Spencer and I visited Dempsey’s Po’boys, a place a little outside of my usual Baton Rouge stomping grounds (Coursey/Sherwood) on the recommendation of another BR blogger. This blogger named Dempseys’ French Dip and Gumbo one of Baton Rouge’s best dishes, but I’m not sure that I agree.

Dempsey’s is a locally owned place specializing in po’boys with other typical South Louisiana fare making appearances on the menu. On our visit, the place was packed with a lunchtime crowd and we had about a 10 minute wait for a table. Service was a little slow, but I didn’t see many staff and most tables had parties of 5 or more, so with that volume, a little slowness is forgivable. Spencer and I both ordered the “soup and half”, a cup of soup/gumbo and a half po’boy for $10. I tried the soup of the day, cream of corn and crab, and Spencer had seafood gumbo:

Cream of Corn and Crab

Seafood Gumbo

First bites and more after the jump. Read the rest of this entry »

Finally got back to eating Baton Rouge this week.  It took me forever to decide what I wanted for lunch Wednesday, but I finally settled on Izzo’s Illegal Burrito.  Izzo’s is Baton Rouge’s answer to quick-Mex (I just made that up) eateries like Moe’s, Chipotle, and Qdoba; especially since, to my knowledge, neither of the three have locations in town (Edit: There is a Qdoba in the Towne Center shopping area).  However, Izzo’s sets itself apart by offering massive “illegal” burritos filled with fresh, flavorful ingredients.

Izzo's

Burrito Sizes

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Spencer and I went to Cheeburger Cheeburger for lunch last week, a new-ish 50′s style burger chain in Baton Rouge.  I had Cheeburger for the first time last summer in upstate NY and enjoyed it a lot; probably mostly due to the 70+ milkshake flavors you can mix to your heart’s desire.  The restaurant also offers more than 20 different burger toppings, allowing diners to create their own unique taste at every visit. The 50′s style decor and music was a little cheesy, but I guess the restaurant needs some sort of shtick to stay interesting:

50's Style? Mason jars for drinks

You know you're in Louisiana when...

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la Madeleine has had a location in Baton Rouge for at least 15 years, and in all that time, I have never visited.  I finally decided to go see what it is people love so much about it at the new Perkins Rowe location.

Walking into la Madeleine, I was a little confused about the order process.  There were people standing around a podium near the door looking at menus, but others going straight into a cafeteria-style line where a cashier at the end rang up all their purchases.  I finally asked an employee who popped up near the podium how things worked.  She informed me that some menu items had to be ordered through her (which she sent to the kitchen electronically), while others (mainly soups, salads, and pastries) were ordered in the cafeteria line.  I think some signage explaining this would be helpful for first-timers.

I decided to try one of la Madeleine’s “French Specialties”, chicken friande, a puff pastry filled with chicken, mushrooms and béchamel sauce, topped with mushroom sauce.

Chicken Friande

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One thing I love about keeping this blog is that it makes me actually think about what I’m putting in my mouth. Revisiting some of my favorite Baton Rouge eateries with a more objective eye can either leave me slightly disappointed or remind me why I love a place. I hope that my readers learn something by keeping up with First Bite (like in the Jamaica or crawfish bisque posts) and learn to think about what they’re eating as well! Now, on to the sushi…

Tsunami is one of my favorite sushi restaurants in Baton Rouge (though to be fair, I think I’ve only visited 3). Though not nearly the first sushi restaurant in the city, it was the first place I tried sushi and I think played a major role in bringing sushi en vogue in Baton Rouge. The bar scene and rooftop Mississippi River view draw crowds in the evenings (or, they did a few years ago; the party may have moved elsewhere by now) and they have great happy hour drink and sushi specials. I love going in the late afternoon when the restaurant isn’t very busy and taking a table by the large windows overlooking the river, which is what I did Thursday.

View from Tsunami

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I noticed recently that Baton Rouge has an abundance of Greek/Lebanese restaurants, including Albasha, Roman’s Cafe, and Serop’s Cafe, each with at least 4 locations around the Capital City.  To my knowledge, Serop’s is the oldest, having been around since 1979.  But somehow, I’ve never visited one.  Spencer and I decided to drop by the location nearest us on Perkins Rd. today for lunch.

Serop's

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I thought it fitting to start my Baton Rouge reviewing with my favorite fast food joint in town.   Raising Cane’s has 4 menu combos, all iterations of the one item they serve: chicken fingers.

Cane's

Vincent's First Bite

Vincent opens wide to try the Bomb Roll at Hello Sushi.  “Spicy salmon and cucumber topped off with snow crab, tempura crumbs, masago, green onions, eel sauce, and a creamy masago sauce.”

To play right into the cliche you all knew was coming…it was the bomb!!

www.hellosushi.com