A Foodie Mecca in Baton Rouge

by

Foodways

Once again, we bring your attention to the Perkins Road overpass area in Baton Rouge, now teeming with so many dining (and shopping) experiences that Baton Rouge natives barely recognize this once-dejected part of the city.

Though Country Roads has briefly covered the opening of City Pork before, now that the deli/charcuterie is open, we can bring you additional details. Their limited, soft-opening menu features four different sandwiches prepared with their in-house, made-from-scratch deli meats, a soup du jour, and two salad options. They also offer cheese boards and charcuterie boards for $12 and $14, respectively. If you join them on any Wednesday through Saturday from 4 pm–7 pm, their happy hour prices cut $3 off each of those boards, $1 off bottled water, and $2 off a glass of wine.

Dan Robert is the outfit’s curemaster—the gentleman in charge of the meat, from live animal procurement all the way through butchering, curing, and processing. Customers may—among many other products—buy whole turkeys, stock up on tasso and andouille, or buy a few pounds of the deli’s in-house bacon. They even make their own pickles.

The one item City Pork outsources is the bread, relying on the famous Puparts brand to ensure the high quality of their sandwiches. Oh! And they serve Swamp Pop (be sure to check out our article on this new soda in the January issue)!

The arrival of Trader Joe’s, having received as much media attention as a papal visit, can’t be news to anyone. But we’d like to point out that the looky-loos have left, and the store is now reasonably easy to navigate. Plus, the installation of a street light at the parking lot entrance makes traffic a little less of a quagmire. Trader Joe’s staff is unbelievably helpful and good-humored, their cookie and candy aisle is the stuff of dreams, and some of their prepared salads and soups are good for a quick grab-and-go lunch.

Just a few doors down from Trader Joe’s is La Divina Italian Cafe, a Magazine Street import. The original cafe in New Orleans is owned by Carmelo and Katrina Turillo, and it is from this location that the Baton Rouge branch receives its baked goods, gelatos, and sorbets. As the menu touts, their gelatos and sorbets are “crafted from scratch daily using local Dairy grass-fed milk, Louisiana farm fresh seasonal fruits and honey, and the best chocolate, nuts and herbs available.”

Twenty-four flavors are available, from bourbon pecan and crème brûlée to Cioccolato Scuro (dark chocolate) and Cioccolato Azteco (dark chocolate, cayenne pepper, and Mexican cinnamon). Ping Pong is a New Orleans flavor featuring red cream soda and sweetened condensed milk, plus there’s Abita root beer, Tahitian vanilla, and satsuma basil. Their bambino size (2 oz.) is $2.25, with the sizes graduate to an 8 oz. for $5.99. Or you can just stop fooling yourself and purchase a pint for an even ten-spot.

The cafe also serves paninis, salads, and soups along with authentic Italian espresso to accompany their fresh-baked pastries. Baton Rouge native Lance LeBlanc owns the Baton Rouge location; and you are likely to catch him behind the counter, perhaps explaining his Italian roots.