Christina's in Beauregard Town

Hidden in downtown Baton Rouge at the corner of St. Charles and Somerulos, Christina's has been offering up quality home cooking for years.  This little restaurant is not as well known as it should be around town, but its loyal customers still keep the place packed for breakfast and lunch.  I recently ate lunch at Christina's for my first time and was certainly not disappointed.  Darrell Broussard joined me on the walk from our busy offices to the Beauregard Town neighborhood.  The quaint restaurant is warm and welcoming, and the lunch menu is full of Southern-fried home cooking. 

Christina's in Downtown Baton Rouge

Christina's had a lunch special on this fortunate day that featured a chicken fried steak with gravy and three sides.  Their list of sides rotates so it is written on the wall instead of in the menu.  However, it is long enough to count as reading a book, so picking three seemed like a difficult task.  I wanted to vary things up a bit, so I eventually settled on the buttered corn, collard greens, and praline yams.

Chicken Fried Steak with Buttered Corn, Collard Greens, and Praline Yams

The corn had a good buttery taste as the name implied but beyond that was just your average canned corn.  The collard greens tasted pretty good and I enjoyed their saltiness and tender texture.  However, the highlight of the sides, and in fact the entire meal, came in the form of the praline yams.  They may not have been much more than canned sweet potatoes with plenty of butter and caramelized sugar, but this dish was purely delightful!  I could have eaten those praline yams all day!  The chicken fried steak had a great flavor and combined well with the white gravy, but it was a little smaller than I would have liked.  Still, the praline yams made up for everything and in the end, I had no complaints with the meal or the restaurant.  I'd gladly go back to Christina's any time, and I especially want to check it out for breakfast!

Cajun Tales... Tall Tales After Dunk Hunting

After a successful duck hunt in South Louisiana, our group realized that we had worked up quite a hunger.  Brent, Brandon, Billy, P, and I took a ride to Cajun Tales Seafood Restaurant in Welsh, Louisiana to fill our empty stomachs with some comfort food.  P seemed to know everyone in the place, and the waitress brought him a tea that was half sweet and half unsweetened mixed together without even having to ask for him.  That was nice.   

Cajun Tales Seafood Restaurant in Welsh, La

I decided that my hunger warrented plenty of grub, and wanting to try an assortment of local fare, I ordered the fried seafood platter which also came with gumbo and salad.  The seafood gumbo had a rich and earthy roux that worked very well with the accompanying shrimp and oysters.  What a great way to start out any meal!  The green salad with honey mustard dressing was about as standard as it gets.  Chopped iceberg lettuce, check.  Honey mustard, check.  Call it a salad, check.  Moving on...

A Bowl of Seafood Gumbo and a Honey Mustard Salad

After I got the formality of the roughage scarfed down, the time came to turn my attention to the fried seafood platter that lurked in the shadows of the table.  The fried catfish, stuffed shrimp, fried oysters, hushpuppies, crab fingers, and sweet potato fries all stared back at me as though they knew their disposal would come in the form of my digestive system.  Oh yes, it was devouring time!

Fried Seafood Platter

All of the food on the plate was wondeful under the cirumstances.  I had an extreme hunger, and everything was certainly very edible.  However, the fried seafood did not blow me away.  I think they could use an upgrade to their badder and a change of cooking oil.  Likewise, the sweet potato fries were nothing that I'd die to go back for.  Of the meal, I thought that the fried catfish was probably the best item.  I still ate all I could and at the end of the meal left full and satisfied.  I suppose that is what really counts!

Things To Do
Lake Charles

C'est Bon, Indeed

During hunting season a group of us gathered at C'est Bon in Mermentau, near Jennings, Louisiana (Check the Bite and Booze Map and try to find it if you have no clue where that is!).  C'est Bon is a truly Cajun restaurant where you can find fantastically fresh boiled seafood and deep-fried morsels of various edible creatures.  The night before our duck hunt, Brent, Billy, P, Stanford, and I hit up this oasis of a dining experience in the middle of nowhere for some spicy and delightful treats.

C'est Bon in Mermentau, Louisiana

As with any good back woods restaurant, C'est Bon completes its ambiance with a selection mounted deer and ducks on the walls.  There is nothing like eating spicy crawfish and succulent shrimp under the watchful gaze stuffed wildlife!  I love getting out of the city!

One of the Dining Rooms at C'est Bon

I wanted to make sure to sample some variety at C'est Bon so I actually made two orders and was happy to share a taste of everything with the rest of the crew that were all eating boiled crawfish.  My first plate contained a half order of crawfish etoufee and a half order of fried oysters.  By half order, they clearly meant "half a plate."  The golden fried oysters sat piled high on top of a mound of French fries while the etoufee was served over some Louisiana rice.  Both dishes had tremendous flavor and were excellently seasoned.  The oysters had that unique texture that I've only found in superbly fried Gulf oysters.  The crispy and delicious outside cracked open and released the delicate mollusk from within.  The crawfish etoufee was clearly cooked by a Cajun.  The dish featured a great blend of spices for a complex and comforting taste that is so unique to Louisiana.  If you are reading this from out-of-state, you really don't know what you are missing.  I suggest you plan a trip soon!

Crawfish Etoufee and Fried Oysters

The second serving of food that I ordered featured a couple pounds of boiled shrimp along with some corn and potatoes.  Shrimp are another sea creature that I enjoy no matter how they are cooked, but sometimes using the simplest cooking methods is the best way to go.  These shrimp were boiled in just enough Cajun seasoning to give them a kick while still allowing the taste of the shrimp tails to be the highlight of each bite.  C'est Bon, indeed.

Boiled Shrimp with Corn and Potatoes

Things To Do
Jennings

Hammond Smokin' Blues 'n BBQ Challenge

On the final weekend of March, Travis, Eusebio, and I competed in the Smokin' Blues 'n BBQ Challenge in Hammond, La.  We entered the Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) sanctioned event, which means we were cooking against the big dogs.  Johnny Trigg from the TLC show Barbeque Pitmasters was there, as well as QUAU and Pellet Envy, the first and third ranked BBQ teams in the country according to KCBS.  It turns out that of the 50 teams doing competitive barbeque, we were the ONLY rookie team and seemingly the only team with chefs under the age of 40.  In fact, we are all 30 or younger, and every other team appeared to be full of wily veterans in their 50s and 60s.  We knew we were going to have our hands full to just not finish last in each category.

In KCBS contests, each team must enter all four meat categories: chicken, pork ribs, pork butt, and brisket.  Teams must have their meat inspected the day before the competition to ensure they were not pre-marinated, and then they have until noon the next day to prepare and cook the meats.  As with any true barbeque, the preferred cooking method is low and slow.  Barbeque pits infuse the meats with delicious smoky flavors while cooking them for a long time at a low temperature, leaving the finished product flavorful and tender.

The Monstrosity: Third Row Tailgaters' Famous BBQ Pit and Smoker

For the majority of our cooking, we used the Third Row barbeque pit and smoker, which has been dubbed "The Monstrosity."  We hand-crafted this pit back in 2002 or 2003.  It is made it an old full-barrel aluminum keg flipped on its side with a smoke stack connecting to a stainless steel keg that is used as the smoker.  It is a true thing of beauty, and I think easily got the most looks and brought up the most discussion of any pit in the KCBS challenge. 

Soaking Pecan Chunks

For some extra flavor, we used pecan chunks as a smoking wood.  I find that pecan gives a nice balanced smoke that adds sweetness and smoky flavor without overpowering the meat. 

I could go on with more text about the competition, but I think this video that I put together would sum it up a little better.  Enjoy!  Warning: it will make you hungry!

Thanks to Lauren for help with the video!  One thing for sure is that we had a good time.  The contest presented its challenges but was also a whole lot of fun, and we did cook some great food.  We ended up placing 39th overall, which really wasn't too bad.  On our first attempt at competitive barbeque we beat out 11 teams that had been doing this for years!  Our chicken placed 23rd, which we were pretty proud of. To cook some chicken that finished in the top half exceed our expectations of anything we could do on a first attempt.  The pork finished tied for 31st and the ribs came in 34th.  The only really sad note for us was that our brisket came in 49th.  But hey, we weren't last in anything, and we learned a lot about cooking in a KCBS contest.  I imagine we'll do it again at some point, and we'll only be better!  The barbeque circuit better look out!

Things To Do
Hammond

The Baton Rouge BuRger Scene

This article has been published in Town Favorites Magazine. You can visit the Town Favorites website at http://www.townfavorites.com/, follow them on Twitter @TownFavorites, and find their magazines at over 150 restaurants and businesses around Baton Rouge! Pick up a copy today!

The Baton Rouge BuRger Scene

by Jay D. Ducote

It’s not very difficult to find a great burger in Baton Rouge if you know where to look. While George’s and Brewbacher’s are staples of the Baton Rouge burger market, there are plenty of alternatives that keep the mouths of Red Stick carnivores salivating. With April being here, Lent being over, and Spring in full swing, when could there ever be a better time to dine on deliciously grilled beef?

I recently went on a mission to find the best burgers in Baton Rouge. My first stop brought me to Mason’s Grill on Jefferson at Tiger Bend. In 2009, Food Network Magazine named the top burger in all 50 states and the Cajun Shrimp Burger at Mason’s took home the prize from Louisiana. I knew I had to give this burger a try if I really wanted to experience Baton Rouge burgers, so I walked in to Mason’s where owner Mike Alfandre greeted me. Mike and his wife Shirley opened up The Daily Grind in 1998 but quickly outgrew the cozy location. The couple changed the name to Mason’s Grill and moved to their new location about six years ago, and the rest is history.

The Cajun Shrimp Burger at Mason's Grill was named the best burger in Louisiana by the Food Network Magazine!

The Cajun Shrimp Burger itself is 8 ounces of fresh ground beef made to order into a jalapeño-stuffed patty. The burger is then flame-grilled to desired temperature while shrimp are sautéed with more jalapeños. When the shrimp are almost ready, the chef will add a cup and a half of jack cheese in with the crustaceans and peppers and let it all melt together. The cheesy mixture is then scooped up and piled high on the beef patty which is resting patiently on a sweet sourdough bun that is made specially for Mason’s Grill. This burger is absolutely incredible as the spices and flavors all mix together in one sensational bite after another. Mike told me that on a typical day he will go through about 50 Cajun Shrimp Burgers and well over 100 pounds of beef. If that doesn’t tell you how good they are, then I’m not sure what will!

Another classic stop on a Baton Rouge burger tour is Dearman’s on Jefferson at Corporate. Dearman’s is a classic burger and shake joint in mold of the old tradition. They claim to be “the original” place to get burgers, fries, and shakes in BR, and the place lives up to its hype. While the claim that they have the “best burger in Baton Rouge for over fifty years” doesn’t quite meet expectations, the overall vibe of the diner and quality of the burgers is worth noting. Dearman’s cooks up batches of fresh beef patties, grilling them all on a flattop. The burger is ready quickly after you order it, comes out dressed how you like it, and is certainly juicy and messy. I had mine with American cheese, grilled onions, and some other toppings, and at the least I will say that it was a pretty decent burger that is certainly a huge step up from fast food or frozen patties.

Fresh Beef Patties on the Grill at Dearman's

My eyes and stomach focused on downtown for my next stop on the BuRger tour. Downtown offers delightful burgers at places like Riverside Patty, Downtown Seafood and Grill, and Capital City Grill. I’ve had those before and can recommend any of them, but this adventure took me to some place a little newer: Lucy’s Retired Surfers Bar and Restaurant, where I’d take on a Juicy Lucy! I met the Executive Chef of Lucy’s, Michael Domenick, and asked him about the signature sandwich before placing my order. According to Chef Domenick, the Juicy Lucy has been on the menu for quite some time at the New Orleans restaurant which has now spread to Baton Rouge. He claimed that the opportunity came along to make the burger even juicier, so he worked on creating a half-pound burger patty which features 100% certified Angus chuck and a special spice blend. He told me that he wasn’t just going to make a good burger, be he “wants to make the best burger in Baton Rouge.” Chef Domenick went on to say that his goal is “not just to make a good burger, but change the way people in Baton Rouge eat burgers.” Needless to say, my excitement level peaked in anticipation.

Jay Ducote digs into a Juicy Lucy Burger

The Juicy Lucy has numerous topping options that fit the theme of the restaurant. Anything from sautéed portabellas to sprouts and guacamole to bacon can be added to the burger, as well as a selection of cheeses and a special sauce. The burger is served on an artisanal bun that is glazed with egg whites on the top to give it a shiny finish. I ordered my burger medium with Swiss cheese and guacamole. While it may not have been my absolute favorite burger of the journey, the Juicy Lucy left the largest trail of juice dripping down my forearm! Each and every bite tasted delicious and unique. By the time I polished off the burger my stomach was full and my appetite was satisfied, so this burger definitely gets my approval.

Seth Maggio flips giant burgers at Tramonte's Meat and Seafood Market

My final stop came back on Jefferson just on the other side of Airline. I received a tip that Tramonte’s Meat and Seafood Market just may have the best burger in town, so I had to go have a taste. The market and restaurant has been open for around 8 years, and while they specialize in raw meats and seafood for customers to take home and cook themselves, Tramonte’s also has a few specialties up their sleeves. I ordered a regular cheeseburger, but this giant patty is far from ordinary. Tramonte’s uses a full pound of ground sirloin mixed with top secret ingredients and fresh vegetables and then formed into an enormous patty and flame-grilled to perfection. I asked for bacon-cheddar burger and owner Mike Tramonte obliged by throwing a patty on the grill and then chatting with me about his burgers. I couldn’t get him to tell me his secret ingredients, but the massive burger had a superb flavor throughout the patty and combined magnificently with the sesame seed bun on which it was served. This burger blew me away as I had never even heard of Tramonte’s before, but now that I have, I know for sure that I’ll be back!

The Bacon Cheeseburger at Tramonte's. Mmmm... bacon cheeseburger... aghghagh!

The Baton Rouge BuRger Scene is alive and kicking. Restaurants all over town are cooking up delightful burgers that will tickle your taste buds. You can find a delicious burger at restaurants like Louie’s Café, home of the Big Cheesy Lou, which William Winters, a former employee, describes as “everything you love about cheeseburgers: meat and cheese, abundantly.” Delicious burgers can also be found at burger joints like Roul’s Deli, casual restaurants such as Bistro Byronz, and the Northshore-based Times Grill. Anywhere you look in this city you can find a tasty burger, so go ahead, Baton Rouge, dig in and enjoy!

Eric Ducote took all the pictures for this article. Thanks to Hunter Brown for the graphic design of the restaurant sign collage.

Things To Do
Baton Rouge