the public's attention span shrinks, restaurateurs are finding new hooks to get and keep customers. Social media is part of the strategy, but alone, it's not enough. Restaurateurs say they're feeling the pressure to hold theme nights, partner with nonprofit organizations and create a family-friendly vibe to strengthen market presence.
In the Perkins Road Historic Merchants District, Magpie Cafe is known as an organic eatery and espresso bar serving coffee reminiscent of shops in Italy. The owners, James and Lina Jacobs, are usually on hand, offering suggestions to diners drawn to various lunch options. All food is crafted from seasonal ingredients from local farmers, dairies, and bread artisans. Feel free to linger with a friend over a cup of coffee. Magpie aims to be a warm, inviting neighborhood space. facebook.com/magpiecafe.brla 3205 Perkins Road 366-6885
Sometimes I inexplicably enter places with preconceived notions. At Restaurant IPO, I expected to find a slick, modern space filled with preened hipsters who were not only too cool for school but also too cool for you. What I discovered was a calming space with partially exposed brick walls, pictures of bucolic Louisiana scenes, rustic wood accents, old-fashioned filament light bulbs and handwritten specials on a chalkboard wall.
What's new this month: Latte e Miele has a new chef, Baton Rouge Advocates for Safe Streets change their name, a Perkins Road muffaletta shop and two new seasonal brews from Abita.
Local restaurateur Andy Blouin and his partners—whose growing portfolio of nightclubs and eateries includes Serrano's, Blend, Boudreaux and Thibodeaux's, as well as the Edible Events catering company—are planning to open a reception hall on the second floor of the former Latil Stationery building on Third Street downtown. Blouin and Sean Malone acquired the historic property in late 2011 for $815,000 and have been working on plans to redevelop the 12,000-square-foot space ever since. In the next few weeks, they plan to begin renovating the 1920s-era building. The 6,000-square-foot second floor will house the reception hall and Edible Events. The 6,000-square-foot ground floor is divided into two 3,000-square-foot spaces. Lease negotiations are in the final stages for one of the spaces with a tenant whom Blouin says intends to open a sports bar and restaurant on the increasingly bustling street. He declines to identify the tenant. The other ground floor space is available...
Eusebio Gongora II looks over the kitchen as chef partner of Fleming's Prime Steakhouse and Wine Bar knowing that he has the best of both worlds. His father, also Eusebio, is from Matamoros, Mexico, across the border from Brownsville, Texas. His family came to the United States when he was a young boy. The first Eusebio fell in love with and married a proud Louisianan from the West Bank of New Orleans. With the Mexican heritage on his father's side and the French and Italian roots of Creole New Orleans on his mother's side, Gongora grew up with an incredible mixture of language, culture and food. But he did not discover his true passion for the kitchen until he was enrolled at LSU, pursuing a degree in biological sciences. While a pre-med student, he worked at area hospitals and clinics, but soon realized he couldn't see himself working in that setting for the rest of his days. He transitioned into the food world through a stint with LSU Dining as a display chef in the Magnolia Room...
After five years of establishing her cupcake business out of her mother's kitchen, Allison Offner is ready to open a brick-and-mortar store for her primarily delivery bakery. In fact, the corporate flight attendant for Dow Chemical Co. says she is quitting her day job in the skies to bake full-time at Cupcake Allie on Lobdell Boulevard. "I'm jumping in," Offner says. However, Offner's application for a parking waiver for her storefront at Lions Gate Centre hit a snag Monday night at the city-parish Planning Commission board meeting. Dennis Vidrine, president of the Goodwood Property Owners Association, complained to the board that prior to the meeting no notice for the parking waiver had been posted on the building by the Planning Commission. Vidrine requested a 30-day deferral. Offner said she was ready to open and can't wait 30 days. The board approved the waiver on condition that Offner meets with the Goodwood Property Owners Association before opening. Phillip Hutches, who...
When is a pharmacy not just a pharmacy? When a lot of eyes and hopes are on it as a touchstone for future downtown development, both commercial and residential. On the heels of high-profile bar and restaurant openings like Blend, City Bar, Restaurant IPO, The Office and the upcoming Bar Blanc, Third Street is bustling with nightlife. What will it take for downtown's daylife to catch up? This month, local pharmacists T.J. and Aimee Woodard are set to open Prescriptions to Geaux near the corner of Third and Florida streets, two doors down from the Our Lady of the Lake walk-in clinic. The pharmacy's success could be a strong indicator of the future viability of residential and retail growth in the Central Business District. "I wasn't sure about the idea for a location, but several of my former classmates work downtown and expressed interest in a pharmacy there," says T.J. Woodard, a Bossier City native with an MBA from LSU. "The more I looked into it, I saw a real opportunity." Read how...
Where can you find cochon de lait-along with chicken, ribs and sausage-waiting on the street corner? New food truck Big Los' Chicken n Ribs aims to please with a menu of delicious, fresh-made barbecue. Racks of smoking meat make it easy to follow your nose to owner Carlos Decuir's truck, which turns out everything from pulled pork to whole barbecued chicken. Decuir, who holds down a day job in the insurance industry, says he was driven to start the truck through his passion for good food. "I've been cooking since I was 14," he says. "I love to cook." Already the new truck is appearing at local events. Read about Big Los' Chicken n Ribs and get more local culinary news from the new 225 Dine e-newsletter here.
An idea sparked at the Louisiana Food Access Summit held here last November led to the creation of the Food Access Policy Commission, which met for the first time today. Over the next 10 months, the team will analyze local causes of food deserts—low-income areas with a lack of supermarkets or grocery stores nearby—and develop recommendations on how the city-parish can improve food access. "One mile does not sound like a long way to travel [to get groceries]," Mayor Kip Holden said before the meeting. "But if you have no form of transportation, it is a long way." The commission was created through a partnership of Together Baton Rouge and the Mayor's Office, with representatives from the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank, East Baton Rouge Redevelopment Authority, Pennington Biomedical Research Center, LSU and Southern University, Associated Grocers, Wal-Mart and others. Pinpointing several areas of the parish with food access issues, including Scotlandville and Old South Baton...
After four years on Highland Road near The Country Club of Louisiana, Luca Di Martino says he has found the perfect location for Latte e Miele: Bocage. Co-owner Di Martino opened the second Latte e Miele last summer at Bocage and has discovered the new location is exacting "blatant cannibalism" on the Highland Road location, attracting old and familiar customers while expanding its menu and now providing a full-service lunch. "We've created a monster, I think," Di Martino says of the Bocage store. For now, Di Martino wants to pare Latte e Miele down to one location—Bocage—and concentrate on another expansion of the menu in the evening, including cheese plates and charcuterie. He says he's also in the process of applying for a liquor license. While Latte e Miele's Italian gelato has always been a success on Highland Road, Di Martino says the Highland location gets good traffic only in summer months and has no advantage of being located next to a large draw of customers,...
Later this week, Together Baton Rouge and Mayor Kip Holden will lay out plans for a new 13-member commission they are jointly forming to address food access issues in East Baton Rouge Parish. The Food Access Policy Commission will work over the next 10 months to examine the causes of "food deserts"—that is, vast stretches of residential neighborhoods lacking nearby grocery stores; it will also determine best practices for addressing food deserts and develop a concrete set of policies and practice recommendations for the city-parish to remedy food access issues. The Food Access Commission is being funded through the Fresh Beginnings project of the Mayor's Healthy City Initiative. Together Baton Rouge officials and the mayor will lay out further details during a news conference at 10 a.m. Thursday, to be held at Mt. Pilgrim Baptist Church, 9700 Scenic Hwy. Commission members will include: Southern AgCenter Vice Chancellor for Research Adell Brown Jr.; EBR Redevelopment Authority...
Among the many Louisianans heading to the nation's capital this weekend for the influential Washington Mardi Gras will be Ruffino's Executive Chef and co-owner Peter Sclafani. The Baton Rouge-based chef will prepare Louisiana crawfish cheesecake for more than 3,000 attendees at the Louisiana Alive kick-off event tonight at the Washington Hilton. Sclafani will also spread the word about his forthcoming cookbook, The Seasons of Louisiana, expected to be released at the end of the year. Sclafani and Ruffino's owner Ruffin Rodrigue will also serve Sclafani's dishes at the "Let the World be Your Oyster" event to promote Louisiana seafood. Sclafani will prepare butter-poached Gulf oysters with crème fraiche, pickled red onion and cucumber caviar made by the molecular gastronomy technique known as spherification, a favorite method of Sclafani's. The chef will also distribute a limited run of the first chapter of his cookbook and will pass out recipe cards to the thousands of patrons...
Configured to resemble flowers in bloom, Strands' homemade cinnamon rolls are a fresh take on a morning favorite. Pastry chefs and cousins Lilita Blanchard and Linelle Mon, who founded the downtown café four years ago, began serving them “to have something of ourselves on the menu,” says Blanchard. The recipe comes from their grandmother and first kitchen mentor. They roll out sheets of homemade dough, coating one side with sugar, cinnamon and fresh butter; then they coil the sheets into tubes and trim each one into links. The links are arranged like mini bouquets, baked until golden and iced with irresistible butter cream. Each roll contains very little sugar and, like all the recipes here, has no preservatives. Strands' “victory ring” is a cluster of 21 cinnamon rolls. The café serves lunch on weekdays, brunch on Saturday and tea by reservation.
As I ascended the steps to the front porch of The Cabin for dinner recently, I felt something overwhelmingly familiar. Then it hit me: This was very much like my great-grandfather's house.
Eusebio Gongora II looks over the kitchen as chef partner of Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse and Wine Bar knowing that he has the best of both worlds. His father, also Eusebio, is from Matamoros, Mexico, across the border from Brownsville, Texas. His family came to the United States when he was a young boy. The first Eusebio fell in love with and married a proud Louisianan from the West Bank of New Orleans. With the Mexican heritage on his father’s side and the French and Italian roots of Creole New Orleans on his mother’s side, Gongora grew up with an incredible mixture of language, culture and food.
The increasing popularity of Vietnamese cuisine put pho on our radar—to the point that it's now as much a comfort food as gumbo. But I suggest we also add the Vietnamese-style poboy Banh Mi to that list. There are variations with meatballs or a fried egg on top, but at its basic level, Banh Mi is marinated and grilled pork (Banh Mi Thit Nuong), pickled and fresh veggies like cucumber, carrot, jalapeño slices and a few sprigs of cilantro, plus the tiniest hint of fish sauce, all stuffed into flaky French bread. It's easiest to find around New Orleans, where residents head to the West Bank or New Orleans East for the best versions. For a while, Baton Rouge was severely lacking in its options, but now all it takes is a drive down Florida Boulevard. At Dang's Vietnamese Restaurant, in the same shopping center as Vinh Phat Market, you can munch on one of several Banh Mi options, as well as many other Vietnamese favorites. If you order the poboy to go, they'll skip toasting it and...
Three Baton Rouge food trucks are among 47 included on Deep South Magazine's list of the Best Food Trucks in the South, released online today. Dolce Vita, Curbside and Taco de Paco represent the Red Stick on the list, which also includes a handful of trucks from New Orleans and Lafayette. Of Dolce Vita's Romanian-born owner, Bogdan Mocanu, the magazine says: "His passion for gourmet food and dedication to fresh ingredients have many claiming this is the best pizza in Baton Rouge." As for Curbside, Deep South Magazine says "owner/chef Nick Hufft is taking burgers to a new level," adding that the food truck's signature pork belly preserves make it "hard to doubt the claim that 'Curbside makes the best burgers and sausages you've ever put in your mouth!' " Taco de Paco is one of Baton Rouge's longest-running food trucks, the magazine says, noting: "Chef Aaron Brown creates interesting taco combinations with Louisiana-centric ingredients and, according to Baton Rouge food...
At a location in the heart of Acadiana where upscale Cajun fare didn't catch on, Baton Rouge-based Ruffino's is expanding, with plans to open by April a restaurant on the site of Cochon Lafayette on the Vermilion River. "We'll call it Ruffino's on the River to give it its own identity," says Ruffin Rodrigue. Ruffino's co-owner and chef, Peter Sclafani, and Rodrigue have signed a lease-to-purchase agreement on the building with the Link Restaurant Group, which announced today it is closing Cochon Lafayette and exiting the market so it can deepen its focus in the New Orleans market; it plans to open a new wood-fired seafood restaurant at the corner of Magazine and Julia streets this spring, to join its principal restaurant on Tchoupitoulas Street. Rodrigue says Cochon Lafayette plans to close Sunday, Feb. 10. LRG had the restaurant building constructed and opened for business in September 2011. "We had heard the business wasn't what they had expected," Rodrigue says. What might give...
Raw and glistening on the half shell, deep-fried golden brown, chargrilled with sizzling butter or shellacked with classic toppings like Bienville and Rockefeller, oysters are as Louisiana as it gets. This month, oysters are at their peak, prompting local diners and regional visitors alike to seek them out at various area restaurants. From Stroubes' duck and oyster gumbo to the fried oyster salad with fennel, arugula and shaved manchego at Beausoleil to raw on the half shell at The Chimes, there are plenty of ways around town to enjoy this self-contained culinary wonder—and no better time of year to do it. Find out how the Louisiana oyster industry is rebounding, and how local eateries are serving them up, by clicking here. And get more local culinary news from the new 225 Dine e-newsletter
Tony Lu bought the building at 5454 Bluebonnet Blvd. that formerly housed Primo's Steak & Italian Restaurant about 14 months ago and, after completely renovating it, opened Kabuki Sushi and Japanese Steakhouse there. He last opened its doors for business on New Year's Eve, closing them for good the following day. "I'm analyzing what I did wrong," says Lu, who also owns Royal Panda Chinese Buffet & Sushi Bar in Lafayette. Lu says he's not sure if economic conditions just weren't right for opening a new restaurant in Baton Rouge in late 2011, but his venture into the Capital Region never quite took off. If he were to open another restaurant in Baton Rouge, Lu says, he'd probably choose a smaller space. "Work is in my blood," he says. "I don't sit around and do nothing." George Kurz of Kurz & Hebert Commercial Real Estate says he had advised Lu against leasing the building, which, just less than 9,000 square feet, is a "bit large" for a restaurateur new to the area. Kurz says the...
After many delays and amid much fanfare, Galatoire's Bistro finally opened the doors of its new location on Perkins Road near Acadian Thruway for a grand opening celebration Tuesday night. Hundreds of guests toured the new 150-seat dining room, private dining spaces and bar, and sampled appetizers that gave them a preview of the menu. Galatoire's Bistro is serving dinner now; but beginning Friday, Jan. 25, the New Orleans-founded restaurant will begin serving lunch as well, starting at 11 a.m. For more on the restaurant and 225's photo gallery from its grand opening, click here; and get more local culinary news from the new 225 Dine e-newsletter here.
By the time the St. Patrick's Day Parade rolls in mid-March, a new sandwich shop hopes to be open for business along the parade route, in the former retail space of Loft 3H in the Perkins Road overpass area. "I like that area; I think it has a good vibe," says Josh Priola, who, along with his wife, Melissa Priola, is planning to bring Street Breads to the Capital Region. The Priolas moved to Baton Rouge recently to expand with a second store, and possibly a third, after opening the original Street Breads two years ago in Lake Charles. "We're not a bakery; we're a sandwich shop," says Priola, noting that there will be 15 sandwiches on the menu, as well as quesadillas, salads and desserts. Street Breads will also have a limited wine list and selection of locally made beers. While the sandwiches are "culinary-minded," Priola says, the linchpin of Street Breads' menu is the artisan breads it uses from around the country, shipped partially baked and devoid of preservatives that often come...
A weekend spent furiously coding under the pressure of a ticking clock, broken up by the briefest of naps on floors and office furniture, came to a bleary-eyed close in New Orleans on Sunday for about four dozen software developers competing in the inaugural Codemakers Super Challenge, The Times-Picayune reports. Charged with creating Internet applications that will enhance the experiences of Super Bowl goers, competitors presented their products to a panel of judges and learned who were crowned winners of the contest affectionately called a "hackathon." The grand prize—which includes donated business services, tickets to events, and meals at restaurants—went to a team that developed an app to help diners locate open seats at restaurants. Members of the New Orleans Super Bowl Host Committee had sought such a service, saying they hoped to avoid problems that unfolded around the NFL's championship game in Indianapolis last year when some eateries became overcrowded...
Baton Rouge diners will have the chance in the coming week to experience some of Red Stick's best restaurants for a reduced price during Baton Rouge Restaurant Week. From Monday through Saturday, 29 local eateries will offer three-course prix fixe menus of special and regular dishes, with prices ranging from $15 to $35. Taking a cue from events like COOLinary New Orleans, which offers similar discounts to diners at certain restaurants for a fixed period, organizer Chris Brooks says the Baton Rouge event is "a great way to give the restaurants a shot in the arm during a season that's usually pretty quiet." Brooks says it's also a chance for diners to try new eateries and dishes without spending as much as they normally would. Restaurants range from casual places like Hello Sushi, which will offer choices of soup, salad and their higher-end sushi rolls for $15, to upscale joints like Stroubes, with an appetizer, entrée and dessert for $35. You can preview the prix fixe menus from all...
Le Creole is one of over 25 restaurants participating in the upcoming Baton Rouge Restaurant Week from January 14-19. I had a chance to hang out in the kitchen with chef Ryan Andre to help him put together a new steak dish: filet mignon over a bed of sweet potato hash with melted bone marrow butter and fried leeks. Take a look for yourself at the deliciousness that ensued!
The long-awaited Galatoire's Bistro in the Acadian Village development has scheduled its grand opening for Tuesday and will begin regular dinner service the next evening. A media tour is set for Tuesday, followed by an invitation-only cocktail party–style reception from 6 to 8 p.m. The event, which will be held inside the new restaurant and outside under tents, will feature complimentary hors d'oeuvres and music from a New Orleans jazz band. "We are working like mad to have it ready," says owner John Georges, who was in town today in preparation for next week's opening. "We got our liquor license approved yesterday, and we are expecting to get the occupancy permits tomorrow." The new Galatoire's, which resembles in design and décor the century-old French Quarter establishment, was originally scheduled to be open in time for the holidays, but ran behind because of routine construction delays. Though the bistro begins dinner service next Wednesday, it will not be open for lunch...
Over the past five years, the Louisiana Office of Public Health has spent nearly $57 million to inspect the state's restaurants, school cafeterias and other retail food establishments.
Gretna bar owner Toni Smith says she plans to open The Fourth Quarter restaurant and bar in the vacant building at 3669 Government St., just east of Acadian Thruway, by the end of February. "It's going to be American: steaks, fries and hamburgers," says Smith, who spoke to Daily Report from the Tee Kay Place in Gretna. While the Baton Rouge building location has been a Chinese eatery in the past—China Palace in 2003 and China Dragon as recently as 2007—it underwent a transformation as a Mid City sports bar and restaurant in recent years. According to city-parish officials, The 50 Yard Line had the building rezoned to accommodate a sports bar in October 2009; the building later became Changes Sports Bar and Restaurant, whose signage still remains on the property. In May 2012 the city-parish received a permit for a remodeling project at the building, which had been damaged by fire. Smith applied for a business permit on Dec. 4 and says she's awaiting approval from...
Charcuterie boards. Small batch tonic. More leafy greens. Hibiscus. ATM-like machines that dispense everything from cupcakes to hamburgers. Pop-up restaurants that can excite palates and bring life to a community's dark spaces. Farm-to-bar. Yep, that's bar, watering holes.
Raw and glistening on the half shell, deep-fried golden brown, chargrilled with sizzling butter or shellacked with classic toppings like Bienville and Rockefeller, oysters are as Louisiana as it gets. This month, oysters are at their peak, and regional diners and visitors are on the hunt for the beloved local food. From Stroube’s duck and oyster gumbo to the fried oyster salad with fennel, arugula and shaved manchego at Beausoleil to raw on the half shell at The Chimes, there are plenty of ways around town to enjoy this self-contained culinary wonder—and no better time of year to do it.
'225 Dine': Wood Fired Pizza food truck in neutral due to accident
A popular Baton Rouge food truck will be out of commission temporarily after it was struck allegedly by a drunk driver and destroyed. Bogdan Mocanu's Wood Fired Pizza truck was hit Tuesday night around 8:30 p.m. Mocanu says the incident occurred after a successful food truck event at Pecan Grove Elementary School in Gonzales. The Gonzales Police Department confirms the accident and states the driver hit the food truck trailer as well as another vehicle. Officers say the driver has been charged with a DWI and reckless operation of a vehicle. Mocanu says his trailer is destroyed. A day after the accident, Mocanu was in poor spirits. Though he wants to begin serving customers again as soon as possible, he doesn't see that as a possibility right now. "I think I will lay low for a little bit, and I hate doing this," he says. "It's my passion to cook for all these people. It's the way I live my crazy dreams. For me, I lost my way of expressing myself." Mocanu says he will meet with his...
'225 Dine': Chow down for National Burger Month
May is National Burger Month, and the Red Stick has more than a few options if what you want is a great burger. Each week, Maxwell's Market locations have been celebrating the American staple with its Burger of the Week, taking the normal dish and fashioning it into the talk of the town. Maxwell's launched this serial innovation last year. Some of Maxwell's past burgers include the Breakfast Bistro Burger, with a fried egg and bacon; the Wang Chuck Burger, with peanut-Sriracha sauce; and the Blue Apple Burger, with slices of red apple and blue cheese. This week's variation is the Cowboy Burger, dressed with peppered applewood bacon, barbecue sauce, beer-braised onion rings and light mayo. Read the full story on Maxwell's burgers and others around town and get your fill of local culinary news in this week's edition of the 225 Dine e-newsletter here.
'225 Dine': New direction, chef coming to Walk-On's
Last In Concepts, the restaurant group behind Walk-On's, The Roux House, Happy's and others, has hired Chef Jeremy Coco as its director of culinary operations and training. Coco will primarily focus on developing the menu and training the staff at all Walk-On's locations. Coco has an impressive background: He has worked at Juban's and was formerly the executive chef at Cafe Vermilionville in Lafayette as well as at Fleming's in Baton Rouge, in addition to serving as the dean of education at the Louisiana Culinary Institute. Walk-On's co-owner Jack Warner says Coco will improve patrons' experience. "We want to build a better team to grow [Walk-On's]. To take that to the next level, we needed to bring in [someone to] teach, coach, train and lead our staff," he says. Coco says he wants to concentrate on fixing the small things now before developing any new menu items and that he thinks the future is bright for Walk-On's. "This company has great growth potential," Coco says. "I have a...
Bad Guys, Good Eats!
Chef and 225 contributor Jay D. Ducote and Chef Chris Wadsworth hosted the Bad Guys, Good Eats! dinner at Restaurant IPO Wednesday night. The dinner was themed around famous movie villains, pairing cocktails and ales with plates of food resembling famous baddies like The Joker, Lord Voldemort, Hannibal Lector, and many others. The highlights of the night were the three middle courses—a black bean soup laced with blood sausage to signify Lord Voldemort, a brace of coneys on black eyed peas resembling Sauron, and lamb medallions atop a fava bean puree to pay homage to the famous favorite of Hannibal Lector. Check out photos of the dishes from Collin Richie here.
New direction coming to Walk-On's
Jack Warner has heard all the stories about the inconsistency at Walk-On's. Warner will be the first to admit that the food has been an afterthought in the restaurant and bar's decade-long run.
"If you liked our étouffée or gumbo one day, you might get something completely different the next day," Warner says. "We messed up so many things repeatedly. Now, we've figured out a lot of things, but we have an opportunity to grow on the food side."
To improve on the kitchen and culinary aspects of Walk-On's, Warner and Brandon Landry's Last in Concepts have hired Chef Jeremy Coco as its director of culinary operations and training. Coco will primarily focus on developing the menu and training staff at all Walk-On's locations.
Coco has an extensive résumé—he has worked at Juban's, was the executive chef at Café Vermilionville in Lafayette and Fleming's in Baton Rouge, and served as the Dean of Education at the Louisiana Culinary Institute (LCI).
B.R. gets the Gun
Our food critic responds to Rien Fertel's "City Portrait" of Baton Rouge, published in the March/April edition of Garden & Gun magazine
Restaurateurs, retailers eye legislation to improve access to capital
Louisiana restaurateurs and retailers who have been holding off on a renovation could soon get some encouraging news. A measure is winding its way through Congress that would permanently extend the 15-year recovery period for qualified improvements on restaurant and retail properties. Proponents, including local restaurant owner Jim Urdiales, say the extension would spur construction. "If you guarantee a 15-year schedule over 30 years, we'll see some restaurants who were putting this off from last year go ahead and do it now," says Urdiales, who owns Mestizo Restaurant. The 15-year depreciation schedule would otherwise expire at the end of this year, giving some restaurant owners heartburn about moving forward with needed renovations. The National Restaurant Association estimates that restaurants undergo renovations every six to eight years just to stay current and combat the effects of daily high traffic. Sen. Robert Casey, a Pennsylvania Democrat, filed the measure last month.
Ruffino's buys Cochon Lafayette
Ruffino's previously announced deal to purchase Cochon Lafayette on the Vermilion River closed today for $3.3 million, according to sources familiar with the transaction. The new restaurant—Ruffino's on the River—will open May 20. "We are very excited about opening our doors in Lafayette," say Ruffino's co-owners, Ruffin Rodrigue and Peter Sclafani, in a written statement. "The community has welcomed us with open arms, and we look forward to bringing the same energy and experience of Ruffino's Baton Rouge to Lafayette." Cochon Lafayette closed earlier this year so that the restaurant could focus on the New Orleans market, where Chef Donald Link's upscale Cajun fare has been better received than it was in the heart of Acadiana. Ruffino's on the River hopes to succeed where Cochon failed by focusing on the cuisine that has proven so popular among its diners in Baton Rouge—steaks, seafood and Italian. Sclafani says the Lafayette menu will be very similar to that at the...
'225 Dine': Street Breads now open on Perkins
Street Breads, the Lake Charles-based eatery, opened its Baton Rouge location in the Perkins Road overpass area on Monday. By Tuesday, a crowd had packed into Street Breads, eager to try its concoctions of fresh-made sauces, spreads and breads. The concept is not unlike a Subway or Izzo's, with the ingredients displayed so you can see the sandwiches being built right in front of you. However, there is a wide range of ingredients and flavors, with sauces and fresh toppings prepared daily. You can try an Italian Roast Beef, topped with Asiago cheese, sun-dried tomato relish, Cajun rémoulade and bacon; or the Mediterranean Portobello, which features the meaty mushroom along with eggplant, zucchini, feta cheese, sun-dried tomato and pesto hummus. Each sandwich comes prepared on fine artisan bread, in a wrap or pita, or on fresh focaccia. Delivery and online ordering will begin in about a month, says owner Josh Priola, and a pickup window will be in service then, too. Access the complete...
Food trucks set up for regular dinners on Perkins and Acadian
The Dolce Vita Wood Fired Pizza and Three Bones BBQ food trucks will set up shop in the shopping center parking lot on South Acadian Thruway and Perkins Road for dinner five nights a week and all day Saturday starting tonight. Dinner starts at 5 p.m. For more information, visit Dolce Vita's Facebook page and Three Bones BBQ's Facebook page.
Cinco de Mayo specials
Sunday is Cinco de Mayo, a United States celebration of Mexican heritage and culture that tends to draw crowds to many local Mexican restaurants. Several such restaurants are marking the occasion with drink specials and live music.
Tickets going fast for Bad Guys, Good Eats!
Chef and 225 contributor Jay D. Ducote will team up with Restaurant IPO chef Chris Wadsworth for a movie villain-themed dinner Wednesday, May 8, and tickets are going fast. A limited number of spots are still available. Tickets are $65 and can be purchased online.
Horse racing, food and drinks at Triple Crown Saturday
Watch the Kentucky Derby in style at Juban's (Map it!) Saturday at the Junior League of Baton Rouge's Triple Crown event. This fundraiser for the Junior League features live music, free cigars, bourbon tasting, casino games and more while the big horse races are screened.
Street Breads now open on Perkins
Street Breads, the Lake Charles-based shop, opened its Baton Rouge location (Map it!) Monday. By Tuesday, a crowd had already packed into Street Breads, eager to try its concoctions of fresh-made sauces, spreads and breads.
Vietnamese crepe
GoYaYa's Crepes
Main Street Market
501 Main Street
Open: Mon.-Fri., 7:30 a.m.-2 p.m.; Sat., 8 a.m.-noon
Portico
Tucked away on Coursey Boulevard near the Sherwood Forest Boulevard intersection sits Portico.
'Cue done right
Brian Medlin, owner of Smokin' Aces BBQ on Government Street, knew that opening a barbecue restaurant in Baton Rouge that both locals and travelers would love would be a challenge. However, since opening in October last year, the “shack”-style joint has maintained a loyal customer base.
'225 Dine': Sweets from a local 'Belle'
Had you told Kasie Coleman she would have her own Baton Rouge bakery a few years ago, she probably would have laughed. However, Coleman's life changed in 2010 when she was diagnosed with an extremely rare cancer, peritoneal mesothelioma. A former pharmaceuticals rep, Coleman was in and out of work, and then eventually laid off. With free time on her hands, she picked up baking—which was also her grandmother's special talent—and started giving away goods to her friends. Coleman eventually decided to open up her own shop, Sugar Belle Bakery, at 5151 Plank Road. Since opening its doors last weekend, she has routinely sold out of whoopee pies, Bundt cakes, cupcakes, pralines, and teacakes. To read more on Coleman's story and to get your fill of culinary news, check out the new issue of 225 Dine here.
Preview: Bad Guys, Good Eats! dinner May 8
Chef and 225 contributor Jay Ducote has a little something deliciously evil planned with Restaurant IPO chef Chris Wadsworth for Wednesday, May 8.
Poo-Yie Fries and more at Festival International in Lafayette
This weekend's 27th Festival International de Louisiane in Lafayette will draw world music lovers from the region and around the country for an annual celebration of the French, African, Caribbean and Hispanic influences that shaped Louisiana. Along with great musicians like The Wailers, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, Sergent Garcia, Red Baarat and others, the festival offers plenty of hospitable eats.
Leroy's now open on Nicholson
With a menu offering fresh fried chicken, beignets, shrimp and grits and more, Leroy's is now open at 4001 Nicholson Dr. in the space formerly occupied by Cou-yon's (Map it!). The family-friendly kitchen had a soft opening earlier this week, according to Leroy's brand strategist Renee Trusty. The concept comes from Steven Hightower, owner of Frankie's Dawg House, who will be incorporating modern twists on diner-style food, as well as aiming to take comfort food up a notch. The recipes and restaurant's feel are based on family gatherings Hightower recalls from childhood. Trusty says Leroy's is targeting everyone from college students to those who just got out of church. "When you come in, we want you to feel like you're part of...
Nooley's is back
For 13 years, Jacob Couvillion heard how Baton Rouge missed Nooley's.
The Pelican House opens Monday
If you've driven on Interstate 10 near the College Drive exit, you have no doubt noticed the bright blue logo for The Pelican House. The bar/restaurant specializes in high-end beers, with more than 130 taps at its main bar and an additional bar with even more beers on tap, as well as a large selection of bottled beers, whiskeys, scotches and bourbons.
Dining Out For Life tonight
Local restaurants will participant in the Dining Out For Life national event tonight. Five participating restaurants—Bistro Byronz, California Pizza Kitchen, Mestizos, Monjunis and Stroubes—will donate 25% of their lunch or dinner sales to the HIV/AIDS Alliance for Region Two (HAART).
Sweets from a local 'Belle'
Kasie Coleman is a perfectionist. On a Wednesday afternoon in her new shop, Sugar Belle bakery on Plank Road (Map it!), she's glancing at a lemon cream cheese pound cake, noticing its crust is too crumbly. She couldn't possibly sell that.
Since opening last Saturday, Sugar Belle has consistently sold out of its delicious lineup of bundt cakes, whoopee pies, teacakes, cupcakes and pralines.
The problem with being a perfectionist and the new sweets goddess around town is she has to constantly bake fresh goods.
"I haven't worked this hard since I don't know when," Coleman says, laughing.
Owning a bakery was something she never would have imagined a few years ago.
New restaurant on Nicholson opens Thursday
With a menu offering, among other things, fresh fried chicken, beignets, and shrimp and grits, Leroy's will open Thursday at 4001 Nicholson Drive in the space formerly occupied by Cou-yon's. The family-friendly kitchen had a soft opening earlier this week, according to COO Renee Trusty. The concept comes from Steven Hightower, owner of Frankie's Dawg House, who will be incorporating modern twists on diner-esque food, as well as aiming to take comfort food up a notch. The recipes and restaurant's feel are based on family gatherings Hightower recalls from childhood. Trusty says Leroy's is targeting everyone from college students to those who just got out of church. "When you come in, we want you to feel like you're part of something," she says. By mid-May, Leroy's plans to be open for breakfast, serving combo plates as well as eggs Benedict with a beignet base. For more information and a look at Leroy's menu, visit its website
Gas boom brings south Louisiana cuisine to Pennsylvania
The land of scrapple and chipped ham is starting to get a taste for jambalaya and boudin, thanks to an influx of Southerners filling jobs in north-central Pennsylvania's booming natural gas industry. The Associated Press reports the region, which is not often placed on culinary maps, is finding itself flush with the food-ways found below the Mason-Dixon line, the source of some of the nation's richest culinary traditions. Suddenly, convenience stores stock sweet tea, barbecue is a hot seller, and the almost Norman Rockwell-quaint Country Store in Pennsdale is making its own boudin. Store owner and Pennsylvania native Tom Springman had never heard of boudin until a few months ago, when a customer—a relocated Southerner—came in looking for a local source. "They're paying for 50 to 100 pounds of boudin to be shipped in from Louisiana. I'm thinking, We could make this easy," Springman says. At Hurley's Fresh Markets in Towanda and Dushore, the offerings are starting to look a...
High-end restaurant coming to Central
Wayne Stabiler, the man behind The Little Village and Le Creolé restaurants, is almost ready to open his next venture: Stab's Steak and Seafood. The high-end restaurant, focusing more on steaks than seafood, should be ready to open by June in the TND in Central called The Village at Magnolia Square, he says. Stab's will feature Sunday brunch and outdoor dining on a patio that features a "fire fountain," with water spilling from the sides and fire at the center, similar to the one found at Pat O'Brien's in New Orleans. The executive chef will be Justin McVey, and the sous-chef will be Patrick Brown, both of whom have been cooking at Stabiler's other restaurants. Stablier says he didn't know much about Central at first, but decided the concept would work after some research. "They've got a lot of money in that area," he says. "It's just a real close-knit community that I think is going to rally around this restaurant." —David Jacobs
From 225: Jay Ducote on Le Creolé's crab cakes
Chef and 225 blogger Jay Ducote took a drive over to Le Creolé, a seafood and Creole restaurant on East Petroleum Drive, to try a top-selling item—the crab cake.
Tonight: CrawFête shows off upscale crawfish dishes
Fans of crawfish should be gearing up for tonight's CrawFête event from 6 p.m.-9 p.m. at Mockler Beverage Company, 11811 Reiger Rd. The Baton Rouge Epicurean Society is hosting the event, which features a range of crawfish dishes from area chefs as well as craft beers, wines and spirits.
Bugs & Brew for Drew Crawfish Cook-off and Beer Festival
The Drew Rodrigue Foundation will be hosting the fourth annual Bugs & Brew for Drew Crawfish Cook-off and Beer Festival, which will take place at a new location on the banks of the Mississippi River at River City Plaza at Mardi Gras World in New Orleans on April 20, 2013 from 11:00 a.m–5:00 p.m. Featuring a crawfish competition, Louisiana beer garden, local music, and children's entertainment, this family-friendly festival will benefit the Drew Rodrigue Foundation, a local non-profit which celebrates heroes in the face of adversity, in honor of Drew Rodrigue, a local football coach who battled against cancer.
'225 Dine': Zorba's to reopen in May
At the end of 2000, Dinos and Polina Economides shut down Zorba's, a community-favorite traditional Greek restaurant near the intersection of Perkins Road and Bluebonnet Boulevard. The couple traveled back to their homeland of Cyprus for more than a decade and learned some new Grecian recipes during the stay. When the Economideses returned last year, they decided to bring back the eatery. However, this time around, it will be a smaller bistro concept, seating 50 to 55 diners. The new Zorba's will open in May in the Essen Crossing Shopping Center next to French Quarter Daiquiris, Dinos Economides says, a plan that has excited attention from the former restaurant's regulars. "We've already got people talking about it," Economides says. "Lots of friends are hearing about it and calling me. I think it won't take much time to get a lot of our old customers back." The bistro will lay emphasis on fresh foods, Economides says, and traditional dishes like moussaka will be baked individually...
Capital Region's ninth Rotolo's opens today
Rotolo's Pizzeria is opening its 29th restaurant today in Denham Springs, marking the casual dining chain's ninth outlet in the Baton Rouge area and fifth new restaurant since the beginning of the year. "We've opened quite a few stores in just the past few months, and we have several more in development," says owner Mitch Rotolo, who established the first Rotolo's on Nicholson Drive near LSU in 1996 but did not begin expanding and franchising his brand until after Hurricane Katrina. Revenues have nearly doubled since last summer—to $25 million from $13 million—and increased some tenfold over the past five years. Though he declines to disclose margins, Rotolo says the 14 company-owned restaurants in the chain are profitable, while the 15 franchise stores are doing well for their owners. "I don't think it's aggressive expansion so much as it is that our prices are competitive," he says. "You can feed a family of four for $50." Despite the apparent competition of pizzeria...
Ruffino's chef to showcase La. seafood in NYC
Ruffino's Executive Chef, Peter Sclafani, won't be in the kitchen at the popular Highland Road restaurant this weekend. Instead, he'll be preparing some of his most creative signature dishes for a crowd of 75 diners at the prestigious James Beard Foundation home in the West Village of New York City. "I've been trying to get it for a long time," says Sclafani, of a coveted invitation to cook at the Beard home, which showcases the work of some of the country's finest chefs. "This is my first time so we're really excited about it." Sclafani says his meal, which will be served Saturday night, will feature plenty of Louisiana seafood, something he has been trying especially hard to promote since being appointed earlier this year to the Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board. Among the dishes on Sclafani's menu are, for appetizers: charbroiled oysters, shrimp corn dogs, corn and crab shooters, and crawfish arancini; while he'll be serving crab cheesecake with meyer lemon foam,...
Panera Bread still on the drawing board for B.R.
A Panera Bread bakery and café is still planned for Baton Rouge, says the owner of the franchise rights in south Louisiana, but it won't be built and open until September at the earliest. Tom Krings has been working to open a Baton Rouge franchise since late 2010, and has had to change the planned location along the way. He says he is still in negotiations to lease four acres of land on the east side of Jefferson Highway, just south of Corporate Boulevard. “I think we're close to making things final there,” says Krings, who has 21 Panera Franchises total in Louisiana, Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia and North Carolina. Krings says he's also working the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development on a curb cut issue at the site. “Once all that's done, we're off to the races,” he says. “I have a local construction company that is ready to begin—Faulk and Meek—and our expectation is for a September opening there.” Krings had planned...
Mansurs hosts wine and food pairing next week
Mansurs on the Boulevard will host a wine and food pairing next Wednesday, April 10, coupling fine dishes with selections from the Whitehall Lane vineyard. The menu items on tap for next week's dinner are a butter-poached diver scallop, crepes stuffed with cinnamon-marinated duck breast, espresso-braised short ribs paired with lamb lollipops, and panna cotta for dessert. Tickets are $100 per person. To make your reservation, call 923-3366.
La Fonda to close its doors Saturday
After more than 50 years serving Mexican food on Airline Highway, the Karides family plans to close the doors of La Fonda for good Saturday. Mary Ann Bolger's 76-year-old mother, Panagiota Karides, has been working at La Fonda for more than three decades and is the sole family member left at the restaurant. Bolger says other members of the Karides family, which is of Greek descent, have tried to help with the business from a distance.
Baton Rouge Epicurean Society hosts 'CrawFête'
Boiled crawfish piled high on backyard tables might be the enduring way to consume the celebrated Louisiana crustacean, but the Baton Rouge Epicurean Society and Mockler Beverage Company want you to enjoy crawfish in its many forms, including salads, tarts, pad Thai, charcuterie and more. The two organizations will co-host the gourmet crawfish festival CrawFête on Thursday, April 18, at Mockler Beverage Company, 11811 Reiger Rd.
Casino considering new retail, restaurant developments
The Belle of Baton Rouge is exploring options to develop its atrium into a mixed-use space that would include new restaurants and retailers. The casino and hotel has hired a consulting firm to help it evaluate the interest level of vendors who might be a good fit for the 55,000-square-foot space. "We are hiring an outside consultant to help us fill up some of the retail space we have available," says Mike Donovan, marketing director for the downtown casino. "It's all contingent on us being able to get some sort of critical mass of folks who want to bring businesses down here." Donovan says the Belle has a master plan for developing the space but that the company doesn't want to "spend millions on a mixed-use facility and have no one in there." While the consultants evaluate options—a process that is expected to take several months—the Belle has made some changes to the facility to improve access and atmosphere. "We have doing some things on the atrium side with...
Former Pizza Hut magnate Lundy has trial rescheduled
The trial of former Pizza Hut magnate Larry Lundy, who was forced to shutter his 44 restaurants in 2011—including 16 in the Capital Region—after years of worsening relations with the restaurant chain is now slated to begin in September, The Times-Picayune reports. The trial had been scheduled to start on April 29, but Judge David Godbey of Federal District Court in Dallas has rescheduled the trial for Sept. 30. The trial is set to last one week. "It is extremely unlikely that any further continuances will be granted," Godbey says in his order. The pizza chain filed suit Jan. 3, 2011, claiming Lundy Enterprises had fallen behind on royalty payments. Pizza Hut and Lundy Enterprises, which had 1,200 employees across 64 stores in south Louisiana at its height a decade ago, spent much of 2011 in arbitration. Both sides reached a deal that would have transferred Lundy's assets to Pizza Hut, federal court records show, but the value of the assets, pegged at $7.8 million,...
La Fonda to close its doors after 52 years
After more than 50 years of serving Mexican food at 7838 Airline Highway, the Karides family plans to close the doors of La Fonda for good on Saturday. Mary Ann Bolger's 76-year-old mother, Panagiota Karides, has been working at the restaurant for more than three decades and is the sole family member left at the restaurant. Bolger says other members of the Karides family, which is of Greek descent, have tried to help with the business from a distance, but to little avail. The restaurant, which has survived three moves since opening in 1961, has seen a decline in business, says Bolger, who formerly worked at the restaurant. She says La Fonda is not only the first Mexican restaurant in the Baton Rouge area, but a local landmark. "We've been using the same recipes all these years," Bolger says. "Some waitresses have been here since they were 18 years old. It will be sad it see it go." Already, Bolger says she's getting emotional about the final week. "I walked in here last night and was...
Pepper Seared Fresh Tuna Salad
It's one of Zeeland Street Market's most popular lunchtime items: pepper seared fresh Gulf tuna sliced and served over a bed of mesclun with avocado and grapefruit sections, blue cheese crumbles and drizzles of raspberry walnut vinaigrette.
18 Steak
After you make it past the din of the casino floor, perhaps with a lighter wallet, you reach 18 Steak, the fine dining restaurant of the new L'Auberge Casino & Hotel.
Tsunami, Restaurant IPO named in top 100 dining 'hot spots'
Tsunami's Shaw Center location and Restaurant IPO, both located in downtown Baton Rouge, are among the Top 100 Hot Spot Restaurants in the country, according to OpenTable, which provides online restaurant reservations. The awards reflect the combined opinions of more than 5 million restaurant reviews submitted by OpenTable diners for more than 15,000 restaurants nationwide, according to the company. Tsunami and IPO were the only Louisiana restaurants on the list.
'225 Dine': The Pelican House set to open in late April
You might find yourself sipping a rare ale or fine bourbon in a brand-new bar off Corporate Boulevard this time next month. The Pelican House, a bar/restaurant specializing in high-end beers, whiskeys and bar food, is set to open in late April, co-owner and operating partner Garret Morgan says. The Pelican House will feature more than 130 taps at its main bar, plus an additional bar with another selection of taps. The new bar/restaurant will also feature a large bottled beer, whiskey, scotch and bourbon menu. Morgan says an outdoor patio and possible live entertainment are also in the works. The owners have also brought in Chef Noah Lessard to do some "fun" dishes. "We're going to offer Louisiana fare and twists on certain bar items," Morgan says. "We're going to find a nice medium with weekly rotating specials. We want to incorporate some fun, fresh ingredients." —Matthew Sigur Get more local culinary news from the new 225 Dine e-newsletter
La Divina Italian Café to open this fall
Many of the shops at Acadian Shopping Center are scheduled to open this fall, and the spaces are filling up quickly. Among the many tenants planned is La Divina Italian Café, a new restaurant that specializes in local ingredients and Italian-inspired dishes, gelato, sorbet, salads and soups. La Divina Gelateria started in 2007 in New Orleans on Magazine Street with a focus on lunch items, gelato and coffees. Since opening, La Divina has expanded with two more locations in New Orleans. The Baton Rouge café will be the fourth overall for the Louisiana business. Co-owner/co-founder Katrina Turillo says the café could be open between October and November. Though Turillo and her team haven't decided the hours and dishes for the new spot, she will bring a mission of sustainability with her. "For us, it goes back to the Italian tradition," she says. "Italian recipes in general are rather simple and rely a lot on the flavor of the individual ingredient. Usually, what will taste best is what...
Street Breads on schedule to open soon
If everything goes smoothly, Josh Priola could have his Baton Rouge Street Breads location open as early as next Friday. But Priola says that's optimism talking. "We have to make sure we execute well," he says. "That's the biggest thing. As of now, I'd say we're 99 percent there." The new sandwich shop will open up in the former Loft 3H space in the Perkins Road overpass area. Street Breads specializes in almost 20 sandwiches and other items built from scratch each day with flavors stretching across the culinary map—Argentina, Italy and Latin America to name a few. But rather than concentrate on the meat of the sandwich, Street Breads is focusing on what's around it. "Our diamond is let's go to the baker who does the best job and buy that bread," Priola says. "It's not this mass-produced bread. It's something done in smaller quantities." The business originated in Priola's hometown of Lake Charles. There, he "worked out the kinks." But the Street Breads concept was meant for a...
The Pelican House set to open in late April
You might find yourself sipping a rare ale or fine bourbon in a brand new bar off Corporate Boulevard this time next month. The Pelican House, a bar/restaurant specializing in high-end beers, whiskeys and bar food, is set to open in late April, co-owner and operating partner Garrett Morgan says.
Street Breads could open as soon as next week
If everything goes smoothly, Josh Priola could have his Baton Rouge Street Breads location open as early as Friday, April 5. But Priola says that's optimism talking. "We have to make sure we execute well," Priola says. "As of now, I'd say we're 99% there." The new sandwich shop will open up in the former Loft 3H space in the Perkins Road overpass area. Rather than concentrate on the meat of the sandwiches, Street Breads' focus is on what holds them together. "It's not this mass-produced bread," Priola says. "It's something done in smaller quantities." The business originated in Priola's hometown of Lake Charles. However, he feels the Street Breads concept was meant for a bigger market, and the decision to move was an easy one. "This idea was intended always to go to Baton Rouge," he says. "[Street Breads] was credible in terms of a bigger marker. We felt like we could explain it in a bigger way here, and it could become more relevant." —Matthew...
Graves wants Cane's downtown
Raising Cane's founder and CEO Todd Graves says his company is committed to opening a downtown restaurant in the Richoux Building on Florida Boulevard and Third Street. As Daily Report previously reported, the chicken finger chain is negotiating with businessman Mike Crouch—who has signed a purchase agreement to acquire the 11,000-square-foot building from attorney Danny McGlynn—to open a restaurant in the 8,000-square-foot ground floor space. Though neither the sale of the building nor the lease agreement between Crouch and Cane's is finalized, Graves says he has long dreamed of opening a Cane's downtown. "I want to be downtown," he says, adding that it will be a challenge because of the business model fast-food restaurants follow. "We do a high volume on very tiny margins," he says. "So I'm just...
La Madeleine debuts catering service
Baton Rouge La Madeleine locations are now offering signature items in a new catering menu. Among the items are the tomato basil soup, Strawberries Romanoff, sandwich trays, bistro boxes and more. The dishes serve eight to 10 per small order. Medium-sized menu options serving up to 20 are also available. For more information, visit lamadeleine.com/catering.
Ruffino's chef headed to New York in April
Chef Peter Sclafani and the Ruffino's team will head to New York City to prepare dishes at the prestigious James Beard House in April. Local patrons can be a part of the festivities in a special weekend trip package. The trip starts Friday, April 5, and features sightseeing, tickets to the Tony Award-winning musical Jersey Boys, and a dinner menu that includes five hors d'oeuvres, four main course items and a dessert. Among the dishes are shrimp corn dogs, corn and crab shooters, grits and grillades, crab cheesecake, braised Mississippi rabbit and head-to-toe pork. Trip tickets cost $1,650 per person. To make reservations, call 753-3458.
Customizable menu now available at Melting Pot
The Melting Pot is now offering a customizable menu where items are broken down into separate portions for the diverse palates at your table. Assistant general manager Michael Kearley says the menu will also offer new feature cheeses, salads, chocolates and an a la carte selection that switches every couple of months. Also new is the "Fondue by You" where you can choose from an array of proteins, including sirloin, duck, chicken pot-stickers and more. You can even customize your experience online before you step foot in the restaurant. For more information, visit meltingpot.com.
Last chance for gumbo
With many excellent restaurants in town, folks may think twice about driving to nearby Sunshine for lunch or dinner. But those who have dined at Roberto's River Road Restaurant know that a few extra minutes of drive time off the beaten path is definitely worth the trip.
My Obsession: Barbara Auten's favorite dishes
Barbara Auten, executive director of Alzheimer's Services of the Capital Area, has quite a few favorite dishes she couldn't resist sharing with 225. In Baton Rouge, Auten loves the sea bass with mango salsa at Bonefish Grill. The mango salsa, she says, "brings out the flavor" of the bass, and "the service is always great." In Gonzales, Auten also digs the classic steak dinner at Sno's Seafood and Steakhouse Restaurant. "There's great atmosphere with a great steak," she says, "and [owner] Todd Sheets always makes you feel welcome."
Southdowns' Bushwood BBQ and Romacelli Bistro shuttered
Two restaurants in the Southdowns Village Shopping Center on Perkins Road shut their doors for good last week. Landlord Donnie Jarreau says he's already received calls from restaurants interested in the space previously occupied by Romacelli. A sign on the Romacelli door reveals that the restaurant plans to reopen in a new location. For Stephanie Riegel's full story in Baton Rouge Business Report, click here.
Find Me Gluten Free
The gluten-free food craze is becoming more than just a fad, with more brands and restaurants carrying gluten-free products by the day. Whether you have celiac disease, gluten intolerance, or you are just trying out a gluten-free diet, Find Me Gluten Free is an app that will help you easily locate restaurants, fast food, bars, cafes, grocery stores and more with gluten-free items. By using the app's search function, you can view menu items, get directions and see reviews from other users in your area. For more information, visit findmeglutenfree.com. This app is available for free download in the iTunes and Android app stores.
Frankie Marcello's revels in consistency
Open a little more than two weeks, Frankie Marcello's Restaurant is aiming to establish itself on consistency and made-from-scratch dishes. Owner Frank Marcello is a Baton Rouge native whose parents own The Bread Basket on Florida Boulevard. Marcello has done some franchising in Mandeville, but once he found the Perkins Road location, he made his return to Italian and Creole food with this new restaurant. At Frankie Marcello's (no relation to the former, now closed Enoteca Marcello), managing partner Paul Nelson says patrons can expect a mix of traditional Italian and Southern flavors.
Spatula diaries: Boudin, boiled crawfish and more from nearby Bergeron's
An embarrassment of riches in spring food festivals
From anise cookies to rabbit gumbo to championship crawfish étouffée, the range of foods found at Louisiana's spring festivals—this month alone—seems endless. For starters, there's this weekend's Sicilian Heritage Festival in Independence, where you'll find stuffed artichokes, muffulettas and the same sumptuous Italian cookies that drape St. Joseph altars. Next weekend, Amite holds its annual Oyster Festival; the same weekend, you can head to St. Bernard Parish for the Los Isleños Festival celebrated by descendants of Canary Islanders who immigrated to Louisiana in the 18th century. Also on March 16 are the Cassidy Park Wild Game and BBQ Cook-off in Bogalusa, and the Jumbo Gumbo Cook-off in Thibodaux.
Latest Matherne's wine dinner features River Road Recipes
Matherne's Supermarket on Highland Road is beloved among local oenophiles for its regular wine dinners, but next week's event features a new twist. Chef Regan Hounshell's multi-course meal will include seven recipes from River Road Recipes IV, Warm Welcomes, the next installment in the Junior League of Baton Rouge's celebrated cookbook series. Its first volume, published in 1959, is still required reading among local cooks and is loaded with emblematic regional eats like spinach Madeleine, oysters Rockefeller and crabmeat ravigote. It went on to become the nation's top-selling community cookbook.
On the Road: Places to check out during NOLA Fashion Week
Fashion Week in New Orleans wraps up this Saturday at several locations in the Central Business District. We asked a few people to pitch us their choice New Orleans restaurants and bars to visit between shows.
My Obsession: Daniel Lewis' favorite local dish
Daniel Lewis is the COO of Active Entertainment, a local motion picture distributing company that has been around for a little more than a decade. In between his busy schedule, Lewis gave 225 a peek into his favorite Baton Rouge dish: John's Favorite off the dinner menu at Maison Lacour, 11025 N. Harrells Ferry Rd. "The dish includes a filet, lump crabmeat, and garlic shrimp topped with homemade béarnaise sauce," Lewis says. "And everything is cooked to perfection."
Tequila, five courses and more at Restaurant IPO tonight
Restaurant IPO will be flexing its culinary muscles with a tequila-infused menu and pairing dinner tonight at 7 p.m. Executive Chef Chris Wadsworth says the dinner will feature a five-course meal and specialty drinks, showing off several Patrón tequilas. "We'll be preparing something with everything from the $500 bottle to the $40 bottle," Wadsworth says.
Portobello's debuts new menu
Portobello's Grill, the Italian restaurant with two Baton Rouge locations, has announced an overhauled menu that brings the focus back to Italian favorites. The menu features more than a dozen new appetizers, sandwiches, main courses and cocktails, including an Osso Bucco Debris Po-Boy topped with melted provolone and homemade horseradish cream sauce.
Boudin, Boiled Crawfish and More from Nearby Bergeron's
Boudin is associated with the prairie parishes west of Baton Rouge, but mercifully, the Capital Region isn't without strong sources of traditional Cajun meats. Just off I-10 West in Port Allen (take the Highway 415 Lobdell exit), Bergeron's serves luscious boudin balls, smoked and steamed boudin, cracklin', crawfish pies, meat pies and all sorts of smoked sausages and stuffed meats.
Former Stella site to become new restaurant
Plans are under way for a new beer and pizza joint at the site of the former Stella Boutique on Perkins Road, which closed earlier this year. The restaurant will be called Ice House Coal Fired Pizza and Pizzeria and, as its name implies, will feature a coal-fired oven with handmade pizzas and more than 40 brands of beer, according to New Orleans businessman Jack Rizzuto, who hopes to open the new establishment in 90-120 days. Before that can happen, Rizzuto must first renovate the 2,500-square-foot building, which is located in the popular Perkins Road overpass neighborhood. He also has to get permission from the Planning Commission to change the zoning at the site from C-1, or commercial, to CAB-1, which will allow him to serve alcohol on the premises. The Planning Commission is scheduled to take up the matter at its regular monthly meeting in April. "We think it's a great location," says Rizzuto, whose Ice House will be joining nearly a dozen other restaurants in a six-block strip.
Southdowns' Bushwood BBQ and Romacelli Bistro shuttered
Two restaurants in the Southdowns Village Shopping Center on Perkins Road shut their doors for good last week. But landlord Donnie Jarreau says there is no connection between the closures of Bushwood BBQ and Romacelli Bistro. The former, which opened in 2011, was subletting its 3,000-square-foot space from the previous tenant, Café Mediterranean. Jarreau says that space, which is along the main strip of the shopping center, is a challenging one for a restaurant because of its configuration. "The way the space is designed is long and narrow, and it's difficult for a restaurant," he says. "We are hoping to replace them with some sort of retail." As for Romacelli, Jarreau says its location in a 3,300-square-foot outparcel, previously occupied by the popular Enoteca Marcello's Wine Bar & Café, was not a factor in the restaurant's decision to close. "We've already had five calls from good restaurants interested in the space," he says. "We are going to be selective there." Romacelli's,...
Back to basics
Since 2006, the number of new restaurants in Baton Rouge has grown 10% to 15% a year, creating a competitive market for proprietors. As the piece of the pie gets smaller and the public's attention span shrinks, restaurateurs are finding new hooks to get and keep customers. Social media is part of the strategy, but alone, it's not enough. Restaurateurs say they're feeling the pressure to hold theme nights, partner with nonprofit organizations and create a family-friendly vibe to strengthen market presence.
Outside Shot
Jack Warner & Brandon Landry
Lunch au café
In the Perkins Road Historic Merchants District, Magpie Cafe is known as an organic eatery and espresso bar serving coffee reminiscent of shops in Italy. The owners, James and Lina Jacobs, are usually on hand, offering suggestions to diners drawn to various lunch options. All food is crafted from seasonal ingredients from local farmers, dairies, and bread artisans. Feel free to linger with a friend over a cup of coffee. Magpie aims to be a warm, inviting neighborhood space.
facebook.com/magpiecafe.brla
3205 Perkins Road
366-6885
Restaurant Review: Restaurant IPO
Sometimes I inexplicably enter places with preconceived notions. At Restaurant IPO, I expected to find a slick, modern space filled with preened hipsters who were not only too cool for school but also too cool for you. What I discovered was a calming space with partially exposed brick walls, pictures of bucolic Louisiana scenes, rustic wood accents, old-fashioned filament light bulbs and handwritten specials on a chalkboard wall.
Hot off the street
What's new this month: Latte e Miele has a new chef, Baton Rouge Advocates for Safe Streets change their name, a Perkins Road muffaletta shop and two new seasonal brews from Abita.
Reception hall planned for Third Street
Local restaurateur Andy Blouin and his partners—whose growing portfolio of nightclubs and eateries includes Serrano's, Blend, Boudreaux and Thibodeaux's, as well as the Edible Events catering company—are planning to open a reception hall on the second floor of the former Latil Stationery building on Third Street downtown. Blouin and Sean Malone acquired the historic property in late 2011 for $815,000 and have been working on plans to redevelop the 12,000-square-foot space ever since. In the next few weeks, they plan to begin renovating the 1920s-era building. The 6,000-square-foot second floor will house the reception hall and Edible Events. The 6,000-square-foot ground floor is divided into two 3,000-square-foot spaces. Lease negotiations are in the final stages for one of the spaces with a tenant whom Blouin says intends to open a sports bar and restaurant on the increasingly bustling street. He declines to identify the tenant. The other ground floor space is available...
'225': Fleming's chef partner rises to the top of his game
Eusebio Gongora II looks over the kitchen as chef partner of Fleming's Prime Steakhouse and Wine Bar knowing that he has the best of both worlds. His father, also Eusebio, is from Matamoros, Mexico, across the border from Brownsville, Texas. His family came to the United States when he was a young boy. The first Eusebio fell in love with and married a proud Louisianan from the West Bank of New Orleans. With the Mexican heritage on his father's side and the French and Italian roots of Creole New Orleans on his mother's side, Gongora grew up with an incredible mixture of language, culture and food. But he did not discover his true passion for the kitchen until he was enrolled at LSU, pursuing a degree in biological sciences. While a pre-med student, he worked at area hospitals and clinics, but soon realized he couldn't see himself working in that setting for the rest of his days. He transitioned into the food world through a stint with LSU Dining as a display chef in the Magnolia Room...
Cupcake Allie coming to Lions Gate Centre
After five years of establishing her cupcake business out of her mother's kitchen, Allison Offner is ready to open a brick-and-mortar store for her primarily delivery bakery. In fact, the corporate flight attendant for Dow Chemical Co. says she is quitting her day job in the skies to bake full-time at Cupcake Allie on Lobdell Boulevard. "I'm jumping in," Offner says. However, Offner's application for a parking waiver for her storefront at Lions Gate Centre hit a snag Monday night at the city-parish Planning Commission board meeting. Dennis Vidrine, president of the Goodwood Property Owners Association, complained to the board that prior to the meeting no notice for the parking waiver had been posted on the building by the Planning Commission. Vidrine requested a 30-day deferral. Offner said she was ready to open and can't wait 30 days. The board approved the waiver on condition that Offner meets with the Goodwood Property Owners Association before opening. Phillip Hutches, who...
Downtown looking for daytime business boost
When is a pharmacy not just a pharmacy? When a lot of eyes and hopes are on it as a touchstone for future downtown development, both commercial and residential. On the heels of high-profile bar and restaurant openings like Blend, City Bar, Restaurant IPO, The Office and the upcoming Bar Blanc, Third Street is bustling with nightlife. What will it take for downtown's daylife to catch up? This month, local pharmacists T.J. and Aimee Woodard are set to open Prescriptions to Geaux near the corner of Third and Florida streets, two doors down from the Our Lady of the Lake walk-in clinic. The pharmacy's success could be a strong indicator of the future viability of residential and retail growth in the Central Business District. "I wasn't sure about the idea for a location, but several of my former classmates work downtown and expressed interest in a pharmacy there," says T.J. Woodard, a Bossier City native with an MBA from LSU. "The more I looked into it, I saw a real opportunity." Read how...
'225 Dine': New food truck puts barbecue on wheels
Where can you find cochon de lait-along with chicken, ribs and sausage-waiting on the street corner? New food truck Big Los' Chicken n Ribs aims to please with a menu of delicious, fresh-made barbecue. Racks of smoking meat make it easy to follow your nose to owner Carlos Decuir's truck, which turns out everything from pulled pork to whole barbecued chicken. Decuir, who holds down a day job in the insurance industry, says he was driven to start the truck through his passion for good food. "I've been cooking since I was 14," he says. "I love to cook." Already the new truck is appearing at local events. Read about Big Los' Chicken n Ribs and get more local culinary news from the new 225 Dine e-newsletter here.
Commission focuses on local food access
An idea sparked at the Louisiana Food Access Summit held here last November led to the creation of the Food Access Policy Commission, which met for the first time today. Over the next 10 months, the team will analyze local causes of food deserts—low-income areas with a lack of supermarkets or grocery stores nearby—and develop recommendations on how the city-parish can improve food access. "One mile does not sound like a long way to travel [to get groceries]," Mayor Kip Holden said before the meeting. "But if you have no form of transportation, it is a long way." The commission was created through a partnership of Together Baton Rouge and the Mayor's Office, with representatives from the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank, East Baton Rouge Redevelopment Authority, Pennington Biomedical Research Center, LSU and Southern University, Associated Grocers, Wal-Mart and others. Pinpointing several areas of the parish with food access issues, including Scotlandville and Old South Baton...
Latte e Miele to focus on Bocage location
After four years on Highland Road near The Country Club of Louisiana, Luca Di Martino says he has found the perfect location for Latte e Miele: Bocage. Co-owner Di Martino opened the second Latte e Miele last summer at Bocage and has discovered the new location is exacting "blatant cannibalism" on the Highland Road location, attracting old and familiar customers while expanding its menu and now providing a full-service lunch. "We've created a monster, I think," Di Martino says of the Bocage store. For now, Di Martino wants to pare Latte e Miele down to one location—Bocage—and concentrate on another expansion of the menu in the evening, including cheese plates and charcuterie. He says he's also in the process of applying for a liquor license. While Latte e Miele's Italian gelato has always been a success on Highland Road, Di Martino says the Highland location gets good traffic only in summer months and has no advantage of being located next to a large draw of customers,...
New commission to tackle 'food deserts' in EBR
Later this week, Together Baton Rouge and Mayor Kip Holden will lay out plans for a new 13-member commission they are jointly forming to address food access issues in East Baton Rouge Parish. The Food Access Policy Commission will work over the next 10 months to examine the causes of "food deserts"—that is, vast stretches of residential neighborhoods lacking nearby grocery stores; it will also determine best practices for addressing food deserts and develop a concrete set of policies and practice recommendations for the city-parish to remedy food access issues. The Food Access Commission is being funded through the Fresh Beginnings project of the Mayor's Healthy City Initiative. Together Baton Rouge officials and the mayor will lay out further details during a news conference at 10 a.m. Thursday, to be held at Mt. Pilgrim Baptist Church, 9700 Scenic Hwy. Commission members will include: Southern AgCenter Vice Chancellor for Research Adell Brown Jr.; EBR Redevelopment Authority...
'225 Dine': Ruffino's chef headed to Washington Mardi Gras
Among the many Louisianans heading to the nation's capital this weekend for the influential Washington Mardi Gras will be Ruffino's Executive Chef and co-owner Peter Sclafani. The Baton Rouge-based chef will prepare Louisiana crawfish cheesecake for more than 3,000 attendees at the Louisiana Alive kick-off event tonight at the Washington Hilton. Sclafani will also spread the word about his forthcoming cookbook, The Seasons of Louisiana, expected to be released at the end of the year. Sclafani and Ruffino's owner Ruffin Rodrigue will also serve Sclafani's dishes at the "Let the World be Your Oyster" event to promote Louisiana seafood. Sclafani will prepare butter-poached Gulf oysters with crème fraiche, pickled red onion and cucumber caviar made by the molecular gastronomy technique known as spherification, a favorite method of Sclafani's. The chef will also distribute a limited run of the first chapter of his cookbook and will pass out recipe cards to the thousands of patrons...
Homemade cinnamon rolls
Configured to resemble flowers in bloom, Strands' homemade cinnamon rolls are a fresh take on a morning favorite. Pastry chefs and cousins Lilita Blanchard and Linelle Mon, who founded the downtown café four years ago, began serving them “to have something of ourselves on the menu,” says Blanchard. The recipe comes from their grandmother and first kitchen mentor. They roll out sheets of homemade dough, coating one side with sugar, cinnamon and fresh butter; then they coil the sheets into tubes and trim each one into links. The links are arranged like mini bouquets, baked until golden and iced with irresistible butter cream. Each roll contains very little sugar and, like all the recipes here, has no preservatives. Strands' “victory ring” is a cluster of 21 cinnamon rolls. The café serves lunch on weekdays, brunch on Saturday and tea by reservation.
The Cabin
As I ascended the steps to the front porch of The Cabin for dinner recently, I felt something overwhelmingly familiar. Then it hit me: This was very much like my great-grandfather's house.
Man in charge
Eusebio Gongora II looks over the kitchen as chef partner of Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse and Wine Bar knowing that he has the best of both worlds. His father, also Eusebio, is from Matamoros, Mexico, across the border from Brownsville, Texas. His family came to the United States when he was a young boy. The first Eusebio fell in love with and married a proud Louisianan from the West Bank of New Orleans. With the Mexican heritage on his father’s side and the French and Italian roots of Creole New Orleans on his mother’s side, Gongora grew up with an incredible mixture of language, culture and food.
Dang, that's good
The increasing popularity of Vietnamese cuisine put pho on our radar—to the point that it's now as much a comfort food as gumbo. But I suggest we also add the Vietnamese-style poboy Banh Mi to that list. There are variations with meatballs or a fried egg on top, but at its basic level, Banh Mi is marinated and grilled pork (Banh Mi Thit Nuong), pickled and fresh veggies like cucumber, carrot, jalapeño slices and a few sprigs of cilantro, plus the tiniest hint of fish sauce, all stuffed into flaky French bread. It's easiest to find around New Orleans, where residents head to the West Bank or New Orleans East for the best versions. For a while, Baton Rouge was severely lacking in its options, but now all it takes is a drive down Florida Boulevard. At Dang's Vietnamese Restaurant, in the same shopping center as Vinh Phat Market, you can munch on one of several Banh Mi options, as well as many other Vietnamese favorites. If you order the poboy to go, they'll skip toasting it and...
3 from B.R. make list of South's best food trucks
Three Baton Rouge food trucks are among 47 included on Deep South Magazine's list of the Best Food Trucks in the South, released online today. Dolce Vita, Curbside and Taco de Paco represent the Red Stick on the list, which also includes a handful of trucks from New Orleans and Lafayette. Of Dolce Vita's Romanian-born owner, Bogdan Mocanu, the magazine says: "His passion for gourmet food and dedication to fresh ingredients have many claiming this is the best pizza in Baton Rouge." As for Curbside, Deep South Magazine says "owner/chef Nick Hufft is taking burgers to a new level," adding that the food truck's signature pork belly preserves make it "hard to doubt the claim that 'Curbside makes the best burgers and sausages you've ever put in your mouth!' " Taco de Paco is one of Baton Rouge's longest-running food trucks, the magazine says, noting: "Chef Aaron Brown creates interesting taco combinations with Louisiana-centric ingredients and, according to Baton Rouge food...
Ruffino's looks to open Lafayette restaurant by April
At a location in the heart of Acadiana where upscale Cajun fare didn't catch on, Baton Rouge-based Ruffino's is expanding, with plans to open by April a restaurant on the site of Cochon Lafayette on the Vermilion River. "We'll call it Ruffino's on the River to give it its own identity," says Ruffin Rodrigue. Ruffino's co-owner and chef, Peter Sclafani, and Rodrigue have signed a lease-to-purchase agreement on the building with the Link Restaurant Group, which announced today it is closing Cochon Lafayette and exiting the market so it can deepen its focus in the New Orleans market; it plans to open a new wood-fired seafood restaurant at the corner of Magazine and Julia streets this spring, to join its principal restaurant on Tchoupitoulas Street. Rodrigue says Cochon Lafayette plans to close Sunday, Feb. 10. LRG had the restaurant building constructed and opened for business in September 2011. "We had heard the business wasn't what they had expected," Rodrigue says. What might give...
'225 Dine': Oysters make a resurgence
Raw and glistening on the half shell, deep-fried golden brown, chargrilled with sizzling butter or shellacked with classic toppings like Bienville and Rockefeller, oysters are as Louisiana as it gets. This month, oysters are at their peak, prompting local diners and regional visitors alike to seek them out at various area restaurants. From Stroubes' duck and oyster gumbo to the fried oyster salad with fennel, arugula and shaved manchego at Beausoleil to raw on the half shell at The Chimes, there are plenty of ways around town to enjoy this self-contained culinary wonder—and no better time of year to do it. Find out how the Louisiana oyster industry is rebounding, and how local eateries are serving them up, by clicking here. And get more local culinary news from the new 225 Dine e-newsletter
Kabuki Sushi closes; 'several interested parties' looking at Bluebonnet building
Tony Lu bought the building at 5454 Bluebonnet Blvd. that formerly housed Primo's Steak & Italian Restaurant about 14 months ago and, after completely renovating it, opened Kabuki Sushi and Japanese Steakhouse there. He last opened its doors for business on New Year's Eve, closing them for good the following day. "I'm analyzing what I did wrong," says Lu, who also owns Royal Panda Chinese Buffet & Sushi Bar in Lafayette. Lu says he's not sure if economic conditions just weren't right for opening a new restaurant in Baton Rouge in late 2011, but his venture into the Capital Region never quite took off. If he were to open another restaurant in Baton Rouge, Lu says, he'd probably choose a smaller space. "Work is in my blood," he says. "I don't sit around and do nothing." George Kurz of Kurz & Hebert Commercial Real Estate says he had advised Lu against leasing the building, which, just less than 9,000 square feet, is a "bit large" for a restaurateur new to the area. Kurz says the...
'225 Dine': Galatoire's Bistro holds grand opening
After many delays and amid much fanfare, Galatoire's Bistro finally opened the doors of its new location on Perkins Road near Acadian Thruway for a grand opening celebration Tuesday night. Hundreds of guests toured the new 150-seat dining room, private dining spaces and bar, and sampled appetizers that gave them a preview of the menu. Galatoire's Bistro is serving dinner now; but beginning Friday, Jan. 25, the New Orleans-founded restaurant will begin serving lunch as well, starting at 11 a.m. For more on the restaurant and 225's photo gallery from its grand opening, click here; and get more local culinary news from the new 225 Dine e-newsletter here.
Sandwich shop planned for former Loft 3H space
By the time the St. Patrick's Day Parade rolls in mid-March, a new sandwich shop hopes to be open for business along the parade route, in the former retail space of Loft 3H in the Perkins Road overpass area. "I like that area; I think it has a good vibe," says Josh Priola, who, along with his wife, Melissa Priola, is planning to bring Street Breads to the Capital Region. The Priolas moved to Baton Rouge recently to expand with a second store, and possibly a third, after opening the original Street Breads two years ago in Lake Charles. "We're not a bakery; we're a sandwich shop," says Priola, noting that there will be 15 sandwiches on the menu, as well as quesadillas, salads and desserts. Street Breads will also have a limited wine list and selection of locally made beers. While the sandwiches are "culinary-minded," Priola says, the linchpin of Street Breads' menu is the artisan breads it uses from around the country, shipped partially baked and devoid of preservatives that often come...
App to locate restaurant seats wins N.O. Super Bowl competition
A weekend spent furiously coding under the pressure of a ticking clock, broken up by the briefest of naps on floors and office furniture, came to a bleary-eyed close in New Orleans on Sunday for about four dozen software developers competing in the inaugural Codemakers Super Challenge, The Times-Picayune reports. Charged with creating Internet applications that will enhance the experiences of Super Bowl goers, competitors presented their products to a panel of judges and learned who were crowned winners of the contest affectionately called a "hackathon." The grand prize—which includes donated business services, tickets to events, and meals at restaurants—went to a team that developed an app to help diners locate open seats at restaurants. Members of the New Orleans Super Bowl Host Committee had sought such a service, saying they hoped to avoid problems that unfolded around the NFL's championship game in Indianapolis last year when some eateries became overcrowded...
'225 Dine': Restaurant Week lets diners indulge for less
Baton Rouge diners will have the chance in the coming week to experience some of Red Stick's best restaurants for a reduced price during Baton Rouge Restaurant Week. From Monday through Saturday, 29 local eateries will offer three-course prix fixe menus of special and regular dishes, with prices ranging from $15 to $35. Taking a cue from events like COOLinary New Orleans, which offers similar discounts to diners at certain restaurants for a fixed period, organizer Chris Brooks says the Baton Rouge event is "a great way to give the restaurants a shot in the arm during a season that's usually pretty quiet." Brooks says it's also a chance for diners to try new eateries and dishes without spending as much as they normally would. Restaurants range from casual places like Hello Sushi, which will offer choices of soup, salad and their higher-end sushi rolls for $15, to upscale joints like Stroubes, with an appetizer, entrée and dessert for $35. You can preview the prix fixe menus from all...
Getting ready for Baton Rouge Restaurant Week
Le Creole is one of over 25 restaurants participating in the upcoming Baton Rouge Restaurant Week from January 14-19. I had a chance to hang out in the kitchen with chef Ryan Andre to help him put together a new steak dish: filet mignon over a bed of sweet potato hash with melted bone marrow butter and fried leeks. Take a look for yourself at the deliciousness that ensued!
Galatoire's to open next week
The long-awaited Galatoire's Bistro in the Acadian Village development has scheduled its grand opening for Tuesday and will begin regular dinner service the next evening. A media tour is set for Tuesday, followed by an invitation-only cocktail party–style reception from 6 to 8 p.m. The event, which will be held inside the new restaurant and outside under tents, will feature complimentary hors d'oeuvres and music from a New Orleans jazz band. "We are working like mad to have it ready," says owner John Georges, who was in town today in preparation for next week's opening. "We got our liquor license approved yesterday, and we are expecting to get the occupancy permits tomorrow." The new Galatoire's, which resembles in design and décor the century-old French Quarter establishment, was originally scheduled to be open in time for the holidays, but ran behind because of routine construction delays. Though the bistro begins dinner service next Wednesday, it will not be open for lunch...
Restaurant review
Over the past five years, the Louisiana Office of Public Health has spent nearly $57 million to inspect the state's restaurants, school cafeterias and other retail food establishments.
Government St. building eyed as new location for restaurant and bar
Gretna bar owner Toni Smith says she plans to open The Fourth Quarter restaurant and bar in the vacant building at 3669 Government St., just east of Acadian Thruway, by the end of February. "It's going to be American: steaks, fries and hamburgers," says Smith, who spoke to Daily Report from the Tee Kay Place in Gretna. While the Baton Rouge building location has been a Chinese eatery in the past—China Palace in 2003 and China Dragon as recently as 2007—it underwent a transformation as a Mid City sports bar and restaurant in recent years. According to city-parish officials, The 50 Yard Line had the building rezoned to accommodate a sports bar in October 2009; the building later became Changes Sports Bar and Restaurant, whose signage still remains on the property. In May 2012 the city-parish received a permit for a remodeling project at the building, which had been damaged by fire. Smith applied for a business permit on Dec. 4 and says she's awaiting approval from...
Culinary trends: What to expect this year
Charcuterie boards. Small batch tonic. More leafy greens. Hibiscus. ATM-like machines that dispense everything from cupcakes to hamburgers. Pop-up restaurants that can excite palates and bring life to a community's dark spaces. Farm-to-bar. Yep, that's bar, watering holes.
Shell Game
Raw and glistening on the half shell, deep-fried golden brown, chargrilled with sizzling butter or shellacked with classic toppings like Bienville and Rockefeller, oysters are as Louisiana as it gets. This month, oysters are at their peak, and regional diners and visitors are on the hunt for the beloved local food. From Stroube’s duck and oyster gumbo to the fried oyster salad with fennel, arugula and shaved manchego at Beausoleil to raw on the half shell at The Chimes, there are plenty of ways around town to enjoy this self-contained culinary wonder—and no better time of year to do it.