Chris Hutto's Blog

Open House - 38082 Seven Oaks Ave - Prairieville, LA - Sunday, April 20th, 2008 - 2PM-5PM

Chris Hutto (Louisiana Dream Home Real Estate Group) — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 00:54:04 -0500

I will be conducting an open house in beautiful Seven Oaks subdivision at 38082 Seven Oaks Ave in Prairieville, Louisiana on Sunday, April 20th, 2008 from 2PM to 5PM. The home is located off I-10 between Hwy 73 and Airline Hwy. Turn into Seven Oaks subdivision. The house will be 1/2 mile on the left.

Outdoor paradise describes this setting in beautiful Seven Oaks. Acadian style home sits on over half an acre lakefront lot with large inground pool overlooking the lake. This stunning lot is also protected by a bulkhead. Enjoy the summer with family and friends relaxing in the pool and enjoying one of the best views in Seven Oaks. The house is designed to take advantage of the views with lots of windows in kitchen, living and master bedroom. The house has 3 separate bedroom areas with a mother-in-law suite off the kitchen. The large master suite has a wall of windows and french doors overlooking the pool and lake. Master bath has faux finish on walls, jacuzzi tub and his & her vanities. Living room has custom shutters,wood floors, fireplace with gas logs and beautiful mantle with brick hearth. Kitchen has brick floors, island with cooktop, corner sink, and large pantry. Home is tastefully decorated in neutral colors and includes custom draperies in living and dining. Home has a new frieze carpet (March 07), new pool liner (Oct. 06), and a/c unit less than 3 years old. Most of the interior has been recently painted as well as the exterior in updated colors.

Further Details about the home are in the flyer below.

New Listing - Beautiful Home in the Heart of Brusly!

Chris Hutto (Louisiana Dream Home Real Estate Group) — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 03:08:31 -0600

I am now affiliated with Louisiana Dream Home Real Estate Group

Chris Hutto (Louisiana Dream Home Real Estate Group) — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 22:16:52 -0600

After much prayer and consideration, I have decided to transfer my real estate license to a new broker. I am now affiliated with Louisiana Dream Home Real Estate Group . Louisiana Dream Home is unique in the real estate market in that they offer full-service listings starting at 3.9%. This allows clients to save substantial amounts of money on commission fees without sacrificing on the quality and range of services provided by their agent. For example, on a home with a $350,000 sales price, a client would save $7,350 by listing their home with Louisiana Dream Home rather than with a broker charging the typical 6% commission. Louisiana Dream Home agents are able to provide the same level of services that agents at higher-priced brokerages provide, but they are able to do so while saving the client thousands of dollars.

For more information about Louisiana Dream Home, see their website at: http://www.louisianadreamhome.com/

Open House - 1045 Briarhurst Dr - Baton Rouge, LA, Sunday, February 17, 2008, 2PM-4PM

Chris Hutto (Louisiana Dream Home Real Estate Group) — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 16:24:16 -0600

I will be conducting an open house on Sunday, February 17, 2008 from 2PM-4PM at 1045 Briarhurst Dr in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The home is located in the Quail Ridge Subdivision. To get to the home: From Siegen Lane, take Briar Hollow Ave, then take a right on Briarhurst Dr. The house will be on the right. Details about the home are in the flyer below.

Open House - 13452 Paces Pointe Dr - Gonzales, LA, Sunday, February 3rd, 2008, 2PM-4PM

Chris Hutto (Louisiana Dream Home Real Estate Group) — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 16:18:19 -0600

I will be holding an open house at 13452 Paces Pointe Dr in Gonzales, Louisiana on Sunday, February 3rd, 2008 from 2PM-4PM. To get to the home: From I-10 take exit 173 to Hwy 73 North, then take Hwy 621 East to Paces Pointe Dr. Paces Pointe Dr will be on the right, before you get to JD Broussard Rd. Details about the home are in the flyer below.

Open House - 7482 Connelly Ct - Denham Springs, LA, Sunday, January 20th, 2008, 2PM-4PM

Chris Hutto (Louisiana Dream Home Real Estate Group) — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 15:57:21 -0600

I will be conducting an Open House on Sunday, January 20th, from 2PM-4PM at 7482 Connelly Ct in Denham Springs, LA. Directions: From I-12, Exit 10, drive north on Range Ave. After almost 4 miles, take a left on Hwy 1028, Old River Rd. After approximately 1/4 mile, turn left on Connelly Ct. Details about the home are in the flyer below.

Times Grill - Baton Rouge, LA - 12-05-2007

Chris Hutto (Louisiana Dream Home Real Estate Group) — Sun, 09 Dec 2007 01:33:21 -0600

On Wednesday, December 5th, 2007, I had lunch with a friend at Times Grill at their Essen Lane location in Baton Rouge. The restaurant has a casual atmosphere, and with at least ten TVs situated around the walls, the sports fan will certainly be able to find a game to watch. After being seated, I looked over the menu, which has plenty to choose from, featuring everything from hamburgers and poboys, to wraps, to pasta dishes. For those with a hearty appetite, the restaurant features a one-and-a-half-pound Wall of Fame Burger. If a customer can finish this enormous burger, they are featured on the Times Grill Wall of Fame.

For our appetizer, we decided to order the fried mushrooms, which were delicious! They were served with a house Creole ranch sauce that was quite good. For my entrée I chose the Rockin' USA Burger and asked that it be cooked medium. All hamburgers at Times Grill are served with a choice of either french fries or potato salad. I had the french fries, which were very tasty. The Rockin' USA burger is a 1/2 pound burger basted in BBQ sauce and topped with three slices of American cheese. I have to say, this was the best hamburger I have had in a very long time! The burger, cooked to a perfect medium, was juicy and rich with flavor and was topped with lettuce, tomato, and pickles. I love onions on a burger, so I also had them add fresh onions. I can't say enough good things about this hamburger. It was fabulous from the first bite to the last! Even though I was getting pretty full, I wanted to experience a Times Grill dessert, so I ordered the Times Old-Fashioned Fudge Malt with extra chocolate and extra malt. I was very glad that I did. The malts, shakes and floats at Times Grill are all made with premium Edy's vanilla bean ice cream. The fudge malt was excellent, just as everything else had been. It was the perfect dessert to end the perfect meal.

The service was just as excellent as the meal. The server was friendly and I never had to ask for a refill. I did not even realize until we had finished with our meal that Times Grill has a system to request service. If you want the wait staff to stop at your table, you simply turn the stop sign on your table to the "stop" side. If you do not need service, you leave the sign on the "go" side. Our waitress was very attentive, even without our being aware of how to use the stop sign.

In my opinion, Times Grill serves the BEST HAMBURGERS IN BATON ROUGE, HANDS DOWN. If you are a fan of delicious, American style hamburgers, I highly recommend Times Grill. My ranking for Times Grill is a perfect five out of five stars.

Times Grill

5207 Essen Lane
Baton Rouge, LA 70817
(225) 767-3339

Map

Times Grill has a second location in Baton Rouge at 15130 Market Street, as well as several other locations in Louisiana and Florida.

Featured Neighborhood - Fountain Hill - Prairieville, LA - 11-01-2007

Chris Hutto (Louisiana Dream Home Real Estate Group) — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 05:03:51 -0500

Fountain Hill subdivision in Prairieville, Louisiana is an upscale community located in Ascension Parish off of Bluff Rd. The neighborhood is less than three miles from both Interstate 10 and Airline Highway which makes it convenient to get from place to place. Fountain Hill is located approximately three miles from The Country Club of Louisiana, which features an 18-hole Jack Nicklaus Signature golf course, an olympic-size swimming pool, men's and women's fitness centers, and ten outdoor and three indoor tennis courts. The neighborhood is also within 2 miles of Santa Maria Golf Club, which is a Robert Trent Jones course that has consistently received Golf Digest's highest ranking for a municipal course. The Homeowner's Association dues at Fountain Hill are currently $600 annually and are used for subdivision maintenance and upkeep including the community pool and poolhouse.

For information about the current school district for homes in this neighborhood, go to the Ascension Parish School Board website and click on "School Assignment & Boundary Maps", then click on "School Search Locator" to type in the address of the home that you want information about.

There are currently (as of 11-01-2007) twelve active homes on the market in Fountain Hill (not including FSBOs) ranging in price from $394,900 to $599,900. I have posted photos below. If you would like more information about any of these homes, please email me at:
chrishutto@chrishuttorealestate.com

Fountain Hill Entrance

A Neighborhood Lake

Fountain Hill Community Pool

18179 Fountain Hill Blvd

18237 Fountain Hill Blvd

35211 Beverly Hills Dr

35219 Beverly Hills Dr

35256 Beverly Hills Dr

35280 Beverly Hills Dr

35285 Beverly Hills Dr

35288 Beverly Hills Dr

36082 Beverly Hills Dr

36171 Beverly Hills Dr

36172 Beverly Hills Dr

36185 Pleasant Hills

All photos ©Copyright 2007 Chris Hutto
chrishutto@chrishuttorealestate.com

All information compiled on 11-01-2007

Open House - 36172 Beverly Hills Dr - Prairieville, LA - Sunday, Nov 4th, 2007 2PM-4PM

Chris Hutto (Louisiana Dream Home Real Estate Group) — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 11:25:57 -0500

I will be conducting an open house on Sunday, November 4th, 2007 from 2PM to 4PM at 36172 Beverly Hills Dr. This beautiful 4 bedroom, 3 bath home is located in Prairieville, LA in the Fountain Hill subdivision on a private lake. The seller is offering $2500 towards buyer's closing costs. From I-10 take the Highland Rd exit, then turn right on Hwy 427 (Old Perkins Rd). Turn right onto Hwy 928 (Bluff Rd), then turn left into Fountain Hill subdivision. Details about the home are in the flyer below. For more information about the Fountain Hill subdivision, see my post - Featured Neighborhood - Fountain Hill - Prairieville, LA - 11-01-2007.

Acme Oyster House - New Orleans, LA - 10-23-2007

Chris Hutto (Louisiana Dream Home Real Estate Group) — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 17:47:40 -0500

On Tuesday, Amy and I drove to New Orleans to visit with her brother, who was in town on business. I always enjoy visiting the Crescent City, especially for the fabulous dining opportunities. For supper, we decided on the Acme Oyster House, which is located in the French Quarter. If you visit the French Quarter, be prepared to pay at least five to ten dollars for parking fees. After finding a spot in a nearby parking garage, we walked to the restaurant on Iberville Street. After waiting outside in line for about ten minutes, we were seated by the hostess. I had already decided ahead of time that I was going to order oysters, since, of course, we were eating at on oyster house. For my appetizer I chose a half-dozen raw oysters on the half-shell. There were three different types of Tabasco Sauce available on the table to choose from: Original Red, Milder Green, and Chipotle. I added three or four drops of Chipotle flavored Tabasco to each oyster to, "kick it up a notch," as Emeril would say. After tasting the first oyster, I was wishing that I had ordered a dozen instead of six. They were absolutely outstanding! The Chipotle hot sauce added just the right amount of "kick" to the salty flavor of the oysters. I could have eaten two or three dozen of them easily if it had been an all you can eat special. After we finished our appetizers, the entrées were brought out. I decided on a dozen Chargrilled Oysters, which are grilled on an open flame and topped with Acme's seasoned butter and grated Romano cheese. They were just as fabulous as the raw oysters. The seasoned butter and Romano cheese on top were excellent, giving the oysters the perfect flavor. I didn't want any of that wonderful flavor to go to waste, so after I finished the oysters, I sopped up the remaining juices from my plate with the bread that was served with the entrée. The only negative thing that I can say about both the raw and the chargrilled oysters was that they were gone before my appetite was. Hence, I ordered the Banana Fosters Pie for dessert. I was a little surprised when they brought out my dessert because I didn't notice the three letter word "Pie" tacked on to the end of "Bananas Foster" on the menu. I thought that I was ordering Bananas Foster, which of course, is a dessert that contains actual sliced bananas cooked in a buttery liqueur sauce. I was not disappointed, however, when I bit into the pie. Again, it was marvelous as every thing else had been. I don't believe that I have had such a fine-tasting meal in a long time. Our waitress was courteous and she was attentive for the most part, although I did have to ask for a refill after having an empty glass for a few minutes.

Our dining experience at Acme Oyster House was fantastic. I highly recommend this restaurant to anyone who happens to be in the New Orleans area. Had I not had to prompt my waitress for a refill, I would be giving this restaurant a perfect five out of five stars. Because of that, though, my rating for Acme Oyster House is a 4.9 out of five stars.

Acme Oyster House

724 Iberville Street
New Orleans, LA 70130
504-522-5973

Map

How to Watermark Several Images at a Time Using Photoshop

Chris Hutto (Louisiana Dream Home Real Estate Group) — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 21:13:53 -0500

I was recently asked how to place watermarks on photos to protect them from copyright infringement on the web. The best way to do this is by placing two watermarks on your photos, one slightly visible that covers the entire photo and one completely visible that is in the bottom right corner of the photo. I use Adobe Photoshop, because it is such a versatile program, however there are other image editing programs that will do basically the same thing. Applying watermarks to one photo at a time can be quite frustrating if you have several photos to post, but Photoshop has a batch feature that enables you to automate the process and apply changes to entire folders of photos at a time. I will explain step-by-step how to do this in Photoshop. I use Photoshop 6.0, but the process is probably similar in newer versions of Photoshop.

First open a photo in Photoshop. Make sure that the Actions window is open. Click on the right-arrow at the top right of the Actions window and select New Set.... Type a name for the New Set (perhaps your first name) and click OK. Again, click on the right-arrow at the top right of the Actions window and select New Action.... Name the Action, then choose the name of the Set that you just created. Now click Record. Everything you do from here on will be recorded as your new Action, so don't make any mistakes or you may have to start over. It may be a good idea to go through the process of watermarking an image first, then do it again, the second time recording it as an action.

Click the Image tab and select Duplicate and click OK. Then click on your original image and close it. This ensures that you keep the original copy of your photo. If you want to resize your photo to make it smaller, click on the Image tab and select Image Size. Make sure that Constrain Proportions and Resample Image are selected. Under Resample Image select Bicubic. Change the Width to whatever size you want it to be and the Height will automatically be adjusted to keep the same image proportions or vice versa. Click OK. At this point, you may need to enlarge your image window so that you can see your photo better by dragging the bottom right corner of the window to make it larger. Then use your mouse scroller to zoom your image until it fills the image window.

Next, we will make a slightly visible watermark that covers the entire photo. Select the Text tool and click and hold at the very top left of your image and drag the text box down to the bottom-right corner of your image and release. Now choose your font, font-size, and font-color, then begin typing your copyright message. To add a copyright sign (©), go to Character Map on your PC (if you are using a Windows based computer). If you use Windows XP, this is found by going to Start - All Programs - Accessories - System Tools. When your Character Map opens, find the copyright sign and click on it. Then click Select, then click Copy. Go back to Photoshop and paste [Ctrl-V] the copyright sign into your message where you want it. You may need to readjust your font-size for your message to fit how you want it to fit. Hit enter and retype the same message over and over until it covers your entire photo.

[This next step is optional] At this point if you have custom styles for Photoshop that simulate the look of glass or that make your text somewhat translucent, go ahead and select which one you want to use. For my image watermarks, I use styles from the One-Click Wow! series. Decide ahead of time which style to use so you can go right to it without trying them out to see what each style looks like. This is because each time you click a new style, it is recorded in the Action as a step, so you end up with it automatically going through each style that you clicked on every time it performs the action on an image. [This is the end of the optional step].

Click another tool, such as the Move tool, to set your text. Now make sure that the Layers box is open and set the opacity of the text layer to between approximately 15-30 percent. Don't release the opacity selector until you are at the opacity that you want or it will record each opacity change as a new step.

Next, we will make a stronger watermark at the bottom right of the photo. Click the right-arrow at the top right of the Layers box and select New Layer. Make sure that Group With Previous Layer is NOT selected, then click OK. Select the Text tool again and click and hold and drag then release to make another small text box at the bottom right of your photo. Select your font, font-size, and font-color, then type your copyright message. Again, if you have a custom style that you want to use, click on that now. Click on another tool, such as the Move tool, to set your text.

Now we are ready to save the image. Click on the File tab and select Save As. Choose the folder that you want all your watermarked images to be saved in. Don't change the File name. Change the format to JPEG, then click Save. This will cause the JPEG Options window to open. Under Image Options select the quality that you want your images to be saved at. The higher the quality of the image, the larger the file-size. The lower the quality, the smaller the file-size. Higher quality images take a little longer to load on someone's web browser than lower quality images because there is more information in a higher quality image. But you don't want to go too low on image quality, because it will cause your photo to look bad. For posting on the Web, I would suggest choosing between 6 Medium - 8 High for your image quality. Under Format Options choose Baseline Optimized then click OK. Close your image by clicking on the X at the top right of the image window. When it asks you if you want to Save changes to the Adobe Photoshop document, click No. Next, click the Stop button on the Actions window. It looks like a small, black, square box...just like the Stop button on a VCR. Now you are finished recording the new action.

Go to the folder that you chose to save your watermarked images and delete the image that you just saved. Now place all the images that you want to be watermarked into one folder. (All the images must be oriented the same way as the image that you used to make your New Action...in other words if you used a horizontally oriented image, you should only put horizontally oriented images in this folder. If you used a vertically oriented image, you should only put vertically oriented images in this folder. If you want to watermark both horizontal and vertical images, you will need to make a specific action for each orientation.) Next, go back to Photoshop and click the File tab, then select Automate. Select Batch... from the new window that pops up. Choose the Set that you created earlier, then choose the Action that you just created. Choose Folder as the source. Click the Choose button and select the folder in which you placed the images that you wish to watermark. Click OK. Select None as the destination (they will all be saved in the folder that you chose earlier when you were creating your Action). Click OK. Photoshop will now begin automatically copying and watermarking all of the photos that were in the folder that you selected and saving them to the folder that you chose earlier. Once it is finished, you should have watermarked images that you can now post to the web.

Below is an example of an image watermarked using the above process.

Tree Frog - Greene County Alabama

Featured Neighborhood - Lakes at Ascension Crossing - Prairieville, LA - 10-09-2007

Chris Hutto (Louisiana Dream Home Real Estate Group) — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 11:51:37 -0500

Lakes at Ascension Crossing Subdivision in Prairieville, Louisiana is an upscale neighborhood located in Ascension Parish just off Interstate 10 between Baton Rouge and New Orleans. The neighborhood is convenient to local shopping at The Tanger Outlet Center and the newly opened 165,000 square foot Cabela's outdoor superstore, both located in Gonzales. This neighborhood is about three years old and features a lake that offers water-skiing, fishing, and boating. The lake is shared with adjoining neighborhood The Lakes at Ascension and can be used by residents of both subdivisions. The Homeowner's Association dues at Lakes at Ascension Crossing are currently $240 annually and are used for subdivision maintenance and upgrades including street signs and the entrance to the subdivision, as well as neighborhood social events. The Lakes at Ascension ski club membership (optional for residents of both subdivisions) of $1380 per year pays for part ownership of a 2006 Mastercraft ski boat.

There are currently (as of 10-09-2007) twelve active homes on the market in The Lakes at Ascension Crossing (not including FSBOs) ranging in price from $279,900 to $479,900. I have posted photos below. If you would like more information about any of these homes, please email me at:
chrishutto@chrishuttorealestate.com

Please see my post Featured Neighborhood - The Lakes at Ascension - Prairieville, LA - 10-08-2007 for information about adjoining neigborhood The Lakes at Ascension

Lakes at Ascension Crossing Entrance

View From the Lake

Waterfront Recreation in Your Own Back Yard

37143 Mindy Way Ave

37184 Mindy Way Ave

37211 Mindy Way Ave

37214 Mindy Way Ave

37217 Mindy Way Ave

37254 Mindy Way Ave

37302 Mindy Way Ave

37345 Mindy Way Ave

37234 Ski Side Ave

37261 Ski Side Ave

13583 Slalom Way Ave

13589 Slalom Way Ave

All information compiled on 10-09-2007

Featured Neighborhood - The Lakes at Ascension - Prairieville, LA - 10-08-2007

Chris Hutto (Louisiana Dream Home Real Estate Group) — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 16:23:33 -0500

The Lakes at Ascension Subdivision in Prairieville, Louisiana is an upscale neighborhood located in Ascension Parish just off Interstate 10 between Baton Rouge and New Orleans. The neighborhood is convenient to local shopping at The Tanger Outlet Center and the newly opened 165,000 square foot Cabela's outdoor superstore, both located in Gonzales. This neighborhood is about seven years old and features a lake that offers water-skiing, fishing, and boating. The lake is shared with adjoining neighborhood Lakes at Ascension Crossing and can be used by residents of both subdivisions. The Homeowner's Association dues at The Lakes at Ascension are currently $240 annually and are used for subdivision maintenance and upkeep. The Lakes at Ascension ski club membership (optional for residents of both subdivisions) of $1380 per year pays for part ownership of a 2006 Mastercraft ski boat.

There are currently (as of 10-08-2007) four active homes on the market in The Lakes at Ascension (not including FSBOs) ranging in price from $314,900 to $435,000. I have posted photos below. If you would like more information about any of these homes, please email me at:
chrishutto@chrishuttorealestate.com

Please see my post Featured Neighborhood - Lakes at Ascension Crossing - Prairieville, LA - 10-09-2007 for information about adjoining neighborhood Lakes at Ascension Crossing

The Lakes at Ascension Entrance

37200 Lakeshore Ave

37259 S Lakeshore Ave

13373 W Lakeshore Ave

13401 Lakeshore Dr

All information compiled on 10-08-2007

Gio's Mezza Luna Italian Restaurant - Prairieville, LA - 10-07-2007

Chris Hutto (Louisiana Dream Home Real Estate Group) — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 03:50:08 -0500

For Sunday lunch, Amy and I ate with friends at Gio's Mezza Luna Italian Restaurant in Prairieville, Louisiana. After being immediately seated, each of us was brought ice water and our drink orders were taken. Our waiter, John, was very personable and brought our drinks quickly. While we looked over the menu, he brought a plate of bruschetta for the table. It was quite good. We decided on a Caesar Salad for an appetizer, and ordered it with extra dressing. Before we finished off the bruschetta, John brought some bread which was great dipped into my own mixture of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper. Our waiter split our salad onto two plates without my even asking and topped it with freshly grated parmesan cheese. It was wonderful. The entrées were pricier than I expected, averaging between $15-$20, so Amy and I decided to share (although we usually share anyway). We ordered the Chcken Parmigiana, which is a pan-seared breaded chicken breast, baked with mozzarella cheese and covered with tomato sauce, served with a choice of pasta. The Chicken Parmigiana was exceptional. Again, John split it onto two plates for us without our asking. For our pasta, we asked for fettucine topped with a mixture of marinara and alfredo sauces. It was also excellent. The sauce mixture added just the right flavor to the pasta. The service was fantastic. Our waiter was very friendly and attentive and kept our drinks refilled without any prompting.

Amy and I enjoyed our meal at Mezza Luna very much and we will definitely be back. My rating for Gio's Mezza Luna Restaurant is a 4.75 out of 5 stars.

Gio's Mezza Luna Italian Restaurant

37436 Airline Hwy
Ultima Plaza
Prairieville, LA 70769
(225) 673-9700

map

Mike Anderson's Seafood Restaurant - Baton Rouge, LA - 10-03-2007

Chris Hutto (Louisiana Dream Home Real Estate Group) — Sun, 07 Oct 2007 23:47:39 -0500

Over the summer, Prudential Gardner - Baton Rouge Office, had a contest between two teams to see which team could earn the most points. Points were received for such things as new listings, signed purchase agreements, closings, etc. The prize for the winning team was a lunch on Prudential Gardner at Mike Anderson's Seafood in Baton Rouge. So I, along with the other members of the winning team, ate at Mike Anderson's this past Wednesday.

We started off the meal with Fish Chips and Dip. The fish was thinly filleted catfish coated with a cornmeal crust. It was perfectly cooked and seasoned and had an excellent texture and flavor. The dip was a creamy shrimp, spinach, and artichoke blend and was very good. I decided against seafood for my entrée, as I was in the mood for something else. Instead, I ordered the 10oz. USDA Choice Tenderloin Steak, cooked medium and served with a salad and choice of potato. The salad was quite good with a chunky blue cheese dressing that was not too strong. My steak was brought out along with a stuffed potato and looked great. After the excellent appetizer and great salad, I was ready to slice into a great steak. When I bit into the steak, however, I was disappointed by a Tenderloin Steak that did not quite live up to its name. The steak was a little tough and was actually a little bland, not having the flavor that I would expect from such a pricey cut of meat. I have had much better steaks at other restaurants. I tried to like the stuffed potato...I really did, but it had an overpowering flavor that was just too strong. Maybe it had too many green onions, or too much bacon, I am not sure, but I would have preferred a potato with a milder flavor. Hmm...a bland steak and an overpowering stuffed potato...I should have known better than to order steak at a seafood restaurant. The service was good overall, although I did have to ask for refills a couple of times.

I truly enjoyed the Fish Chips and Dip and the salad with blue cheese dressing, so I am willing to give Mike Anderson's another try. I plan to order something off the seafood menu next time, however. My rating for Mike Anderson's Seafood is a 3.5 out of five stars.

Mike Anderson's Seafood Restaurant

1031 W Lee Dr
Baton Rouge, LA 70820
(225) 766-7823

map

The Cabin Restaurant - Burnside, LA - 09-30-2007

Chris Hutto (Louisiana Dream Home Real Estate Group) — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 00:59:01 -0500

This past Sunday, Amy and I had the pleasure of dining at The Cabin Restaurant in Burnside, Louisiana with friends and family. The Cabin is a unique structure composed of several old buildings that have been relocated, restored and pieced together to make one building. The restaurant is decorated with antique farming tools and other memorabilia and collectibles. The walls in the main lobby are papered with antique newspaper, which is affixed with a mixture of flour and water. The Grand Dining Room is a rotunda with a roof supported by large beams that were actually rejected by the manufacturer. I don't usually comment on the restrooms in a restaurant, but these restrooms deserve special mention. They were constructed from a water cistern made of cypress wood, and the partitions were salvaged from the Old Crow Distillery in New Orleans, which was demolished in 1970. The restrooms are situated in an area that was originally a slave dwelling from the Welham Plantation in Convent, Louisiana.

When we arrived, we were immediately seated at a table in the Grand Dining Room. The waitress took our drink orders and brought them promptly. She also brought a plate of sweet cornbread for the table. I actually do not like cornbread but Amy said that it was very good. We chose to share an order of the fried soft-shell crabs, which included a salad for both of us. The salad was very good with the house ranch dressing, although some of my lettuce was tinged with brown edges. The crabs were served with battered french fries which were of average taste. The soft-shelled crabs, on the other hand, were excellent! They were perfectly cooked and were quite delectable. The tartar sauce and cocktail sauce perfectly complemented the taste of the crabs. We both agree that the service was great. We never had to prompt the waitress for refills and she was very quick to bring extras.

The atmosphere, food, and service all combined for a very enjoyable Sunday lunch experience. I would highly recommend The Cabin Restaurant if you are in the mood for some great seafood at a unique setting. My rating for The Cabin Restaurant is 4.5 out of five stars.

The Cabin Restaurant

5405 Highway 44
Gonzales, LA 70737
(225) 473-3007

Map

Open House - Baton Rouge, LA - Sunday, October 7th, 2007 2PM-4PM

Chris Hutto (Louisiana Dream Home Real Estate Group) — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 17:56:10 -0500

On Sunday, October, 7th, 2007, I will be conducting an open house at 9303 Loblolly Ct, Baton Rouge, Louisiana. This is a gorgeous townhouse in a prime location. The townhouse is located on Jefferson Hwy between Bluebonnet and Pine Park. Details about the home are in the flyer below.

Chris Hutto
Realtor
Prudential Gardner Realtors - Baton Rouge, Louisiana
http://www.chrishuttorealestate.com/
chrishutto@chrishuttorealestate.com
(225)229-2912 - Cell
(225)296-0500 - Office
(225)296-0410 - Fax

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Downtown Baton Rouge Photos - 07-21-2007

Chris Hutto (Louisiana Dream Home Real Estate Group) — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 03:27:35 -0500

In July, Amy and I went downtown to see the sites and shoot some photos. We spent most of our time at the Shaw Center for the Arts, first eating lunch at Capital City Grill, then visiting the LSU Museum of Art. We then took some photos on the rooftop of the Shaw Center at the Irene W. Pennington Rooftop Terrace and Sculpture Garden. We then took a break at PJ's Coffee House before walking around the area and taking photos. We enjoyed our afternoon immensely and I have to say that as a newcomer to Baton Rouge, I am impressed with the revitalization plans for the downtown/riverfront area. The Shaw Center has only been open since March of 2005, and looks to be just the beginning of some major plans that are in the works for the downtown area. You can read about the revitalization effort at Plan Baton Rouge (http://www.planbr.org/index.html).

Some of our photos of the day are below.

Sculpture from the Irene W. Pennington Rooftop Terrace and Sculpture Garden

View of Downtown Baton Rouge

Another View of Downtown Baton Rouge

The Old State Capitol Building

Reflection of Old Capitol Building in a Window

American Flag

Iron Fence

Another View of the Old Capitol Building

Lafayette Park

Sculpture Outside of the Library

To purchase any of my photos, email me at the above address.

Kevin's Cajun Seafood - Maurepas, LA - 09-23-2007

Chris Hutto (Louisiana Dream Home Real Estate Group) — Sun, 23 Sep 2007 23:05:47 -0500

After church today, Amy and I ate at Kevin's Cajun Seafood with some friends. Located on the Amite River Diversion Canal in Maurepas, Louisiana, the restaurant has a casual contemporary feel. We were immediately seated, and our waiter took our drink orders. After looking over the menu, Amy and I chose the "Crawfish Bayou" to share, which includes crawfish étoufée, crawfish bisque, fried crawfish, crawfish balls, crawfish stuffed jalapeños, french fries, and a salad. The salad was served promptly and the waiter brought extra dressing upon request. The salad was very good with fresh lettuce, tomatos, and cheese. The blue cheese dressing gave it just the right flavor. After a short wait, our entrée was served. The crawfish bisque was quite good, although it seemed more like a gumbo to me. The crawfish étoufée was average, but I will admit that I am not a big étoufée connoisseur. My favorite dish was the crawfish stuffed jalapeños. They were outstanding! The breaded stuffing had superb consistency and taste. The crawfish balls were good, but they didn't touch the excellence of the crawfish stuffed jalapeños. The fried crawfish was also very satisfying and was Amy's favorite dish. They were very good dipped in tartar sauce. The cocktail sauce had an unusual flavor and was not the best. Amy and I enjoyed the french fries and found them to be above average. The service was first-rate and the waiter was very attentive. Amy and I were a bit rushed for time, as I had an open house at 2:00 o'clock, and were very pleased that we were served quickly and efficiently. The waiter kept our drinks filled without any prompting, which does not happen very often in my experience, since I usually require several refills. We both enjoyed eating at Kevin's Cajun Seafood and we would definitely make a return visit.

My rating for Kevin's Cajun Seafood is 4 out of 5 stars.

Kevin's Cajun Seafood

12555 Home Port Drive
Maurepas, LA 70449
225-698-3899

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Drusilla Seafood Restaurant - Baton Rouge, LA - 09-21-2007

Chris Hutto (Louisiana Dream Home Real Estate Group) — Fri, 21 Sep 2007 23:56:38 -0500

My wife Amy and I went out on a date tonight to Drusilla Seafood Restaurant in Baton Rouge. After a short wait, we were seated by the hostess, who was very cordial. Our waitress brought us each a glass of water and a dish of hushpuppies for the table. I am not a hushpuppy fan, but Amy said they were very good. After looking over the menu, we decided to order the Stuffed Mushrooms as an appetizer. Amy and I both agree that these were quite possibly the best stuffed mushrooms that we had ever tasted. The mushrooms were stuffed with a seafood mixture that included both shrimp and crabmeat. The flavors mingled perfectly; they were excellent! For our entrée we ordered one of the house specialties - "On the Bayou 'A Taste of Louisiana'" to share. This entrée is a sampler that includes Seafood Gumbo, Seafood Eggplant Casserole (acclaimed by Bon Appetit Magazine) shrimp au gratin, fried shrimp, fried catfish, green salad, and french fries. The green salad was served promptly and was good. The blue cheese salad dressing was not too strong and gave the salad a good flavor. I would have preferred to have a few more ingredients in the salad, as it only included lettuce, cabbage, and carrots. Instead of french fries, we substituted a stuffed baked potato, which was a great idea, as the stuffed baked potato was wonderful. The Seafood Gumbo was made with a dark roux and was chock full of seafood and other ingredients including a crabclaw and a bay leaf. Very tasty! The shrimp au gratin was very good as well. The Seafood Eggplant Casserole was fabulous and was probably our favorite part of the sampler, tasting very similar to the stuffing in the stuffed mushrooms. The fried shrimp and the fried catfish were excellent as well. We chose the Choc-A-Holic Delite as our dessert, which was chocolate mousse on a cookie-type crust drizzled with chocolate sauce and topped with whipped topping. It was good, but not as good as I would have expected after such an excellent meal. The service was friendly and our waitress was attentive, bringing extra tartar sauce promptly when I asked. I did have to ask her a couple of times for drink refills, but other than that she did a great job. Overall our experience at Drusilla Seafood Restaurant was excellent.

I would rate Drusilla Seafood Restaurant a 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Drusilla Seafood Restaurant

3482 Drusilla Ln, Suite D
Baton Rouge, LA 70809
(225) 923-0896

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Houmas House Plantation Photos- Darrow, Louisiana - 07-05-2007

Chris Hutto (Louisiana Dream Home Real Estate Group) — Fri, 21 Sep 2007 17:44:14 -0500

Back in July, Amy and I, along with my mother, visited Houmas House Plantation in Darrow, Louisiana. The home and grounds of the plantation are amazingly well kept, and the gardens boast a wide variety of plants and flowers. The home is open for tours from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. on Mondays and Tuesdays, and from 9 a.m. until 8 p.m. on Wednesday through Sunday. The home is closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day. I found it interesting that Houmas House is actually being used as the residence of its current owner, Kevin Kelly, who acquired the property in the spring of 2003.

There are two restaurants on the property- Latil's Landing and Cafe' Burnside. Latil's Landing is open Wednesday through Saturday, (6 pm to 10 pm) and Sunday, (2 pm to 9 pm). Reservations are required and can be made by calling (225) 473-9380 or (888) 323-8314. Cafe' Burnside is open from 11 am to 2 pm daily. We had the privilege of dining at Cafe' Burnside for lunch the day of our visit. Since our visit was back in July, I don't remember the details of our dining experience, although I do remember that both the food and the service were excellent.

When construction of the Houmas House mansion began around 1810 by the owner, General Wade Hampton of Revolutionary War fame, the plantation was already producing sugar. The home was completed in 1828 by the General's daughter, Caroline, and her husband, Colonel John Preston. Eventually, Houmas House Plantation became the largest producer of sugar in the country. Several movies and tv shows have been filmed at the plantation including Hush, Hush Sweet Charlotte with Bette Davis in 1964, and Fletch Lives with Chevy Chase in 1989.

Our tour guide was top-notch. She was very entertaining, even breaking out in song several times during our tour (no kidding). She was very knowledgeable about the history of the home and seemed to really enjoy being our guide.

Here are some of the photographs that Amy and I took at the plantation:

Houmas House Plantation

Statue on the grounds of Houmas House Plantation

Plants

Another view of Houmas House

Gardens

Bust Statue Inside Houmas House (This photograph was taken in the only room that photographs are allowed to be taken inside.)

Flower

Frog Statue

If anyone would like to purchase some of my work, feel free to email me.

Houmas House Plantation and Gardens

40136 Highway 942
River Road
Darrow, Louisiana 70725
225-473-7891

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Open House - Denham Springs, LA - Sunday, Sept 23, 2007 2PM-4PM

Chris Hutto (Louisiana Dream Home Real Estate Group) — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 13:31:36 -0500

I will be conducting an open house this Sunday afternoon from 2pm-4pm. The address of the home is: 30773 La Madeline Ct, Denham Springs, LA 70726. Details about the home are in the flyer below.

To get to the home: From Range Ave. take Lockhart Rd to Dunn Rd and take a left. Go half a mile to Isabelle Ct and take a right. Then take the first left on La Madeline. The home is on the left.

LSU Campus Photographs - 09-16-2007

Chris Hutto (Louisiana Dream Home Real Estate Group) — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 02:28:00 -0500

After lunch at Mi Padres on Sunday, Amy and I drove to LSU where we spent several hours taking photos of whatever caught our fancy. These were all taken on campus with an Olympus E-20 camera.

To protect my photos from theft, I have placed a slightly visible digital watermark on them and a visible copyright stamp in the bottom right corner of each photo, as well as embedding them with an invisible digital watermark. Thank you for respecting the copyright on these photographs. If anyone would like to purchase some of my work, feel free to email me at chrishutto@chrishuttorealestate.com

If you happen to be in the Baton Rouge area, you can see more of my work displayed on the walls of the Baton Rouge Office of Prudential Gardner Realtors.

LSU Memorial Tower

Another View of LSU Memorial Tower

Red Flowers

A Tangle of Crepe Myrtle Branches

Banana Plant

Another Banana Plant View

Banana Plant Flower

Arches

As you can see, it was a beautiful day on campus, and we enjoyed the afternoon immensely.

Mi Padres Mexican Grill and Cantina - Baton Rouge, LA - 09-16-2007

Chris Hutto (Louisiana Dream Home Real Estate Group) — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 01:28:13 -0500

For lunch on Sunday, Amy and I ate at Mi Padres Mexican Grill and Cantina on Bluebonnet Blvd. in Baton Rouge with our friends the Elliotts. The food was very good and the service was friendly. We were immediately seated, and Amy and I decided to split the medium order of combination fajitas (beef and chicken). As we were waiting for our entrée, we placed our drink order and dove in to the chips and salsa. I usually order Dr. Pepper, which they did not have, so I settled for a Coke. The chips were fresh and the salsa was tasty. As usual, I added some extra salt to the salsa (which Amy says is sure to send me to an early grave). In addition to the typical salsa, some bean dip was also brought out with the chips. The bean dip was average and also needed salt in my opinion. After a reasonable wait, our fajitas were brought out. They were served with homemade tortillas that were quite excellent. We were disappointed in the amount of meat that came with the fajitas. I have seen small orders of fajitas at other restaurants that were less expensive and had more meat than the medium order at Mi Padres (although there was not a small order on the menu...only medium and large, and the large was almost double the price of the medium order). The beef was very good in my opinion, although Amy thought it to be average. I did not have the chicken, but Amy said that it was good. The waiter was very friendly and kept our drinks filled (although we did have to prompt him once or twice). Also, Amy asked him twice for lemon and lime slices for her water, which he never brought. All in all, though, we had a very good experience at Mi Padres.

My rating for Mi Padres Mexican Grill and Cantina: 3.25 out of 5 Stars

MI Padre's Mexican Grill & Cantina
7750 Bluebonnet Blvd
Baton Rouge, LA 70810
(225) 757-7800

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Let Me Introduce Myself

Chris Hutto (Louisiana Dream Home Real Estate Group) — Sun, 16 Sep 2007 21:34:35 -0500

I joined the ActiveRain Network about three months ago, but I am just now getting around to posting my first blog. I plan to post on a regular basis, as I have the time.

I am new to the Baton Rouge area, although not to Louisiana. I grew up in Monroe, which is in northeast Louisiana, where I was home-schooled by my mom. I attended Louisiana College in Pineville, Louisiana where I met my wife Amy. In 1997, I graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice. Amy and I moved to Alabama in 1998, where, until 2006, I was employed as a Conservation Enforcement Officer by the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries. From 2000-2004, I was also employed as a bi-vocational Minister of Students at the church where Amy and I attended. Amy and I returned to Louisiana in early 2007, when we moved to Baton Rouge for Amy's job. In April, after much prayer, I entered the real estate world. After obtaining my real estate saleperson license, I began my affiliation with Prudential Gardner Realtors, which is one of the top real estate agencies in southeast Louisiana.

This blog will be a forum where I talk about real estate, photography, restaurants, travel, and anything else that may be of interest to the real estate consumer. I consider myself to be an avid amateur photographer, so I will be highlighting some of my work, especially of the Baton Rouge/southeast Louisiana area. I also enjoy food...probably too much, so I will be sharing some of my restaurant experiences, good and bad.

So, thank you for reading, and feel free to post comments if you would like to.

Chris Hutto