Munching on the Boulevard

Wal-Mart may have been the best thing that ever happened to Mansur’s on the Boulevard. When Village Square Shopping Center was razed a few years ago to make way for the mega retailer, Mansur’s left its time-warped strip mall in favor of new digs on Corporate Boulevard. Since then, Corporate has done nothing but go hog-wild, shuttling more and more spend-happy consumers between College Drive and Jefferson Highway. It must be restaurateur nirvana.

Ergo the steady crowds at the longstanding Baton Rouge eatery, now approaching 20 years in business. Mansur’s is one of a handful of restaurants that have masterfully figured out the local diner. The sober, buff décor and chophouse-plus-seafood menu make it upscale without the stress, thank you very much, of those minimalist, arugula-munching citified joints. Here, steaks and crabmeat-topped fish are the order of the day. And servers are more likely college students than uppity food snobs.

That can be good and bad. When we asked our affable young waiter for the inkiest red-by-the-glass, his response was along the lines of “I don’t know nothin’ ‘bout recommendin’ no wines.” Fair enough, but surprising given Mansur’s recent attempt to reach out to enophiles with an amped-up wine list and occasional food-wine dinners. Agreeably, he mosied off to do a little recon and returned with the sturdy, tannic Quarterback red blend, a nice choice ($9.50).

Mansur’s gets high marks for routinely stretching beyond the lazy-man special, tilapia, with its featured fish. That night, and at a subsequent lunch, the list included sweet, toothy escolar, salmon, mangrove snapper and rainbow trout.

The chef’s dinner specials were earthy, he-man concoctions like turkey and sweet potato soup, salmon topped with frog legs and a curious dish our waiter described as “a filet perched on a duck breast with venison medallions in Black Jack demi-glace, topped with jumbo lump crabmeat.” The whole dang food chain was present. It was too weird to pass up.

The menu’s starters included standard regional fare like raw oysters, crab-topped fried eggplant, and stuffed mushrooms. We tried the crab cakes Covington, a nicely done bold version that featured plump, lightly fried cakes with corn relish and drizzles of remoulade sauce ($11). The charbroiled oysters, doused in a classic topping of garlicky, buttery breadcrumbs were homey and familiar ($8.50). The Acadiana egg rolls were satisfying in that fried-is-always-good way, but the flavors of duck and shrimp didn’t wow us. ($8)

One of Mansur’s signature dishes is redfish roasted on a cedar plank, a popular cooking method meant to impart intense woodiness. The juicy redfish, gently bathed in subtle caper lemon butter, had flaked up nicely, but it was devoid of any hints of cedar, even after I sliced into the plank itself, as the waiter recommended ($18).

My tablemate’s dish, the food chain special, looked great, but it wasn’t the bizarre tower o’ surf-and-turf described. We saw neither crabmeat nor breast of duck. Our waiter ambled back to investigate and after a convoluted tale he said he’d just plumb misread the board.

Nevertheless, what was before us was nicely done. A tender filet was surrounded by woodsy duck-sweet potato hash. Buttery venison medallions in Bourbon sauce were set off to the side. We especially liked the contrasts between the savory meats and their sweet accompaniments ($27).

Best among Mansur’s desserts are the luscious silky, crčme brulee specials. Vanilla bean and toffee crunch were featured during our visits, while a friend reported a recent knockout version made from pistachio ($7.25). The bread pudding is the tightly packed sort, cut decoratively in a diamond and served with an insulin-shock butter sauce ($5.75). The white chocolate macadamia nut brownie a la mode, which my dinner date described as “funny tasting” should probably be avoided ($8).

I returned later for a lunch visit and remembered how much I like Mansur’s varied daytime menu, thick with interesting salads, croissant sandwiches, fresh fish and dressy entrees. This time, our server was efficient and knowledgeable.

Among appetizers, the fried asparagus spears with blue cheese were fun and satisfying, but the seared ahi tuna was bulky and bland ($8, $10). My lunchmate’s special, smoked tasso meatloaf with black-eyed peas and red cabbage, was rich and excellent, again showcasing the chef’s interest in weighty, belly-rubbing flavors. From Mansur’s nine big salads I chose the coconut Thai with chicken, which was unfortunately dominated by an over-the-top sweet sauce rather than nuanced Asian flavors ($11).

For my money, the best tables at Mansur’s are in the rooms adjacent to the highly trafficked dining room proper. The closer it gets to the weekend, the better to make reservations.