Capital Cuisine

Loyalties run deep in Baton Rouge and beyond. They cheer for the Louisiana State University Tigers and don purple and gold to declare their allegiance. The morning drink of choice is the hometown brand, Community Coffee. And the rich food traditions are a point of local pride.

Travel along the scenic River Road to New Orleans’ Plantation Country and explore grand antebellum plantations like Houmas House in Darrow, once home to wealthy planters of sugar cane, a crop that thrived in the fertile soil and is still vital to the state’s economy. Houmas House chef Jeremy Langlois is a rising star. Be sure to try his creations at Latil's Landing, one of the on-site restaurants. Several plantation homes offer on-site dining, but other great locally owned choices dot the trail, including Roberto's River Road Restaurant. Their seafood-stuffed shrimp are must-eats. 

Continue to follow the serpentine Mississippi River to the growing capital city. Baton Rouge boasts a culinary scene of chic fine dining, like Tsunami, and casual college town classics, like George’s, where the slogan is “You’ll fit right in!” It's also home to Viking Cooking School Outdoors, where you can take a themed cooking class from the Hilton Baton Rouge Capitol Center's pool deck overlooking the Mississippi River. On Wednesdays, check out the Food Truck Wround Up to sample the varied cuisine of Baton Rouge's mobile restaurant scene. If you love a good brew, visit Tin Roof Brewing, which offers free tours on select evenings.

Perhaps more than any other, this trail pays tribute to both Louisiana’s indelible past and its promising future.