re: Smokey Bones building on Siegen Lane has sold for $2.3M

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those establishments have either not emerged or never gotten off their feet. Why is that? I think it has a lot to do with the lack of long term culinary tradition - maybe being between the Creole and Cajun culinary worlds led to some kind of culnary confusion here, just a theory, could be way off.

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FINALLY, a theory and opinion and an admittance that BR does lack those type of places...thats all I have argued here.

Your theories are interesting and possibly all valid. What say you about my theory that (in part due to the large college population) the overwhelming support for chains scares away many independent owners/chefs?

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What exactly on this thread shows that I am full of myself?

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As a BR native I'm probably just being defensive even when I know what you say is true. We can't compare BR to NOLA. Apples and Oranges.

TA- most level headed BR posters will agree that the BR scene could be improved and that the food scene in NOLA is fantastic given the size of the city.

Your methods though are divisive and breed an us versus them attitude.

I disagree though that BR is chain mecca. Put BR against other similar sized cities(not NOLA) and for the most part it holds its own. That said I agree given the location between NOLA and cajun country there is plenty of room for improvement.

I sure hate to say it...but....I would trade all these Baton Rouge restaurants for one more night at Stella's....It was just that much better from the service to the unique food....I don't want to live in New Orleans but I sure like that it is only an hour away.

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I would trade all these Baton Rouge restaurants for one more night at Stella's

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Right, chef-owned and innovative...if I were a BR chef and ate at Stella! I would think it would inspire me to take a risk and innovate and not make sure spinach artichoke dip is on the menu to feed the generic appetite.

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Try any good places lately in NOLA?

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wouldn't mind trying out iris ..

Lsupimp...you belong on another board. I am choosing to ignore you since you add zero to this conversation.

I will add this since once again you chose to personally attack me: I am not now, nor will ever be a personal injury attorney...other side of the law, my friend. Also, I didn't attack BR people, except to say that their food taste may be different (which is exactly what eelsu is posting here). You, on the other hand, attacked New Orleans on a non-related food issue then its people. Now, you once again get into name-calling...really, try another board.

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if you do open up and steal some customers at the beginning, you have to be exceptional to have a chance...

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eelsu, how do you mean?

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Lastly maybe the bigger issue is that people here don't care as much about the restaurant experience or attention to detail? Maybe they search out dining options that are simply big portions that are average and affordable?

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I think this is the point that I was making...in New Orleans people are obsessed to an extent with food and the dining experience. If you took away our tourists, the restaurant population would decrease a bit, but the scene would still be exceptional for a smaller city due to this way we have been raised. We are very much a food city.

Again, I agree that the college population has a lot to do with the restaurant selection around the campus area.

baton rouge has its pluses and minuses just like any mid-sized city would .. food and dining is not one of our pluses .. even though the jam packed parking lots on friday nights at restaurants would beg to differ .. i am amazed that we don't have one really high quality seafood restaurant here .. we have no true cajun restaurants here either .. hell, all we have are sushi bars and cheesy mexican joints on every corner ...

flemings and ruth's are a high-end night out here .. when i wanted fine dining, i just got into the habit of going down to new orleans ..

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Cash, most don't admit this on here

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I'll respectfully disagree. There are many who do, I'm not sure how to calculate if it is few, some, fair amount or most.

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Your methods though are divisive and breed an us versus them attitude.




How is that:

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You use any opportunity to down BR's food scene. For example this thread had nothing to do with chains yet you interjected it into the thread.

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BR could be doing much better

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I agree, but I still still would put our scene up against Mobile's, Beaumont's, Jackson's, Birmingham's, etc.