Baton Rouge - NOLA I-10 Road Food Recommendations

[koffdogg]

I'm flying into BTR and driving from there to NOLA. Is there any stop I need to take food-wise along the 88 miles??? I'm willing to go off-highway for some local eats as well. Thanks!!!

[zstewart123]

Stop at almost any gas station off the highway and you will find excellant traditional foods. The Shell station on the westbank of the Sunshine Bridge had the best pistolette I've ever had.Used to be a mainstay for lunch when I was in Donaldsonville.

[Hungry Celeste]

Wayne Jacobs Smokehouse in Laplace; you can stop for a meal or on your way home for take-home andouille.

[jolieblonde]

The Chimes (the original one) at the north gate of LSU's campus. (Highland Rd. at Chimes) Order the boudin balls, fried alligator and the crawfish etouffee!

[hazelhurst]

Those are good hit & run ideas but I'd only point out that the etouffee there is of the gloppy kind that many people consider the standard nowadays

[jolieblonde]

It's impossible to find good etouffee East of the Mississippi, unless you're in the kitchen of someone who knows how to work it! I'm curious to know what etouffee you use as a standard. I've been disappointed by most New Orleans restaurants' attempts. A Hub City kitchen is as good as it gets.

[hazelhurst]

As you obviously know, "vertiable etouffee" has no roux despite the recipes proferred by many "Award Winning Chefs" in their books. Etouffee is a simple, whip-it-up affair. Lack of crawfish fat hinders many efforts but you can still do fine as long as you use lots of good butter. Even though the ancient recipes I have found use no tomato, I have had excellent etouffees with just a little bit of tomato paste added, essentially for color. I have not had a really good restaurant etouffee in New Orleans since Nelson Marcotte, a waiter at Galatoire's, used to make it on demand. The last one I had at Cafe des Ami was merely passable and suffered from a puff-pastry shell. This is the soprt of thing that gets attention from roving food writers but it ain;t right....

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Galatoire's Restaurant
209 Bourbon St., New Orleans, LA 70130

[speyerer]

Cafe des Amis, Briaux Bridge, LA
http://www.cafedesamis.com/

Here are some reviews from a New Orleans food group.
http://mrlake.fncinc.net/viewtopic.ph...

[hazelhurst]

Unfortunately, Breaux Bridge is not on the BR-to-N.O. road

[speyerer]

Whoops! Another senior moment, sorry.

[carol land]

cafe des Amis is west of Baton Rouge heading towards Lafayette. Oak Alley on the River Road has a great restaurant. Hymels for seafood in convent. These are side trips. BR has tons of great restaurants - depends on price point and what you have in mind. Jubans is top tier.

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Hymel's Restaurant
15805 River Rd, Hahnville, LA 70057

[midcity]

The only thing that comes to mind as kind of on the way is Middendorf's, famous for catfish and worth the detour.

[nola79]

If you're at all interested in trying good boudin you'd better get it before you reach NOLA.

[Troika]

honestly, there isn't much on the drive from BR to Nola worth eating. Like Littleman said, it would be best if you saved your appetite.

[Littleman]

Have a light breakfast then drive 90 minutes to NOLA for lunch at Galatoire's, Emeril's or Commanders. Better yet Casamento's, Lil' Dizzy's, Drago's, Charlie's Seafood, Cooter Browns, Crabby Jacks, et al. Don't waste your time on I10 with all the good stuff in NOLA. Bon appetit.

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Crabby Jacks
428 Jefferson Hwy, New Orleans, LA 70121

Casamento's Restaurant
4330 Magazine St, New Orleans, LA 70115

Emeril's Restaurant
800 Tchoupitoulas, New Orleans, LA 70130

Galatoire's Restaurant
209 Bourbon St., New Orleans, LA 70130