Dumplings, cheese curds and more: Best things we ate this week

Cheese curds at Overpass Merchant

Alright already. Overpass consistently serves up a great burger, and I do love their shrimp tacos — especially in the summer. They're refreshing and that fantastic array of toppings melds together so well.

However, all of that can move over — because I finally tried their cheese curds appetizer.

I'm not sure what took me so long, and I'm questioning the 2.5 years I've lived in Baton Rouge not having the cheese curds on a regular basis. These babies are so good. They're light and wonderful and cheesy and all the good things. The buttermilk ranch dipping sauce is a perfect complement to the cheesy wonderfulness. 

Overpass Merchant, 2904 Perkins Road, Baton Rouge (Jan Risher, features editor)

Pork Xiao Long Bao dumplings from Dumpling Hour

If you like dumplings — and let's be honest, who doesn't like dumplings — you need to go to Dumpling Hour. Now. They have steamed dumplings, pan-fried dumplings, pot stickers and soup dumplings, among lots of other fresh Asian dishes.

I went for my birthday with a group of friends, and it was so much fun sharing dishes, which are made to order and generous in size. The Pork Xiao Long Bao dumplings, or soup dumplings, were especially fun.

I recommend putting them in your soup spoon, poking them with your fork to let of some steam, then slurping some of the soup before you pop them in your mouth. The dumplings and other sharing dishes ranged in price from $3.95 to $9.95.

In addition to the many varieties of dumplings, we sampled Dan Dan noodles, which had a lovely sesame, umami flavor; orange chicken, which was subtle and fresh and came with candied orange peel; and chicken fried rice.

Dumpling Hour, 3535 Ambassador Caffery Drive, Lafayette. (Kristin Askelson, Acadiana managing editor)

The Mamma-Mia from Red Zeppelin Pizza 

For my first time at Red Zeppelin, I opted for the Mamma-Mia, which includes Italian sausage, pepperoni, mushroom, red onion, roasted red peppers and mozzarella on a classic marinara base.

I decided on the 10-inch pizza, which was large enough to have leftovers. The crust was thin and crunchy, but it was still able to hold the contents of the pie, which was impressive because there was no shortage of toppings. 

Red Zeppelin has earned a regular spot in my restaurant rotation.

Red Zeppelin Pizza, 4395 Perkins Road, Baton Rouge. (Lauren Cheramie, features writer).