Rob Kitchen, entertainment writer
Catfish Poboy – Dempsey’s Poboys
Price: $9.99 for a large catfish poboy
Presentation and Taste: It’s nothing special, but that’s not a bad thing. A poboy has never been a fancy sandwich, so no need to make it look the part. But, the fried catfish is crunchy and the seasonings don’t overpower the fish, letting its flavors accent the sandwich. New Orleans may be the poboy capital of the world, but this sandwich can fend for itself.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Fish and Chips – The Londoner Grill
Price: $12 for a plate of fish and chips
Presentation and Taste: Fish sitting next to a nice helping of fries — it looks like what anyone would expect. Why overcomplicate something that doesn’t need to be? For pub food, you can’t beat fish and chips and The Londoner does it best. The fish may be a tad bit greasy, but it still has a great flavor that can’t be beat. The fries are salty and accent the fish for an amazing combination.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Shrimp and Crab Quesadilla – Mestizo Restaurant
Price: $14 for a shrimp and crab quesadilla
Presentation and Taste: The quesadilla speaks for itself with a light garnishing of cheese; it looks elegant and appealing. As for the taste, I wasn’t sure what to expect with this one, but it surprised me. The crab and shrimp mesh well with the other ingredients to make a fantastic mix. I thought it was a bit sloppy, but it’s still fantastic.
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Katie Daigrepont, entertainment writer
The Chimes’ Louisiana Alligator
Price: $10.95
Taste: Marinated and served blackened or fried, Louisiana alligator is one of the most popular dishes served at The Chimes. But the sauce is the boss, as far as this dish is concerned. The rich dipping sauce that comes with it gives the alligator that perfect kick of flavor. Although the blackened gator was a bit too chewy for me, the marinade sauce all but made up for it.
Rating: 3 out of 5
Koi Sushi’s Jurassic Roll
Price: $13.95
Taste: Although sushi isn’t always associated with seafood, this roll is bathing in it. Not only is it topped with eel, fresh salmon and avocado, it’s also loaded with crawfish tails and more avocado on the inside. Not to mention it’s dripping with spicy mayo, eel sauce and crunchy batter. The presentation alone will make you drool, but it’s the flavors of eel, salmon and crawfish mixing perfectly together with the avocado that make this roll a real winner.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Chelsea’s Café’s Fried Calamari and Parmesan Poboy
Price: $9.95
Taste: Truthfully, I had no idea what to expect for my first squid poboy. I live for a good New Orleans-style poboy, but this concept was foreign to me. The non-traditional soft poboy bread held the sandwich together nicely, and its flavor made up for the absence of French bread. Stuffed with endless amounts of fried calamari and served with tomato basil and French fries, this is easily one of the best sandwiches in Baton Rouge. My only complaint was that it could have used a little more Parmesan cheese.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Gallery • 5 Photos

Grace Steinhauser

Wild Caught Catfish Poboy at Dempsey's on Coursey Blvd.