Ruffino's - Baton Rouge, LA - Valentine's Lifesaver

Ruffino's Italian Restaurant

Location - Baton Rouge, LA

Meal - Dinner

Date - February 14, 2010

The Set-Up - As it has before on other holidays, Ruffino's came through for us on Valentine's Day by being open all afternoon and evening on Sunday. Without a reservation, we showed up at about 3:00 p.m., avoiding both the lunch and dinner crowds, which our waiter said would add up to the restaurant's busiest day of the year, and cap their busiest weekend.

Ruffino's is owned by Baton Rouge restauranteur T.J. Moran. Former LSU football star Ruffin Rodrigue donates his name to what Moran previously called Highland House and DiNardo's (after two LSU head football coaches ago - Gerry DiNardo). Moran, Rodrigue and Chef Peter Scalfani bill Ruffino's fare as Italian-Creole fusion - unique in Baton Rouge.


The Meal - Due to the high volume of diners, Ruffino's offered a limited Valentine's menu, but still with plenty of good choices. We took it easy, ordering just an appetizer, one entree to share and a bottle of wine. The crab ravioli was as good as advertised. Having eaten a lot of steak recently, we opted for the Pork Tchoupitoulas (there's a bit of a pun there) - two large pork chops topped with New Orleans-style barbecue shrimp. We also enjoyed bread and olive oil, though the olive oil part could have been at another recent restaurant meal.

Drinks - We washed it all down with a lovely Estancia Pinot Grigio from California.


Ambience - In between rush periods, Ruffino's was quiet and romantic, albeit a bit dark upon first entry. As with many restaurants operated by celebrities or near-celebrities, they like to hang pictures of their clientele posing with restaurant management. Fortunately, the displays are focused in the foyer and other non-dining areas.

Service - Top notch. Our 20-year veteran waiter answered all our questions about the menu (noting that the pork came with steamed asparagus, making it unnecessary for us to order a side of veggies), made recommendations, refilled our wine glasses and followed up for other needs.

The Check - The receipt has moved from my wallet, but I remember the total being about $100 with tax and tip. The pork entree was about $30, the appetizer about $13 and the wine another $30 or so

The Scoreboard (one-to-five scale)

Food - 4.5 - Ravioli was a five; the pork a little lower as the meat could have been more tender.

Drinks - 4 - very nice wine, but I've had pinot grigio just as good for about $10 less.

Ambience - 5 - perfect for the occasion, once I found our table in the relative darkness.

Service - 5 - what you'd expect and hope for at a high-end restaurant. Kudos also for the expanded Valentine's Day hours.

Price/Value - I'll call it 4.5. Going with the filet mignon might have provided better value, though the barbecue shrimp were a treat.


Overall Assessment

Special Occasion

Favorite - Ruffino's isn't my first choice among Baton Rouge special occasion restaurants, but its overall quality and availability make it a more than adequate backup and a family favorite.

Very Good

Good Enough

If Hungry Enough

Keep Driving and Looking


18811 Highland Rd.
Baton Rouge, LA 70809
225-753-3458

Hours:

Open daily at 4:30pm
Sunday 11:00am - 9:00pm

Ruffino's Italian Restaurant

Mr. B's Bistro - New Orleans, LA - French Quarter Favorite

Mr. B's Bistro
New Orleans, LA
Brunch
December 20, 2009

The Set-Up - We expected to be eating lunch in the Charlotte, NC airport or not at all, but our trip to Philadelphia on US Airways was postponed due to a snowstorm in the Northeast. After five hours in the New Orleans airport, we were told to come back on Tuesday. To soften the blow we headed to Mr. B's Bistro in the French Quarter for brunch. It's been one of our favorite restaurants in New Orleans for a couple of years now. Lots of other folks had the same idea, but still our wait was only about the advertised 30 minutes.


The Meal - Kay and Kallie are locked down on Mr. B's barbecued shrimp. These are served whole, swimming (figuratively) in a peppery sauce and served with two pieces of French bread. They shared an order (actually two appetizers for just $16 total) and got a salad ($7.50) and Gumbo YaYa (chicken and andouille sausage - $7.50) respectively as starters. I went with a three-course deal - Gumbo YaYa, lamb chops (two rib chops) and eggs (scrambled in truffle oil) and bread pudding for dessert ($30).

A meal at Mr. B's always begins with a small loaf of warm French bread. It's a good thing they don't bring two, or you'd have no room for a delicious meal. Kay raved over her salad, which featured bacon and a vinaigrette dressing. I ate all my gumbo and some of Kallie's - it was very spicy - Mr. B's isn't shy with the black pepper. The roux was rich and dark, and the andouille sausage was lean and scrumptious.

Kallie's not much for separating shrimp heads from tails and the subsequent peeling, so I helped, which earned me a half shrimp later. Did I mention the black pepper in this delicious sauce?


My lamb chops were perfectly cooked to medium rare. The truffled eggs may spoil me forever for regular scrambled eggs. Our waitress said that the secret was to buy some truffle oil. I hope it's that easy.

The single order of bread pudding with whisky sauce was plenty of dessert for all of us after the big meal. It was tasty, but I had to work around the raisins, so this was probably my least favorite course.

Lunch in the French Quarter isn't complete without a drink or two. I had a bloody mary - there's that pepper again. Kay had a bellini and a lime drink named after Saints' QB Drew Brees, which she liked, but I didn't think much of - too sour. Kallie liked the glowing pink color of the lime drink and approved its taste and that of the bellini. All the mixed drink specials were priced at $6.

Ambience - Mr. B's is a lively place. It's essentially one large dining room abuzz with diners, servers and other staff. The furnishings are lovely and management offered a special treat for Sunday brunch - a three-piece Dixieland jazz band. Check out the brief video clip of "When the Saints Go Marching In" - corny, but somehow loads of fun.


The Check - Our bill for three for brunch (including three drinks) was about $114 with tax and tip. Even at $30, the three-course meal represented good value as I got two beautiful lamb chops on Royal Street in the French Quarter for about $20 (allowing for the value of the gumbo and dessert). $8 per bowl of barbecued shrimp seemed like a good deal as well.


The Scoreboard (one-to-five scale)

Food - five (make sure you like black pepper if you order the shrimp or gumbo)

Dessert - three (ordering profiteroles from the dessert menu would have worked better)

Ambience - five (a happy place, though I'd liked it better if the restrooms weren't down a long flight of stairs)

Service - five (we had two dedicated and friendly servers, one of whom volunteered to take our picture)

Price/Value - four (not bad for a Brennan restaurant - Mr. B's gets my vote over the more renowned Brennan's)


Overall Assessment

Special Occasion (We've had great dinners here too. Mr. B's would be a great spot for a birthday or anniversary dinner. Is having your flight cancelled a special occasion?)

Favorite (And sometimes we eat here for no reason at all, other than we like it.)

Very Good

Good Enough

If Hungry Enough

Keep Driving and Looking


Other Issues - Parking is almost always an issue in the New Orleans French Quarter. I wish I had some good ideas. Bless their hearts, the girls dropped me off nearby and parked in a lot about a 15-minute walk away.

Travel Tip - Mr. B's is at the corner of Royal St. and Iberville St. in the French Quarter. Royal Street is often closed to vehicular traffic, so it's best to approach from Iberville St. Or better yet to stay in a hotel and walk to dinner.


Mr. B's Bistro

Hours of Operation

Lunch
Monday – Saturday 11:30 am – 2:00 pm
Bar menu served from 2:00 pm - 5:30 pm
View Lunch Menu

Sunday Jazz Brunch
10:30 am – 2:00 pm
View Brunch Menu

Dinner
Nightly 5:30 pm – 9:00 pm
View Dinner Menu

201 Royal Street
New Orleans, LA 70130

(P) 504/523-2078
(F) 504/521-8304

dine@mrbsbistro.com