Visit Baton Rouge sat down with three local business owners to ask them about their favorite things in Baton Rouge. Felix Sherman with Ambrosia Bakery, Horatio Isadore with Southern Cofé and Madeline Ellis with Mimosa Handcrafted all shared some of their favorite things to do, places to eat and what they consider hidden gems here in Baton Rouge.
Visit Baton Rouge: What’s your go-to restaurant to host friends/family from out of town?
Felix Sherman, Ambrosia Bakery: We usually bring them to Stroube’s.
Horatio Isadore, Southern Cofé: I love The Chimes by LSU. It is quintessential. If you want someone to say “Give me one place that’s Baton Rouge” I would have to take them there. I love going there. It’s an eclectic mix of people. And it’s like if someone was to say, “Show me Baton Rouge in one place, that’s where I would take them.
Madeline Ellis, Mimosa Handcrafted: Elsie’s Plate & Pie.
VBR: What’s your favorite season/time of year in Baton Rouge?
Felix Sherman, Ambrosia Bakery: Thanksgiving's always fun. It is just the beginning of the family time that everybody gets to spend together, so I look forward to that.
Horatio Isadore, Southern Cofé: Football season, hands down. I just love the feel in the air, whether LSU is going into a season 0-10 or 10 wins in a row. It doesn’t matter whether Southern’s had the worst season ever or we’ve had the best season ever. I know we have the best band in the world—I love listening to Southern and the Golden Band from Tiger Land. And to me, probably one of the top 10 things that’s ever happened in the city happened last year with football.
Madeline Ellis, Mimosa Handcrafted: Spring, summer, fall—I don’t know! It’s festival season, and it’s fun. There are so many things to do and it’s beautiful out.
VBR: What would you say is a hidden gem in town?
Felix Sherman, Ambrosia Bakery: Ambrosia is a hidden gem. They need to come here, man.
Madeline Ellis, Mimosa Handcrafted: Burden, like the Museum and Gardens. It’s in the middle of town, but people don’t know that it’s there.
VBR: What is your favorite activity to do with visitors or family?
Felix Sherman, Ambrosia Bakery: Usually I always like to take 'em around LSU. My kids go there. One's gonna be starting in the fall of next year, and one just graduated, so we usually always like to take them to an LSU game and watch the [band] march down the hill and see all the live oak trees. That's really what Baton Rouge is all about. I mean, it's such an incredible location. We love going there, going around the lakes and showing everybody and taking them for a bike ride on the levee.
Horatio Isadore, Southern Cofé: I like to take them to the City Park. I like that area, doing a walk or job in that area. I love if there’s an event. I love the Jazz Master series. I love going to the venue to watch and listen to music.
Madeline Ellis, Mimosa Handcrafted: Go into the woods, camping, hiking, looking for rocks on the creek.
VBR: If you could describe Baton Rouge in one word, what would it be?
Felix Sherman, Ambrosia Bakery: When it comes to Baton Rouge, there's something really unique about the food that's here. There are tons of restaurants, everyone loves to eat. I would probably say eating. Everybody loves to find a nice restaurant, have dinner, get a glass of wine and enjoy their time together. We're in the food business, so it kind of comes to top of mind for us.
Horatio Isadore, Southern Cofé: Better. Deserving. Better
Madeline Ellis, Mimosa Handcrafted: Complex. Baton Rouge has politics and all this other stuff, but then there’s the Lakes, which are so beautiful and you’re always so close to so many great things. And there is a rich history with Blues and the river.
