Baton Rouge Restaurants

[byrde]

Mandina's shuts down

Mandina's, one of the first New Orleans restaurants to open a location in Baton Rouge after Hurricane Katrina, closed Saturday.

http://www.businessreport.com/archives/dai...007/jun/11/157/

[richyb83]

Hey Bryde, do you think the location had anything to do with the closing??

[dinner roll]

The location was just wrong for Mandina's. It's too much of a neighborhood joint. They should have been on Perkins near the overpass.

[NCB]

I was looking through "The New Orleans Menu", a fantastic website run by New Orleans food expert Tom Fitzmorris. A quote from the story on the website is below, and you can see the whole thing by clicking the above link and scrolling down a bit.

But while the Baton Rouge Mandina's was very eagerly received by displaced New Orleans in the months following the storm, it has been (shall we say) easier to get a table there in recent months.

Beyond that, the building was a bit of a problem. Gary Robertson, who manages the restaurant in Mandeville, tells me that the Baton Rouge location was in great need of renovation. It was the former site of Chalet Brandt, for decades one of the two or three best restaurants anywhere in Baton Rouge. But the old mansion has gone a long way since those glory days.

[byrde]

Hey Bryde, do you think the location had anything to do with the closing??

Yes

The location was just wrong for Mandina's. It's too much of a neighborhood joint. They should have been on Perkins near the overpass.

I agree. It seems many places have struggled in that location. They would have been better off along Corporate. In the Citiplace area or in Towne Center.

[richyb83]

While Mandina's is closing in BR. Another New Orleans based restuarant from Dickie Brennan's will be making it's way to BR; At the new 12-story 348-room Renaissance Hotel on Bluebonnet Blvd.

This was posted on different thread; but wanted to mention this in the BR Restuarant thread too

http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/7969252.html

Perhaps the chief amenity, however, will be an upscale restaurant operated by New Orleans restaurateur Dickie Brennan, a member of that city

[dinner roll]

The Mandina's location has already sold. Another Broken Egg Cafe to renovate and move in after the summer.

Former Mandina's sold for $1.4 million

"The owners of Another Broken Egg Caf

Edited June 15, 2007 by dinner roll

[brresident]

uptown New orleans: while I love the signature...it's kind of big, no?

Anyways....anyone been to the New Chimes recently? The wait is usually like a half hour or more for lunch. Strange for a suburban branch.

Edited June 15, 2007 by brresident

[dan326]

That restaurant is always packed. Good food though.

Edited June 15, 2007 by dan326

[richyb83]

Dubbed Chimes East...it seems to be a major success so far. I like the layout of the site. The 2-story open-air building is up against the street with parking in the back really helps. And the old-school neon sign tops it off.

Chimes East has helped spur more growth on Coursey Blvd. with some French-Quarter style row houses being built nearby. And some cool looking new office buildings to; including the Nutri-Sport. That suburban area is actually begining to have a little flair!

[byrde]

I've never been to Chimes East. I like the one close to LSU.

[byrde]

No decision yet on Smokey Bones

There's been a bit of interest in the Smokey Bones restaurant site and for good reason -- the building is on busy Siegen Lane, not too far from Interstate 10. The barbecue place closed about a month and a half ago when its parent company, Darden Restaurants, decided to shut down the chain. A spokesman says they're still determining if the Siegen site has any potential for another Darden-owned property, such as Red Lobster or Bahama Breeze.

T.G.I. Friday's looking to add Louisiana locations

T.G.I. Friday's plans to build 13 restaurants across the state over the next 10 years and has identified Baton Rouge as a target market. The casual dining chain doesn't have any locations in the state, but they're looking at several ways of bringing franchisees into Louisiana, including minority owners and management contract owners.

http://www.businessreport.com/archives/rea...-weekly/latest/

I hope they don't put a Red Lobster in the old Smokey Bones Location. That restaurant has failed twice here in BR. Now a Bahama Breeze would be good. I've been to a couple of their stores in other cities and I was sastisfied with the food and service.

With 13 TGI Locations I'd imagine that means we'll get 2 here in the capital area, a couple in SBO one each for Lafayette, LC, Monroe, Alex Houma/Thib and the rest in the Greater NO area.

[richyb83]

I am not familiar with Bahama Breeze, but it sounds cool.

TGI Friday's will compete with all the Chili's, Calendar's, and Applebee's??

[byrde]

I am not familiar with Bahama Breeze, but it sounds cool.

TGI Friday's will compete with all the Chili's, Calendar's, and Applebee's??

That's the crowd they will fit in with. They would do well in the Howell Place development. I'm sure they will also look to locate somewhere in the Corporate/College/Jefferson or Bluebonnet/Siegen Lane area.

[richyb83]

This is a good read from the 225 BR Entertainment Magazine

Titled "Florida is for foodies"

http://www.225batonrouge.com/news/2007/jun...lorida-foodies/

This blog takes a trip thru all the locally owned unique restaurants along Florida Blvd. from two-blocks east of the river (Poor Boy Lloyds, since 1968) thru Mid City, all the way to BR East "Little Vietnam".

"Amid the concrete are authentic po-boys, boudin, Vietnamese, Thai, Mexican, international groceries, fresh breads and pastries. This is not main street shopping among charming storefronts. But where else can you find beef jerky and galangal root within a couple of miles of each other?"

This is funny....

"Florida Boulevard can give you the kind of agita that befell Michael Douglas in Falling Down. Dreadful stop-and-go. Little landscaping. Dead strip malls. Incoming cars. Traffic lights."

Edited July 9, 2007 by richyb83

[fla_tiger]

This is a good read from the 225 BR Entertainment Magazine

Titled "Florida is for foodies"

http://www.225batonrouge.com/news/2007/jun...lorida-foodies/

This blog takes a trip thru all the locally owned unique restaurants along Florida Blvd. from two-blocks east of the river (Poor Boy Lloyds, since 1968) thru Mid City, all the way to BR East "Little Vietnam".

"Amid the concrete are authentic po-boys, boudin, Vietnamese, Thai, Mexican, international groceries, fresh breads and pastries. This is not main street shopping among charming storefronts. But where else can you find beef jerky and galangal root within a couple of miles of each other?"

This is funny....

"Florida Boulevard can give you the kind of agita that befell Michael Douglas in Falling Down. Dreadful stop-and-go. Little landscaping. Dead strip malls. Incoming cars. Traffic lights."

Interesting reading, here a a coupla updates....

The old diner next to the Alamo Plaza has been spruced up a bit with paint and now boast a truck out front in matching colors that reads " Mid City Diner", I for one can't wait for this greasy spoon to open, as I am always looking for a rib sticking breakfast on Saturdays when I seem to be in less of a hurry. BTW, across the street is the Box Lunch Cafe with excellent breakfast. The old "Our Place" opposite BRCC is now home to Dillons Catering.

The Circle Bowl has some of the tastiest and cheesiest pizza in town.

Edited July 9, 2007 by fla_tiger

[richyb83]

Thanks for the updates and heads-up flatiger Sounds like restaurants your specialty?? It's good to see BRCC help revive that area; BREC's new HQ's and Bonne Carre/La.Technology Park have also been catalyst in keeping that corridor on the up-swing.

Will have to try the Circle Bowl pizza.

[byrde]

Downtown martini bar set to open next month

If you're into martinis, the M Bar should open by mid-August on Third Street in downtown Baton Rouge. Keturah Dolejsi, partner and bar manager, says the bar in the Mapp Construction building will offer at least 20 different martinis and have entertainment. The M Bar is already booking parties and catering will be available in the near future, Dolejsi says. The bar will have seating capacity for up to 300 people. "It's going to be a great bar when it opens," she says. "It's going to be an upscale place, very nice with all-new furniture.

http://www.businessreport.com/archives/daily-report/latest/

[richyb83]

Avoyelles Cafe to re-open as Third Street Bistreaux

The former Avoyelles Caf

Edited July 26, 2007 by richyb83

[drew6974]

Two new restaurants opening their first locations in Baton Rouge. Kona's grill and Doe's Eat Place. I'd posted about Doe's under developbits but didn't know we had a restaurant thread. Both of these places look pretty good.

http://www.konagrill.com/restaurants.php

http://www.doeseatplace.com/baton_rouge.htm

[Gauge]

Two new restaurants opening their first locations in Baton Rouge. Kona's grill and Doe's Eat Place. I'd posted about Doe's under developbits but didn't know we had a restaurant thread. Both of these places look pretty good.

http://www.konagrill.com/restaurants.php

http://www.doeseatplace.com/baton_rouge.htm

Any idea where the Kona Grill will be located? Anyone have any experience with this restaurant/know how good they are?

[byrde]

Any idea where the Kona Grill will be located? Anyone have any experience with this restaurant/know how good they are?

I posted the story about Kona Grill back in may on Page 2 of this thread. Kona Grill will be located in Perkins Rowe.

[brresident]

Little Vietnam? Where is that?

I had heard about that sort of thing, but could never figure out where it was.

[dan326]

It's a strip mall with entirely Asian tenents on Florida Boulevard near the Big Lots and Louisiana Plant Nursery.

[drew6974]

Three new restaurants, including one which relocated from New Orleans and one that is New Orleans based will open on Chimes Street as part of a Chimes Street "Rebirth."

From 225 Magazine.

No buffets here. Chinese Combo King will prepare made-to-order Chinese fare while diners watch chefs from their tables. The restaurant's floor plan is open, allowing views of the kitchen from any seat in the house. Once a fixture in the New Orleans Centre, the business was moved to Baton Rouge by its owners following Hurricane Katrina. "We are excited about the new start," co-owner Alice Lo says.

Reginelli's is branching out of its NOLA-area comfort zone. According to Darryl Reginelli, the location "dropped into [their] laps." After Reginelli and partner Bruce Erhardt looked at the property and location, there was no way they could talk themselves out of it, Reginelli says. They hope for a mid-August opening, following extensive renovations. The restaurant is vibrant and authentic, boasting in-house production for the focaccia bread, pesto and sauces.

The owner of Wahada Sushi, Jerry Yu, will bring Japanese cuisine and sushi to the block.

Although its official location is State Street, Koi will be accessible through Chimes Street. Koi revolves around two bars, sushi and liquor. The sushi bar will be center stage, while the liquor bar will be tucked to the left of the restaurant. Expect to see traditional rolls, appetizers and entr