Chef’s Recs | New Orleans, LA

Eat | Restaurants

Commander’s Palace

For turtle soup.

Cochon

For alligator -- they have it as an appetizer so everyone can try it.

Authentic Cajun Food | Cochon & Cochon Butcher

Chef Donald Link knows what Cajun is (since he is one) and is translating that very well there. I am in love with the duck pastrami sliders, I have been known to order them for an app and a desert, in the same meal. Also, make sure you take some bacon home with you.

Muriel’s Jackson Square

Get the crawfish and goat cheese crepes, I suffered through what eating crawfish does to me after a recommendation from my fiancée... it was worth it.

Stella!

Chef Scott Boswell is doing a lot of cool stuff there, I really like the Duck 5 Ways. I’m a huge duck fan, and to get 5 preparations on one plate is a win in my book.

Carreta’s Grill

In Metarie -- great Mexican food.

Angeli

On Decatur -- this place is just cool in my book, they project old black and white movies on the wall, the ambiance is just great. I almost always get the meatball sandwich, it’s quick easy, and really good.

Lee’s

Awesome hamburgers at the Metairie location.

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Recipes

- Gateau Sirop

Recommendations

Details of Mark Roberthon’s recommendations for where to eat, drink and shop in New Orleans and Cajun Country.

City Guides

- Cajun Country Guide: Download

- New Orleans City Guide: Online | Download

Chef’s Recs | Cajun Country, LA

Eat | Cajun Country Tips

Stop at a locally owned gas station and pick up some gratons (also known as cracklins – small snackable fried pieces of seasoned pork fat and skin). You won’t find them in most restaurants, and they can’t be missed! Beyond that, ask the locals, most of the best, authentic food is in the out of the way, non-touristy places.

Eat | Where To Eat Cajun Dishes

Boudin | Poche’s in Breaux Bridge, LA

Boudin is sausage made with pork liver and rice and Poche’s has a great boudin.

Gumbo | Prejean’s in Lafayette, LA

Chicken and sausage gumbo is my favorite and Prejean’s has a wonderful gumbo that has won many awards.

Boiled Crawfish | Hawk’s in Rayna, LA

They have the BEST example of boiled crawfish that I have yet to see.

Steak & Rice & Gravy | Poche’s in Breaux Bridge, LA

This isn’t something that you will see on very many restaurant menus, but ask any Cajun and they will name this as a favorite. Poche’s in Breaux Brdige, LA serves it for lunch, sometimes.

Out Of the Way Places | Vidrine’s Café in Church Point, LA

It’s an out of the way, hole in the wall kind of place. I really enjoy going there with my family as it is a real no frills kind of place with steaks the size of a truck. It’s so out of the way, I don’t know how to get there, my mother always navigates.

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Cured Cajun-Style Meats | Poche’s in Breaux Bridge, LA

You can order online at www.poches.com. Also, visit www.cajungrocer.com, they have a full line of local products that can be shipped anywhere.

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Q & A with Mark Roberthon

Q. Tell us about Cafe Des Amis’ Zydeco breakfasts.

A. We feature local Zydeco artists, such as Corey Ledet, Same Ole 2Step, Joe Hall and the Louisiana Cane Cutters, just to name a few. We serve our full breakfast menu, including Eggs Des Amis (a grilled boudin patty with swiss cheese and eggs on a biscuit), Eggs Begnaud (a biscuit topped with crawfish étouffeé or crawfish au gratin and eggs), Omelets stuffed with smothered onions and tasso, Stuffed Oreilles de Cochon (boudin stuffed beignet dough shaped like a pig’s ear) and Couche Couche.

Q. What are the least “chefy” and most “chefy” things you like to eat?

A.

Least Chefy | Cajun Battered Fries from Popeye’s

I would have to say french fries from Popeye’s, they call them Cajun Battered Fries, I’m not sure what’s Cajun about battered fries… but I sure love them.

Most Chefy | Fresh Rabbit Livers

Served with a cane syrup and jalapeno pepper jelly mixture. When I am preparing rabbit at the restaurant, I reserve and cook these for the staff, and they always go over well.

Crawfish Advice & Tips

Eating Crawfish

To peel a boiled crawfish, first find the biggest crawfish! Then you remove the head, pinch the end of the tail, and remove the meat. You can also “suck the head” to get all of that goodness out! You can also use the tail meat in a variety of dishes such as etouffee, gumbo, or just fry them up.

Crawfish Season

The best season is March through June, depending on the weather. Farmers will start as early as February and go as late as September though. If you are boiling the crawfish yourself, make sure they are still alive when you cook them. If you buy peeled crawfish tail meat, smell is a great indicator, just like any other seafood.

Crawfish Purveyors | Atchafalaya Crawfish Processing

I buy all of my crawfish from, they provide Louisiana crawfish that are processed fresh daily, and I’ve never had any bad product from them. It is very important to me to use crawfish that is harvested and processed locally.

Cajun Food Advice & Tips

Genuine Cajun Food

Most people think of super spicy food when thinking of Cajun food, our food is well seasoned, but being overly spiced ruins the flavor in my opinion. Cajun food uses fresh ingredients that are procured locally, and cooked from scratch. I once heard the saying “Cajun food is anything that a Cajun would care to cook” I like that.

Key Ingredients

I don’t think there is one certain thing that will make food Cajun. Cajun cooking is as much about method as ingredients. One major difference is that mirepoix (onions, carrots and celery) is very rarely used here. Instead, you will find The Trinity (onions, bell peppers and celery) in almost everything that is cooked. That being said, we use rice in pretty much everything; étouffeé, jambalaya, boudin, rice and gravy, fricassee... the list could go on and on.

The oldest working rice mill in America, Conrad Rice Mill, is located in New Iberia, LA. In many crawfish ponds, rice is planted in the off-season, both to feed the crawfish, and to harvest for crops. We also use garlic (fresh, powdered, and granulated) and cayenne pepper in virtually every dish. I think it is very important to get ingredients locally, especially with all the great products we have available to us here.

Gateau Sirop | Syrup Cake [see recipe]

Syrup cake is what is known as an “every day cake” it was kept around the house to be enjoyed anytime. It is a spiced dark rich cake, sweetened with cane syrup, which is sugar cane cooked down until dark and thick. Sugar cane is one of Louisiana’s biggest crops, so you can see how this cake has become a classic in Acadiana. I recommend Steen’s Cane Syrup; it is made locally in Abbeveille, LA, and has been since 1910. Around here, Steen’s is a synonym for cane syrup.