Inside The Royal Standard’s Highland-Perkins location, it sneaks up on you.
For shoppers, it’s a hidden surprise in the back of the store. For diners going exclusively to the bistro, the parking lot side entrance gives an off-the-beaten path vibe. The open kitchen, retractable garage-door walls and spacious seating area of The Crown: A Royal Bistro give the cafe an open-concept feel with plenty of natural light.
Before going to the bistro, my dining partner and I wandered through the front of the shop, perusing The Royal Standard’s collection of handmade jewelry and summer wear. That was when we stumbled upon the bistro’s ordering counter and cafe-style tables.
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The restaurant opened late March in partnership with Go Yaya’s Crepes. The dining area is intimate without being crowded, and diners can see Go YaYa’s chef Kevin Black whipping up crepes, sandwiches and salads behind the counter.
We ordered the lunch special: half of one savory crepe, a cup of the soup of the day and a small house salad. I decided on the turkey, brie and jalapeno-cranberry crepe, while my partner ordered the avocado toast with her special. I ordered an iced mocha to drink with my meal, and she got an iced berry-hibiscus tea. We both got a few macarons to finish off our lunch.
Not making a mess while eating the turkey and brie crepes proved to be a challenge, but fumbling my way around my entree was worth it. The housemade jalapeno-cranberry spread from Go YaYa’s perfectly accentuated the flavor of the brie.
The day’s soup, chicken noodle, reminded me of my mother’s homemade chicken and dumplings, chock-full of chicken and thick noodles made from scratch. I’m usually not one to go for the old-fashioned chicken noodle unless I’m feeling under the weather, but this cup was tasty and filling. The accompanying house salad was crisp and refreshing, with arugula, Romano cheese, diced Roma tomatoes and a light lemon vinaigrette.
Alright y’all, time to talk guilty pleasures. Mine is coffee. A smooth cold brew has the power to turn me from a tired, unproductive grouch into my normal, chipper self. I know you hear me, caffeine addicts. Iced mochas are my favorite to get when I’m feeling a sweet tooth, and it’s perfect with the scorching summer heat. The fatal flaw in a mocha is when it’s too heavy on the chocolate, tasting more like a Nesquik than iced coffee. But the bistro’s tread the line nicely. I ordered mine with skim milk, so it wasn’t too sweet but complemented my meal well.
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Our brightly colored dessert of macarons reminded me of a hybrid between crinkle cookies and Oreos. Sweet, light and pretty, the macarons were the right choice to finish our lunch with, and paired wonderfully with my mocha.
The Crown is at 16016 Perkins Road. It operates full service Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., and on Sundays, noon-4 p.m. The bistro serves coffee and pastries all day. theroyalstandard.com/bistro
Fast Break is a 225 Dine series that celebrates lunch in Baton Rouge. Follow along as we tour different dining options for a quick bite around the city.