Winter Southern Style
Pick your Passion in
Louisiana
T
here are three things Louisiana
visitors are guaranteed to find
upon arrival in Sportsman’s
Paradise—friendly people, beautiful
landscapes and world-class food.
Louisiana is known as one of America’s best destinations for food lovers.
It’s especially fitting for those who are
looking to experience Creole and Cajun cuisine in its birthplace.
Dishes like gumbo, a hearty stew
thickened with a browned roux and
okra; jambalaya, a seasoned rice dish
similar to Spanish paella; and étoufée, meaning smothered in French
is traditionally a dish with a rich
butter-based sauce, share a common
denominator—Louisiana seafood.
Louisiana visitors can enjoy seafood all over the state. The French
Quarter and surrounding neighborhoods are home to properties run by
notable chefs like John Besh, Donald
Link, Susan Spicer, Paul Prudhomme,
Emeril Lagasse and others.
An hour up the Mississippi River,
110 FOOD TRAVELER | WINTER 2013
visitors to Baton Rouge —the state
capital—find delicious spots such
as Juban’s , with a signature dish
featuring soft-shell crab called the
Hallelujah Crab; Mike Anderson’s Seafood and Oyster Bar, a must-visit for
fried seafood platters and seafood
po’boys; Mansur’s on the Boulevard,
an upscale Creole dining option with
live jazz piano music; Latil’s Landing,
an elegant eatery at the Houmas House
Plantation; and Tony’s Seafood Market
and Deli, a local favorite for everything
seafood, live and cooked.
Throughout north Louisiana you
can find fresh seafood and wonderful views. Natchitoches, Louisiana’s
oldest settlement, is home to Mariner’s Restaurant which offers a variety
of fish entrees and stunning sunset
views of Sibley Lake. Warehouse No.
1 Restaurant in Monroe overlooks the
Ouachita River. Just outside of Alexandria, Tunk’s Cypress Inn sits on the
banks on Kincaid Lake. Shreveport is
home to Crawdaddy’s Kitchen where
you can find some of the state’s best
crawfish and shrimp. North of Lake
Pontchartrain, in an area known as
the Northshore, find fresh boiled,
fried and grilled seafood of all types
at Morton’s Seafood Restaurant on the
Tchefuncte River. For a brunch filled
with seafood entrees amidst the music and dance of the Cajun and Creole
prairies, a must-visit is the Zydeco
Breakfast at Café des Amis in Breaux
Bridge. Whether you’re seeking boiled
crabs in Houma (try Big Al’s Seafood
Restaurant) or the many delicacies
offered at Steamboat Bill’s in Lake
Charles, Louisiana’s passion for food
is evident in every region of the state.
In Louisiana, even our eating is an
event. The state boasts more than 400 festivals each year. If it walks, crawls, swims
or flies, Louisiana will honor it with a festival before tossing it in a gumbo pot. From
shrimp and strawberries to frogs and poboys, spectators are sure to be dazzled by
the endless array of festival themes.
To start planning your trip to Louisiana visit www.LouisianaTravel.com.