The year in dining

2009 might not have been the greatest year in our state’s history, but it was a great year for Baton Rouge epicures, as it brought new tastes and new restaurants to diners all over the city, not to mention some interesting food news. Aussie-themed restaurant Dingo’s brought us unforgettable fish tacos, and Stroube’s has become the new downtown dining hot spot. The chophouse wasn’t the only new restaurant to revitalize downtown, though, as Lucy’s Retired Surfers Bar and Restaurant’s recent opening just around the corner shows. Cali frozen yogurt chain Menchies brought a west coast twist to the new Mall of Louisiana extension, but the success of homegrown gelateria Latte e Miele proves that Baton Rougeans have an endless appetite for sweet treats. Popular Lafayette Mexican restaurant Coyote Blues’s Baton Rouge branch is consistently filling up its parking lot with eager diners. We gained some (Middendorf’s reopened in it’s refurbished historic building) and lost some (so long, Southern Belle Sandwich Company). Nino’s reopened with a facelift and new hands at the helm, and Chelsea’s Cafe’s long-running dispute with state alcohol regulators was finally resolved—we hope. Check out our archives by clicking “Past Issues” at the top of the page for more dining news and reviews you might have missed in 2009.