Unexpected eats on Florida Boulevard

Driving down the concrete street from River Road all the way across town towards Denham Springs, it may not look like it at first glance, but Florida Boulevard—a corridor that hasn’t seen a real heyday since the 1960s—now has one of the hottest food scenes in Baton Rouge. Most intriguing is that this renaissance of food culture is rooted in Florida Boulevard’s multicultural inhabitants. Italian, Vietnamese, Mexican cuisines and more can all be found in eateries along side streets and occupying long-forgotten shopping centers. And it’s not only the international cuisine that is flourishing. Cajun seafood and mouthwatering soul food give diners options beyond the reach of most other parts of the city. Tucked away towards the back of a perpendicular strip mall at 10248 Florida Blvd. rests the almost-hidden Anthony’s Italian Deli (above). “What Anthony’s Italian Deli lacks in appearance from the outside, they more than make up for with wall-to-wall flavor on the inside,” says financial analyst Alan Manda, a frequent patron there. Read more about this unexpected foodie haven by clicking here.—Jay Ducote