Chef Don has been voted Best Caterer for years now—and his reign isn’t letting up. Whether you want to plan a brunch with chicken and waffles or a lunch with crawfish-stuffed bell peppers, he and his team have you covered. They’ll go above and beyond planning your menu. Get a feel for Chef Don’s style at Bergeron’s City Market, where the rotating lunch menu serves dishes like fried catfish, shrimp cakes with remoulade and barbecue pork ribs. chefdonb.com
DID YOU KNOW?
Chef Don Bergeron’s personal fave foods to eat are Louisiana-style home-cooked dishes, including crawfish, sticky ribs and gumbo.
It’s game day in Death Valley, and you know what time it is. Time to wear purple, gold or both. Tiger Mania is a one-stop shop for all your color-coordinated threads, from button-ups to tees featuring that famous eye of the tiger. Pick something up from here, and you’ll be shouting “Geaux Tigers!” at the top of your lungs in no time. Find Tiger Mania on Facebook
Runners up: Bengals & Bandits — 17.6%
Purple & Gold Sports Shop — 13.6%
Bella Bella — 11.3%
The Royal Standard — 10.9%
BEST LOCAL GROCERY STORE
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ROUSES MARKETS — 38%
Honestly, who doesn’t shop at Rouses? The grocer has become a staple of our everyday lives, a place where you can get your fill of fresh Creole tomatoes and hot-from-the-pot boiled crawfish. Rouses says it strives for responsibly sourced seafood and always puts local food first. And the cherry on top of this sundae: You can now get your groceries delivered. rouses.com
It’s got sport coats and crewnecks a-plenty; it’s got T-shirts and pullovers galore. You want polos? It’s got more than 20. Disney-inspired jingles aside, Carriages Fine Clothier can keep you looking dapper. Don’t forget to hit the sale section for some great deals and steals—if you want more. carriagesbr.com
Runners up: Perlis — 24%
McLavy Ltd. — 13%
Harper’s Haberdashery — 11%
Brown & Brown Custom Clothiers — 10.3%
BEST MECHANIC
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CHABILL’S TIRE & AUTO SERVICE — 29.9%
Chabill’s slogan says it all: “We keep you rolling.” The establishment provides full-service maintenance and auto-repair services, so it can handle your flat tires, wheel alignments, tune-ups and much more. And, it takes all-comers, whether your car is foreign or domestic, sedan or SUV. chabillstire.com
Runners up: Ragusa’s Automotive — 17%
Gordon & Sandifer Auto Service — 14.3%
Keith’s Automotive Repair — 12.5%
University Car Care Center — 11.2%
BEST HOTEL
Photo courtesy Watermark Baton Rouge
WATERMARK BATON ROUGE — 31.3%
Looking up at the Watermark from outside, you might never know it was an old bank. But inside, the design of the grandiose 12-story downtown hotel revolves around its history. The building was constructed way back in 1925 in a Greek Revival style as Baton Rouge’s first skyscraper. In 2016, it was transformed into modern glamour while preserving its bank vaults, ornate ceiling murals and marble walls and staircases. This is the spot to recommend to visiting friends, but be careful: Once you set foot here yourself, you might not want to leave. watermarkbr.com
Runners up: L’Auberge Casino & Hotel — 18.7%
Renaissance Baton Rouge — 14.7%
Hilton Baton Rouge Capitol Center — 12.9%
Hotel Indigo — 10%
BEST LOCAL WOMEN’S BOUTIQUE
Photo by Camille Delaune
FROCK CANDY — 14%
Frock Candy’s two locations have blessed many a woman in this town. Its clothes and accessories are fun, flirty and trendy, full of bright colors and bold styles. Here, you can put together an entire look, or just pick up a fire pair of earrings. No matter what you buy, you know you’ll look good. frockcandy.com
DID YOU KNOW?
Sandals are the must-have accessory at Frock Candy. The clothing boutique orders new items every week, but its shoes are a customer favorite.
The Royal Standard truly gets it. The creatives behind the retailer understand how we like our furniture to feature wood and wicker; how there’s nothing more sweet and Southern than a fun, quirky doormat; and just how much we love our florals—from vase-filling faux flowers to wreaths. Luckily for us, The Royal Standard has got ’em all. theroyalstandard.com
Runners up: Lancaster House — 14.3%
Drusilla Imports — 11.5%
The Foyer — 10.4%
Red Onion — 7.4%
BEST MARKET FOR MEAT
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IVERSTINE FARMS BUTCHER — 21.7%
For meat lovers, Iverstine Farms is as good as it gets. A farm-to-shop butcher, it raises everything it sells, and it’s all natural. Plus, Iverstine has bestowed upon Baton Rouge a new gift: butcher bundles. Every month, the team assembles a curated selection of different cuts of beef, pork and chicken, and then delivers them to your door in insulated boxes along with recipes and tips. iverstinefarms.com
DID YOU KNOW?
At first-time winner Iverstine, picanha is one of the many unique meats you can find. The prized hunk of beef is popular in Brazil. It is cut from the cow’s rump and has a juicy texture similar to sirloin steak.
Crabs and crawfish and shrimp—oh my! There are catfish and oysters, too. Tony’s bills itself as Louisiana’s largest seafood market, and the mammoth selection of goodies is living (and boiled) proof. So get your crawfish here before the season is over, and pick up some fresh-never-frozen catfish to chow down on for dinner. Your family will thank you. tonyseafood.com
Zaza knows that to be an esteemed nail salon, you must do more than just the polishing. That’s why the salon provides a luxe and peaceful environment and gives customers the personal care they need. Sip its fruit-infused water while you get your hands massaged with essential oils during your manicure. zazabatonrouge.com
Runners up: Exotic Nails — 17.5%
Avant Tous Beauty Bar & Spa — 14.2%
Bichonne Day Retreat — 12.3%
Lucky Nails — 10.5%
BEST PLACE FOR PET SERVICES
Photo by Jordan Hefler
CAMP BOW WOW — 26.2%
There’s no better way to say “I love you” to your four-legged friend than with Camp Bow Wow’s services. It will treat your blessed puppers and doggos to awesome doggy day care, with spacious play areas, boarding, training with enrichment programs, and grooming that’ll have them looking and smelling great. Camp Bow Wow has also been kind enough to provide a new addiction for pet owners: a live web cam where they can remotely watch their dogs play all day. campbowwow.com/baton-rouge
Runners up: Petz Plaza — 15.3%
Sherwood South Animal Hospital — 11.6%
Smooch My Pooch — 11.4%
PetSmart — 10.8%
BEST SPA
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BUMBLE LANE — 37.5%
It’s nice to be pampered. Sometimes you just need to ease all your stress with a therapeutic massage, and melt all your cares away with a facial and a body scrub. Why not enjoy a seaweed body wrap while you’re at it? Bumble Lane can do all that and more to help you sit back and relax—which is especially appreciated in our modern age of “self care.” bumblelane.com
Runners up: The Woodhouse Day Spa — 16.2%
Avant Tous Beauty Bar & Spa — 10.3%
Paris Parker Aveda Salon & Spa — 10%
The Retreat — 7.7%
DID YOU KNOW?
