Taste of history:Each month across our 20th year, 225 will revisit restaurants from our past coverage. From Capital Region classics and award-winners to trendsetters and hidden gems, these businesses have helped shape our dining culture.
Last year marked a significant milestone for Louisiana Lagniappe, the fine-dining restaurant on Perkins Road known for its Gulf seafood-centric menu. The concept celebrated 40 years in business, first opening in Destin, Florida, in 1984 before relocating to Baton Rouge in 1996.
Along with the anniversary, Louisiana Lagniappe experienced another big event. Founder and longtime owner Kevin Ortego sold the business.
In November, Ortego passed the torch to Alfred Kulici, owner and executive chef of La Contea Italiano Ristorante and a seasoned operator with six additional restaurants in Texas and Louisiana.
Ortego recalls the reaction from loyal patrons when news of the ownership change emerged.
“I’d run into people at the grocery store, and they’d say, ‘You can’t sell,’” Ortego laughs. “And I’d say, ‘Calm down. It’s going to be fine.’”
The Cocodrie at Louisiana Lagniappe features fish topped with soft-shell crawfish, artichoke hearts and hollandaise sauce
Kulici recognized the weight of taking on such a well-regarded restaurant. Louisiana Lagniappe has been a consistent top-placer in the Best of 225 Awards, winning Best Seafood Dishes nearly every year since 2012 and taking home the Best Overall Restaurant award each year from 2014 to 2017.
It’s also bucked industry trends: remaining a dinner-only establishment when restaurants feel the pressure to add more dayparts, and also sourcing seafood exclusively from the Gulf even amidst soaring post-pandemic inflation.
“This restaurant is part of Baton Rouge history,” Kulici says. “Buying it wasn’t just an investment—it was about continuing its legacy and taking it to the next level.”
Kulici shadowed Ortego and his team for three months to learn every aspect of the restaurant’s operations, including how to execute its longstanding recipes.
“I wanted to learn the way they did it, so I made myself forget everything I already knew about things, like making a sauce or cooking pasta,” Kulici says. “I went into the kitchen, and said, ‘I’m here, and I want to start from the bottom.’”
The Pontchartrain at Louisiana Lagniappe
Seafood-stuffed bell peppers at Louisiana Lagniappe
Kulici says he was impressed by the Louisiana Lagniappe team’s precision, noting that ingredients down to salt and pepper are measured out meticulously every day. He also built relationships with Ortego’s decades-long seafood suppliers to maintain the restaurant’s standards.
The menu holds signature dishes like the Pontchartrain, fresh fish topped with fried soft-shell crab, hollandaise sauce and honey-roasted pecans and almonds; and seafood-stuffed bell peppers with jumbo lump crabmeat and shrimp, finished with beurre blanc sauce. Specials like the Cocodrie—a fan favorite of fish topped with soft-shell crawfish, artichoke hearts and hollandaise sauce—continue to draw regulars.
Other offerings include traditional fried seafood, New Orleans-style barbecue shrimp and tournedos: beef tenderloin medallions topped with sautéed shrimp, jumbo lump crabmeat and béarnaise sauce.
Operating as a dinner-only restaurant affords the kitchen team the luxury of day-long prep, Kulici says. Crews arrive at 6:30 a.m. to start assembling the menu’s foundational elements.
“We have an incredible crew,” Kulici says.
Alfred and Rudina Kulici took over Louisiana Lagniappe in November.
Kulici and his wife, Rudina Kulici, have been building relationships with Louisiana Lagniappe’s loyal customers while continuing to run La Contea on Jefferson Highway, which they opened in 2017.
Kulici sees opportunities for cross-pollination between the two restaurants, noting that owning Louisiana Lagniappe has already influenced his approach to cooking and operations at La Contea.
“I see Louisiana Lagniappe as the mother,” he says, “and La Contea as the son.”
This article was originally published in the March 2025 issue of 225 Magazine.
