Archive for the ‘Dining’ Category

Recently, a friend of a friend asked me for suggestions of great restaurants for a two-night stay near LSU. This list is based on the recommendations I gave to him. These are all great restaurants for anyone traveling to Baton Rouge—say for orientation or an academic conference—and are local favorites, so it’s great to get a little taste of Baton Rouge. All of these are right off the gates of LSU—literally within walking distance.

Quick lunches

1. Louie’s
   Louie’s has been around since basically the beginning. As LSU’s 24-hour diner, Louie’s is a great stop for anyone at anytime. The coffee is good, too.
2. Roul’s
   It’s a hole in the wall, but it’s got the best burgers ever—guaranteed. I’ve actually used these burgers as a “bribe” to get registered in a class. But don’t tell anyone that.
3. Cane’s
   Cane’s was started at LSU and now is a rapidly growing chain. You should try it just because Baton Rouge is the home. Make sure you eat the sauce and try their lemonade or sweet tea.

Sit-down lunches

1. The Chimes
   The Chimes is a local favorite for it’s great tasting Cajun cuisine. It’s an LSU classic that serves delectable seafood.
2. Reginelli’s
   Reginelli’s is a great pizza parlor. It’s a New Orleans-based pizzeria, so it has some semblance of being local. I recommend getting the alfredo sauce-based pizzas. It’s different, but really good.
3. Walk-On’s
   Another local restaurant, Walk-On’s caters to the sports guy in every LSU Tiger. It also serves crawfish during season, which is a must for any visitor to Cajun land.

Coffee

1. Highland Coffee
   Highland Coffee is a great local place that roasts their own beans. It’s located right near the gates, so it’s a convinent location.
2. CC’s Coffee
   CC’s is a national brand with roots in Baton Rouge. The coffee is good, and as Ashton pointed out, it’s been around a long time. There is a CC’s located inside the Middleton Library on campus.
3. Coffee Call
   While Coffee Call isn’t located on campus, it’s not too far and the beignets are worth the trip.

   Fancy Dinner

   Tsunami’s
   It’s a sushi restaurant downtown and it’s super nice. It sits atop the Shaw Fine Arts building and overlooks the river with an outdoor terrace. It’s only a few miles down the road from LSU.
   Copeland’s or Copeland’s Cheesecake Bistro
   These aren’t as close as Tsunami’s, but they’re both very good and a bit of Louisiana flavor. See Ashton’s remark for more details.

When I walked into Dingo’s on Coursey with my family for lunch late Thursday afternoon, I expected two things: decent, maybe good, food and quick meal. What I didn’t expect was for owner and native Australian Patrick Muller to stop by—and entertain us for a good half-hour.

But as I reflect on our experience at Dingo’s more and more, it becomes clear that this classifies the establishment. It’s as exciting, eclectic, interesting and captivating as Muller was. He told us wonderful tales of his days as a youth traveling the world as an Aussie football player and the unlikely string of events that first brought him to Louisiana—and the love that kept him here. I won’t even begin to recant his evocative tale, mostly because I couldn’t begin to bring it justice, but also because this is a review about the food. (But seriously, when you go—and you certainly should—look for the bald guy running around and ask him to tell you the story behind Dingo’s. It’s well worth the time.)

Menu and Food

The first thing that struck me once I sat in my booth (which, oddly, still had an Italian design from it’s former tenant, Semolina’s) was that Dingo’s menu is only one page. And at that, there are only a few food types to choose from: burgers, paninis, a few entrees and that’s about it. However slim, there’s plenty to chose from and all should be able to eat well. I tried the Dingo’s Bacon Burger, which is a savory patty served with thick, smoked applewood bacon, cheddar and all the trimmings. It was delicious, but not unlike any good burger. However, the Dingo burgers are served on ciabatta bread, which really adds an interesting flavor to it. The same goes with the chicken sandwich: the wheat bun added a sweet flavor to the patty. Both are recommended. Another in my party tried the salmon burger, which they reported was also good (I’m not one for seafood, so I stayed clear). Oddly, it’s topped with coleslaw, which Muller told us was because his mother used to slap a heap of coleslaw onto everything. For dessert, we tried the chocolate toffee cake, which was absolutely incredible—I highly recommend this.

Menu Selection Rating—

Quality of Food Rating—

Atmosphere

Inside and out, Dingo’s does it best to give it the feel of an Australian restaurant. I give them accolades for turning the former Italian restaurant around, because besides the tables, you can’t really tell. And even down to the serving they do a great job: they don’t take up your plates until after everyone is eating. Our waiter had to assure us he wasn’t just being lazy. Muller told us it’s part tradition, part subliminal messaging to your dinner partners to hurry up! And as I said, we had a wonderful time talking with Muller—he is filled with great stories and trivia!

Atmosphere Rating—

Overall Review

Overall, we recommend Dingo’s. It’s a good restaurant with a lot of great atmosphere. We had a great time dining there and Muller was such a great host. We’re excited to see another restaurant move into the vacated building and wish the best of luck to Muller and crew. We hope this bodes well for the blossoming restaurant scene around that area.

Overall Rating—

Urbanspoon—

Albasha is a Baton Rouge-based restaurant that specializes in Greek and Lebanese cuisine. They have three locations in Baton Rouge and offer conventional American fare—e.g. hamburgers and french fries—which is great for kids and traditional eaters. They take credit cards, offer take-out and are great for groups. You can find out more by visiting their web site.

Menu and Food

When you walk into Albasha, you’re immediately greeted with the incredible smells of foods from afar. When you peruse the menu, each dish has a melliferous name. It’s so entrancing, it’s difficult to know where to begin. But it’s OK—in fact, that’s a good thing. It means that you’ll be coming back again and again to try different dishes. I recommend the friend cheese as an appetizer, which is goat cheese sauteed in olive oil and garlic—delicious! I also recommend the chicken shawarma sandwich. It’s their well-seasoned chicken shawarma wrapped in pita topped with Grecian sauce (which is a homemade yogurt-based condiment). It’s quite delectable and was a welcomed dish even for the newcomers that were with me. I also recommend getting the Lebanese iced tea. It’s part lemonade, part tea and garnished with pine nuts. It’s a wonderful compliment to the cuisine. Of course, their hummus is also fantastic. You’ll always find something incredible to try and it’s always served hot and fresh.

Menu Selection Rating—

Quality of Food Rating—

Waitstaff and wait service

One of the hallmarks of Albasha is their waitstaff. They are a courteous and efficient. When you walk in, you are quickly seated, given menus and the opportunity to order. If you’re unsure of what to order (Mediterranean is quite different from other cuisines), they are helpful and patient. The kitchen is quick, too. I have never gone in hungry and stayed that way for long. On a typical lunch date, I’ve been served my full meal in under 20 minutes; appetizers in less than 5. Thereafter, my drinks and pita baskets have never been lacking. They’re really on top of refilling. I’ve never had a bad experience with the staff and even after all these years I’m still quite impressed with their service.

Waitstaff and wait service rating—

Overall Review

Overall, Albasha is a great quality restaurant. The food is good, cheap and fairly healthy, especially when compared to the typical American diet. There are a few restaurants, so location is convenient and the waitstaff is always great and, importantly, fast—which means it’s always a great place for lunch. We highly recommend Albasha, so it yields a great overall rating.

Overall Rating—

Yelp Rating—

Urbanspoon Rating—