Taste of the House

Every once in awhile, Eric Carnegie, general manager of Stroubes Steak and Seafood, hears a story about the old Stroubes.

One patron emailed asking if the restaurant was connected to the original lunch counter, because that former spot had the best egg salad sandwich she ever tasted.

“A light bulb went off in our heads,” Carnegie says. “We immediately put the sandwich on the menu. It was such a unique story. That e-mail reinvigorated us with sticking with the traditional stuff.”

Co-head chefs Mark Reilly and Brad Andries dubbed it the 1942 Stroubes Original. It features bacon in its egg salad mix on slices of wheatberry bread, and is served with potato chips.

Stroubes’ kitchen has been reinvigorated thanks to Reilly and Andries stepping up after the departure of former chef Scott Varnedoe. Reilly comes to Stroubes from Roberto’s on the River. Andries has worked in a few two-star Michelin-rated restaurants in Italy.

To show off the chefs’ versatility, Stroubes started offering a tapas-style tasting called “Taste of the House” Thursdays during dinner service. For $35 per person, patrons can enjoy eight to 16 small plates of whatever the chefs are preparing.

“We’re trying to stay outside of the box and want to be known as the place where you can get a meal that’s different than anything else in Baton Rouge,” Andries says. stroubes.com