Monday, July 29, 2013

Christina's Downtown

Pre-Meal Cornbread
Roast Beef and French Fries
Nothing quite says downtown lunch like Christina's. A local hot spot that all the business men and women of downtown love to eat, Christina's serves the area a great priced, home-made breakfast and lunch. Located on what seems like its own island, Christina's faxes out its list of daily specials to its contact list each morning, along with writing them on the boards posted inside the restaurant. Dine-in or take-out, this establishment is an absolute treat. Today, a few of my buddies and I decided to make the stop, and boy did we get our money's worth. As we waited on our meals, our waitress delivered complimentary corn bread rectangles that could not have been a more perfect appetizer for the four of us. It was honestly some of the best corn bread I have had in a long time. Chicken Parmesan served on top of Angel Hair Pasta, Beef Tips served on top of rice, and Fried pork chops were the choices for my three friends. Each of those came with either 2 or 3 sides (depending on the order) for just under $12 each. As you will find out if you continue checking in with me on my adventures through the restaurant world of Baton Rouge, I am a huge fan of homemade roast beef. I decided to have a cup of the chicken and sausage gumbo, and the roast beef po-boy served with french fries. The gumbo was delicious. Being in the south, if you serve gumbo, it better be good, and Christina's gumbo surely did not disappoint. The roast beef po-boy, however, was incredible. Words could not describe my excitement when the waitress dropped the debris-style roast beef in front of me. Every bite I took seemed to taste just a little bit better than the last, and I was sad to see the last bite go. I would easily rank Christina's roast beef as one of the best roast beef po-boys in Baton Rouge, if not the best. Normally, when I stop at Christina's, I look for some of their fried chicken (which I also happen to think is some of the best fried chicken in Baton Rouge, but you will have to find that out for yourself! Just call ahead and make sure they are serving it that day.) I know not everyone in Baton Rouge can get to downtown so easily, but if you find yourself in the area, I would suggest considering Christina's as your lunch stop for the day. Everything on the menu is a delicious meal just the way your mother would cook it, and you can get it for a great price too. From everything I have heard, their breakfast might even be better than their lunch, and that says a whole lot! I surely need to go give their breakfast a shot, and I can not wait to do it!

Christina's Restaurant--> Menu
320 St. Charles Street, Baton Rouge, LA, 70802
(225)336-9512

Christinas on Urbanspoon
Happy Eating, Baton Rouge!
Eat 225

Sunday, July 28, 2013

Brunch with Frankie Marcello's


     Wow, what an incredible way to start this Eat 225 adventure! My first stop in the quest to find the best eats in Baton Rouge took me to an old friend of the Baton Rouge food industry, but a new restaurant: Frankie Marcello’s. With the grand opening in March of this year, Frankie’s has made a quick name for itself serving Italian, Creole, and Seafood varieties.
2 Honey Butter Biscuits
Today, I decided to stop in for something a little bit different: Brunch.  Frankie’s serves brunch on Saturday’s and Sunday’s from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. Walking in around 11 a.m. to a warm smile and energetic greeting from the hostess, my eyes were immediately drawn to the old-fashioned feel of the restaurant.  We were promptly seated in one of their booths, and I could immediately tell we were in for some delicious home cooking.  The service was extremely helpful and quick-paced, aiding with our selection on the menu and telling us about all of Frankie's other specialties throughout each week. I never once had an issue with our server. While deciding what I wanted to order, I was stuck between two of the choices. The Shrimp and Tasso grits (topped with a fried egg, mushrooms, and sriracha sauce) seemed to be too good to pass up, but my stomach was craving something a little bit different: Steak Benedict marchand du vin. With an order of delicious, homemade honey-butter biscuits on the side, this brunch was almost too much to ask for. In fact, my only complaint of the entire meal was that I had too much food! The breakfast potatoes and the grits were really good, but the winner of the morning was the main part of the dish. Two filet steak medallions were cooked to a perfect medium rare and served on top of two english muffin halves. Stacked on top of those were two brilliant poached eggs, with a marchand sauce that brought it all together. At $13.95 for the Steak Marchand, $1.50 for the biscuits, this will be a dish that I can truly come back to every Sunday.
Steak Marchand du vin
Frankie’s has other specials throughout the week that I cannot wait to try, either. On Tuesday and Saturday nights, they have their Steak night. A great deal on an 8oz. filet mignon or a 12oz ribeye served with garlic potatoes, a house salad, and garlic bread. Tuesday is what they call “Bello Vino Notte.” A night that will surely save the wallet: half-priced bottles of wine.
I was very impressed with everything that Frankie’s had to offer for Brunch, and I surely cannot wait to try some of their other specials and their regular menu.  


For a full look at their menu, click Frankie's Menu
Frankie Marcello’s
7520 Perkins Road, Ste 100
Baton Rouge, LA, 70808
(225)767-7979


Frankie Marcello's Restaurant on Urbanspoon
Happy Eating, Baton Rouge!
Eat 225

Saturday, July 27, 2013

Eat 225-- Where to Eat: Baton Rouge

Welcome to Eat 225, a new blog for the food fanatics of the Baton Rouge area. Whether you are new to the area, a seasoned local, or somewhere in between, this website should help people of all ages find good eats ranging of all varieties in the Baton Rouge area. Follow us on twitter to find out when our first post launches, and when all the following ensue.

Happy Eating, BR! And see you soon.

Eat 225