When French explorers first came upon the site of BATON ROUGE in 1699, they found poles smeared in animal blood to designate the separate hunting grounds of the Houmas and Bayougoulas Indians. The area on these shallow bluffs therefore appeared on French maps as Baton Rouge - "red stick." Now capital of Louisiana and the fifth biggest port in the US, Baton Rouge is an easygoing city for its size.
Downtown Baton Rouge virtually shuts down on weekends; for coffee bars, funky diners and the bulk of the city's nightlife , you'll need to head to the shopping centers out on I-10 or to the area around the LSU campus, along College Drive, Chimes Street and Highland Road.
The Bayou 124 W Chimes St tel 225/346-1765. A trendy bar with pool tables and live music, catering to a rowdy local crowd.
Chelsea's Café 148 W State St tel 225/387-3679. Great local bands and an eclectic open mic night on Mon, plus table soccer and two separate bars.
The Chimes 3357 Highland Rd tel 225/383-1754. Well-heeled regulars come to watch televised sports events and choose from a humbling selection of over 120 beers. Next door to the Varsity .
Mike Anderson's Seafood Restaurant 1031 W Lee Drive tel 225/766-7823. Serves the area's best seafood gumbo, along with lots of Cajun-inspired fish dishes.
Juban's 3739 Perkins Rd tel 225/346-8422. The place for pricey (entrees around $18) but inventive Creole-style seafood, such as blackened crawfish cakes and pecan-crusted snapper.
Ralph and Kacoo's 6110 Bluebonnet Blvd tel 225/766-8634. Lunch with the politicos in the capitol's dining room, where breaded seafood ranges from catfish to crawfish for around $12.
Varsity Theatre 3353 Highland Rd tel 225/383-7018. A live music venue with the permanent party vibe of a fraternity-sorority mixer, the Varsity hosts some decent rock and country acts as well as the ubiquitous LSU pre-game party.
