Dining Diva Review: Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers Baton Rouge, Louisiana

When all you serve is chicken fingers, they better be some really good ones! Raising Cane's has the very best chicken fingers on the planet, they have a secret sauce to dip them in, crisp, golden and fresh fries, creamy cole slaw and crisply grilled Texas toast made from thick slices of soft, sweet white bread slathered in a garlicy spread and grilled till crisp on each side and delicious. Even their iced tea is delicious, and it comes either unsweetened or as tooth-cracking sweet as Southern tea is noted for. I wish they had a selection of sauces, but the one they have is pretty good. Several locations through Baton Rouge, open late for the LSU crowd and owned by a loyal LSU supporter! I've eaten at 4 different locations, and each one has been as good as the previous and everyone has the same delicious chicken fingers, cole slaw, crispy crinkle-cut fries and slabs of Texas toast. I wish they had a different sauce or at least a choice of sauces but they only have one--and it's good but a little variety would be even better! A small chain with huge potential to become the next McDonalds or Popeye's!

Dining Diva Review: Cutter's in Belleville: Astoundingly Good Pub Food!

My husband and I went to an office celebration at a pub called Cutter's where the drinks were cheap, the food was really cheap but the quality and flavor was a steal! We were there to celebrate an accomplishment of one of my husband's co-workers, and she chose the place. From the outside it was not impressive and looked like a million other gin mills on the side of the road with no interstate access and no advertising. The parking lot was filled and when we got our food, I understood why. The hamburgers were less than $3 and they were truly outstanding--I've paid a lot more for a lot less--juicy and flavorful with a crisp carmelized crust that gave the tender and juicy inside marvelous flavor! The patty had been hand-made and was bursting with the good burger flavor--the kind you get at a backyard cookout where someone cooked good beef with tender loving care. The fish dinner was also excellent and dirt cheap--a steal in fact! The outside was crisp and tasty with tender and flaky white fish inside. I would have expected to (and would have) parted with more than $12 for a portion of fish and fries this substantial and it would have been a deal at that price--but for under $5 I was astounded. The drinks were also cheap, my rum and diet coke was a paltry $2.50, a price you don't see outside of a private club like an American Legion hall, and it was a healthy drink--not tiny and watered down, but the kind of drink you only have 2 of unless you want a ride in the blue-light taxi! The place was crowded and noisy with people eating and drinking and it had a lot of room inside. The band shell tells me they have live music there was no advertisement for a band. There was also a generously sized sunken dance floor surrounded by a rail which allows seated patrons to view the band while people dance. The restrooms are clean and well stocked and the overall atmosphere was cheerful. The service is friendly, if hurried, because of the volume of food and drinks being served. All in all it was a much better dining experience and I could have hoped for in my wildest dreams when viewing the outside. I highly recommend Cutters as a great place to go for happy hour drinks and pub food!