We salute the best – Editorial

We honor the Best of 225 Award winners this month. Together, they comprise a virtual compendium of Baton Rouge excellence, the people and places that make our lives more interesting.

We are fortunate to live in a place rich with abundant, quality choices for dining, entertainment, shopping and fun. In this fourth year of the competition, some local icons clearly emerge.

Breakfast at Louie’s Café. Burgers at George’s. Pizza at Fleur de Lis. Coffee at CC’s Community Coffee House. Great meals at Juban’s, The Chimes, Ruth’s Chris Steak House—the list, which begins on page 59, goes on and on.

Such local institutions may seem like old-hat—virtual locks to win year-in and year-out. But every year we see strong, new challengers who not only impress, they remind established places not to be complacent. In short, you’ve got to deliver the goods to earn love and loyalty in a foodie’s paradise such as ours.

Skilled, dedicated people wake up every morning to perform good and consistent work. They prepare delicious meals, mix splendid drinks, offer passionate performance and provide top-notch service. Rain or shine, robust economy or bad, they remain committed to our quality experience, demanding excellence of themselves and their staffs.

So, while we formally honor the Best of 225 Award winners as institutions, we also salute the entrepreneurs and employees whose work makes them the Best of 225, because it all makes our community a better place in which to live.