Before its debut, you may have noticed the restaurant’s offerings available via the frozen aisle section at your favorite grocer. However, CPK’s actual presence in the area allows customers to have a fresh take on some of the company’s finest dishes. Among the selections are pizzas (obviously..), soups, salads, pastas and more.

Hawaiian BBQ Chicken Pizza: California Pizza Kitchen

I made my highly anticipated return to California Pizza Kitchen (it had been awhile) yesterday when I had a random craving for some barbecue. There’s nothing like the tangy taste of barbecue on pizza crust! I ordered to-go and was pleasantly surprised to receive my meal as soon as I got to the restaurant (curb-side parking by the way!).

The pizza itself is around 10 inches, give or take some. It features onions, chicken and it’s topped with cilantro. However, what makes this dish even more unique is that it has pineapple. The crust and dough itself is just right. It’s not under-cooked or over-cooked either. It’s not covered too heavily in cheese. All the ingredients come together to form a perfect balance. The barbecue sauce is tangy and completely delicious. It meshes together with the crust in an amazing way. The addition of the pineapples adds a uniquely fresh take to a mostly traditionally barbecue-based treat. The cilantro adds an extra kick that makes the entire taste even more special. Now, I know the idea of such a fruit on a pizza isn’t appealing to everyone, but it’s something I think every pizza lover should try at least once.

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Contact Info: 10001 Perkins Road  Baton Rouge, LA 70810 (225) 766-3840 http://www.cpk.com/

Teriyaki Boneless Wings

I like my wings boneless. I know there are those who will disagree, but for me, it’s simply a way to get rid of an extra hassle. Buffalo Wild Wings offers a wide variety of wing sauces including Sweet BBQ, Spicy Garlic, Thai Curry, Mango Habanero and many more. One of my favorites in particular includes Teriyaki. Today I decided to order the 8 Teriyaki boneless wings with a side of the potato wedges.

The wings arrived completely covered in the sauce. Not too much sauce, not too little, they were just right. The sauce itself presents that traditional teriyaki taste, a bit tangy and very tasty. The wings themselves were cooked just right, pretty tender in the middle but just crunchy enough on the edges. I usually get them with a side of ranch, something all wings seem to go incredibly well with. Overall, the wings made for a splendid treat! The potato wedges were delicious as well. They were fried to perfection and featured a sour cream taste with chives.

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Contact Info:

2730 West Thomas Street Hammond, LA 70401 (985) 419-0101 http://www.buffalowildwings.com/

Chicken Fajitas

Today my friend and I decided to check out the La Carreta location off of Bluebonnet Drive (close to Highland Road). One of my favorite things about Mexican cuisine is getting chips and salsa. If you’re super hungry, you don’t have to wait around. You get something to chow down on immediately. La Carreta’s chips are good (not too crisp) and the salsa is uniquely smooth (not too chunky). I also really like the way in which they serve the salsa. They give you a large container for it where you can just continuously pour it into your bowl if you run out (This works well if you’re a salsa hog like me).

So what to order? Something that’s hard to go wrong with at Mexican restaurants would be the fajitas. I decided on the chicken ones in particular. The plate arrived steaming hot with the key ingredients of chicken, onions and more. The chicken was cooked just right, tender containing that authentic Mexican kick. The onions were grilled to perfection (quite tender as well). Also included with the dish was a plate containing my favorite sides of sour cream, beans, rice and pico de gallo (which was all great). The flour tortillas are soft but manage to hold all the ingredients together. Everything La Carreta offers with this meal makes for a great fajita experience. So give La Carreta a chance if you haven’t already. Great time!

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Contact Info:

9828 Bluebonnet, Baton Rouge, LA 70810 http://www.carretarestaurant.com

Chicken Roll-Ups

I’ve been to Zoes a few times before. Usually I eat in and order their chicken salad sandwich (which is a great selection). However, today I was ordering takeout and wanted to try something different. I decided on the Chicken Roll-Ups, an entrée that features four tortilla wraps filled with chicken, lettuce, tomatoes, caramelized onions and feta cheese. Like some of the other entrees at the restaurant, this dish comes with a side. These include your selection of potato salad, pasta salad, rice pilaf, seasonal fresh fruit, marinated slaw, white beans or a side of Greek salad (but add an extra $1.45 if you want the salad). By the way, all sides are great!

While the dish itself may appear somewhat plain at first site, it’s definitely quite a treat. The caramelized onions go great with the feta cheese, combining a smoked oniony taste with the sharp taste of feta. This factor definitely heightens the taste of the chicken along with the overall experience. The chicken itself is cooked just right and has a tender texture. The dish itself is served with a side of salsa, something that I found didn’t really go well with the tortillas. I tried dipping them in the salsa but the taste just didn’t appeal to me personally, so I decided to pass on using it for the remainder of my meal. The tortilla themselves are crisp, but not overly cooked. Overall, Zoes Kitchen provides an experience that is affordable, quick to serve and quite tasty!

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Contact Info:

7415 Corporate Boulevard Suite 950 Baton Rouge LA 70809 225-216-3534 http://zoeskitchen.com

It’s a great location for a restaurant. Spend some time with your friends, family and/or loved ones shopping then grab a bite to eat here! Service is always friendly and the restaurant itself usually has some unbeatable deals going on.

Rainbow Roll

I must admit, I’ve been quite a few times so I have a unique perspective on much of what the restaurant offers. For an appetizer, it’s hard to go wrong with the snow crab salad. However, some of your other options include edamame and Miso soup.

The food varies greatly in price. While there’s much the menu has to offer, sushi is always the main highlight at a Japanese restaurant. Rolls including the crunchy and snow crab are affordable and taste great. However, if you’re looking for something a bit more exquisite, look no further than one of my favorites, the Rainbow Roll. It’s made up of salmon, snow crab, avocado and sea weed all wrapped tightly around the rice to form what looks like a rainbow. Not only does this roll look super cool, even better, it tastes amazing. If you love raw sushi, this is definitely a must.

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Contact Info:

6401 Bluebonnet Blvd. Baton Rouge, LA 70836 (225) 767-3389

TJ’s Select Pork Ribs

Today I decided to go for one the restaurant’s most signature dishes, the pork ribs. I ordered the half rack as I wanted to try some of the side dishes including the baked beans and the mashed potatoes. The food was promptly served and at first sight, I knew I’d be in for a treat.

The half rack itself comes covered in sauce, but that doesn’t mean you can’t add more. On every table at the restaurant are two additional sauces including mild and hot, so apply as much as you like! The sauce itself provides that rich barbecue taste, essential to setting the overall tone of the dish. The ribs themselves came crispy and slightly darkened on some parts of the outside, but the meat on the inside remained tender and came right off the bones. The taste itself provided for that traditional barbecue flare which was undoubtedly delightful.

TJ Ribs provides a great variety of sides including coleslaw, French fries, corn grits, spicy green beans, sautéed garlic mushrooms and more. My selections today were the baked beans and mashed potatoes. The baked beans are served somewhat watery, but this only makes them especially unique because the sauce is so good – who wouldn’t want more? The mashed potatoes are ground to perfection, but leave just enough consistency that makes them not too smooth. Overall, TJ Ribs provides its customers with a delicious selection of entrees in an atmosphere that will bring out the LSU fan in anyone.

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Contact Info:

2324 South Acadian Thruway – 225.383.RIBS (7427) http://www.tjribs.com/

Voodoo has very friendly service. The line to order moves quickly and the food prep time is quick. The one thing that stands out is how every member of the staff (from bus-boy to manager) seemed to ask us how our meal was and if there was anything we needed. Excellent service! Voodoo also has a nice family atmosphere featuring a full service bar and televisions everywhere. The restaurant recently received new management. It’s definitely a nice place!

As big of a barbecue fan as I am, I’m ashamed to admit that I have just recently ate at Voodoo BBQ for the first time.  Even though you can now pretty much find a Voodoo BBQ anywhere in the area nowadays, I was finally compelled enough to give it a try. My original perception of Voodoo BBQ, before ever stepping in the place, had always been that it was expensive. Boy was I wrong! Voodoo offers very competitive prices with each plate averaging under $10.

Pulled Pork and Brisket Platter

Since this was my first trip, I made sure to try as many items as possible, and that usually means one thing: I’m gonna be sampling my company’s food as well as my own. I guess its obvious I’ve never been to dinner etiquette school. I decided on the pulled pork and brisket platter with a side of potato salad and Rattlesnake Beans. My company ordered the spicy chicken tenders with macaroni and cheese, potato salad and a side of coleslaw.Now, once the feast was brought out to our table, it was very important to decide whether to sauce or not to sauce and which of three sauces to use. Voodoo offers a traditional tangy cane sugar vinegar-based sauce called Cane Vinegar, a spicy sauce called Mango Crystal, and a unique yet traditional sauce called Mojo (Moe-Joe). After trying all three, I decided on the their most popular Mojo sauce. It is has a very original taste that causes an explosion of the palette. It’s sweet, tangy, smoky and spicy which causes your brain cells to go completely comatose.Now I was ready to dive into the delicious looking barbecue and already eyeing my company’s plate as well. The brisket had the honor of being the first thing I tried on my plate. It was delicious! Very tender and seasoned nicely. The only thing I thought it was missing was smoke. I would have loved a more smoky flavor in the brisket, but all around, nicely done!Next I tried the pulled pork. The pork is very moist and not overly seasoned, allowing the sauce to be the perfect compliment. When it comes down to it, if you like your pork dry, I would say it was a little on the bland side, but add the sauce and you have a very decent meal.Now after seeing the size of my company’s plate, I knew I wouldn’t even have to ask for a bite. I knew she wouldn’nt finish and offer me a nibble. The spicy chicken tenders came with four gigantic strips that dwarf any other tenders you can find.  After a few minutes passed by, my prediction came true: she offered me a tender because she couldn’t eat another bite. The spicy chicken tenders were great! They were juicy and had a nice kick, though they were not really hot,  they were just perfect. Excellent choice.

Now let’s talk about the sides. The mac and cheese was thick, creamy and delicious. The rattlesnake beans were very typical. Nothing too special about them and they reminded me of canned beans. Just my opinion, but if you give your beans the special name “Rattlesnake”, I want to experience something new and exciting. Otherwise, just call them beans. The coleslaw was also very good, featuring a crunchy texture.Now I guess you could say I saved the best for last. The potato salad is amazing! It may be the best potato salad I have ever eaten. It’s an extremely thick and meaty mayonnaise-based potato salad that seemed to put me in a euphoric state with each bite. From now on I will be ordering two sides of potato salad! In conclusion, if you are looking for good-solid barbecue, then Voodoo BBQ is the place. I will be coming back again!

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Contact Info:

Denham Springs, LA 70726 (225) 667-3334 www.voodoobbqandgrill.com

Salt & Pepper Calamari 

With appetizers at PF Chang’s, your options include eggrolls, dumplings, edamame, lettuce wraps and more. However, one of my favorites has to be the Salt & Pepper Calamari (Fried squid in case you’re guessing..). It’s thinly sliced and comes with an amazingly sweet dipping sauce. If you’ve never tried calamari, it has a rubbery kind of texture to it. But that fact that it’s so thinly sliced makes it hard to pick up on, making it suitable for anyone who might show the slightest bit of unease for eating this seafood. The calamari pieces are served atop fried noodles which definitely don’t have too much taste to them but somehow succeed in adding a flare to the dish. However, something that is definitely tasty are the green onions sprinkled atop the calamari itself. Also included is salt and pepper on the side, so feel free dip the calamari in that as well (or sprinkle on top if you prefer). Try it! Trust me, it’s worth it.

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Contact Info:

7341 Corporate Boulevard  Baton Rouge, LA 70809 (225) 216-9044

Tiger Cheesesteak Review

Today I visited South of Philly for lunch and ordered one of their most popular cheesesteaks, the Tiger Steak with whiz and onions. The Tiger Steak is a 7″ cheesesteak (comes in other sizes) that has been spiced up with jalapenos and Cajun seasoning and topped off with a cheese of your choice.  I decided on topping off my sandwich with a drenching of cheese whiz. The flavor of the whiz smothers the steak and adds a burst of cheesy flavor that perfectly compliments’ the spiciness. This is the perfect mix of Louisiana flavor and a true Philadelphia cheesesteak.

What makes South of Philly’s cheese steaks so great is its authenticity. They only use fresh sliced ribeye that is made to order. The restaurant also imports its Amoroso’s rolls straight from the City of Brotherly Love. It’s this attention to detail that make their cheesesteaks one of the best around.

Another thing that makes this place a must visit are the fries. Their thin cut fries are sliced daily and seasoned perfectly making them the best fries in Baton Rouge (you can quote me on that)!

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Contact Info:

4353 S Sherwood Forest Blvd Baton Rouge, LA 70816, (225) 291-1003

Asian Tuna Salad Review:

I love Asian salads so when I went to Zea Rotisserie and Grill for the first time, I had to try what looked like one of their most unique menu items. Today I had Zea’s Asian Tuna Salad. It contains romaine lettuce covered with some items that make this dish uniquely special: Sesame seeds, almonds and crispy noodles.

However, the most important factor that gives this salad its kick is the peanut vinaigrette dressing which combines a particular sweetness with a unique peanut taste. But let’s not forget the tuna. It’s cooked very rare (think red in most of the middle but cooked on the outer edges). One you bit into it, it’s almost like eating cotton candy. It’s also flavored immaculately with tasty spices on the outer edges (Just of quick note, Zea also offers a similar salad that instead contains chicken). So if you’re a fan of lightly cooked tuna or just simply enjoy Asian food in general, Zea’s Asian Tuna Salad is worth a try.

Food Review:

2380 Towne Center Blvd. Suite C Baton Rouge, LA 70806 http://www.zearestaurants.com