Jaunted

If our morning stop was better than expected, the monotonous haul to Shreveport was worse. When locals told us the slog was terrible, we figured that was because they only did it when evacuating the coast under threat of hurricanes. Nope: They hate the drive because I-49 is boring.

Pulling into the Fairfield Place put us back in a Morning Call mood. Owners Mark and Pat Faser warmly welcomed us and showed us to the second-floor LaVilian room. After settling in, we took a walk up and down Fairfield Avenue to gawk at the historic mansions, like the one pictured here, lining what was once--and maybe still is--Shreveport's swankiest street. Later, Mark directed us to Olive Street Bistro, a nearby Italian spot that currently ranks on Tripadvisor as the city's best restaurant.

For a place at the pinnacle of the local dining scene, we found the Bistro quite casual, with a smoker-friendly outdoor patio, dressed down clientele and lethargic service. The decor and the menu reminded me of ageless St. Louis red sauce palaces like LoRusso's, and the portion size, we discovered, was also familiar.

My plate of crustacean-heavy penne del Po might've involved a literal boatload of crawfish, and my girlfriend's cannelloni could've fed an entire family of Italian nationals. Fortunately, the quantity of grub didn't need to cover for a lack of quality--and our delicious bottle of Barbera paired perfectly with the flavorful pastas. We didn't have room for dessert.

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