Fête Française
My father’s birthday is July 6 so we often celebrated his birthday on the 4th of July, which was a big blowout being that the mid-summer holiday was the peak of our summer gatherings. One year, Papa suggested that since…
AP Magazine
Down the Bayou
1 Bayou Country Crawfish Trail Dine on Crustacean No, it’s not a trek through the woods, but a culinary trail that honors our favorite spring crustacean. In Houma and Thibodaux, there are more than 30 places to pause for crawfish…
Spring Flinging
Lafayette Sipping Suds with Pups and Pals Two adopted dogs served as the inspiration for Ryan and Traci Pécot’s latest venture, the new Adopted Dog Brewery (ADB). Owners of Tchoup’s MidCity Smokehouse, the pet-loving husband-and-wife team unveils a family- and…
Light Recipes
In my household, we recently set a goal to eat three vegetables at each meal. This practice brings to mind the classic southern “meat and three” restaurants that offer a lunch consisting of a meat (or chicken or fish) and…
Shop 'Til You Drop
1 | Lagniappe Antiques Shopping Start the shopping stroll through quaint downtown Breaux Bridge with a stop at one of its largest establishments at 17,000 square feet. Lagniappe Antiques contains rows and rows of antique dealers, as well as items…
Palmyre’s Forbidden Fruit
Palmyre 201 Settlers Trace Blvd. at River Ranch in Lafayette thepalmyre.com…
Cheap Eats
ith talk of inflation and recession dominating the news cycle, saving a few shekels is on a lot of people’s minds. But how can we go about a day in Bayou land without partaking of a delicious culinary treat? Thankfully,…
Lasting Passion
Pat’s of Henderson 1500 Siebarth Dr. Lake Charles 337-439-6618 patsofhenderson.com Good old-fashioned Cajun food is being served again, albeit inside new digs, at Pat’s of Henderson in Lake Charles. Owner Nicholas Perioux, 44, reopened the eatery in Lake…
The Grègue is Hot
With the proliferation of cafés on every street corner, young people would find it hard to believe that coffee in the United States once had a very bad reputation. It was practically undrinkable. Anywhere you ordered a cup of coffee,…
Bluegrass and Bayous
Before setting foot in Acadiana, I knew I loved it. In 2011, I watched the “Cajun Country” episode of “Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations.” Bourdain takes part in a boucherie with Toby Rodriguez. At the time I was living in Texas…
Honoring a Literary Legend
Honoring a Literary Legend January brings the debut of a new U.S. postage stamp depicting the celebrated late author, Ernest Gaines (the former UL writer-in-residence emeritus, born on a plantation in Oscar). The stamp, which artfully portrays Gaines in his…
A Festive Fusion
Poor Boy’s Riverside Inn 240 Tubing Road Broussard 337-837-4011 poorboysriversideinn.com There is something undeniably nostalgic about holiday traditions. Family yuletide feasting at a favorite restaurant, helping mom twine the turducken, chilling the flutes and making classic cocktails with friends can…
Take a Drop, Don’t Stop
Take a Drop, Don’t Stop Lafayette Acadiana’s first olive oil tasting bar, Graze Oil, has surfaced in Lafayette, courtesy of the high-end charcuterie boutique, Graze Acadiana. Patrons graze on such ultra-premium offerings as blood orange-infused olive oil with a side…
Happy Holidays Acadiana
How lucky we are in Louisiana to enjoy the year-concluding holidays, ring in the New Year of 2023 and then roll right into Mardi Gras. Acadiana has more than its share of these celebratory events. We’ve assembled a few…
Easy Fixins
Partying,…
The Suite Life
Design Thomas Guy Interiors thomasguy-interiors.com Welcoming family and friends for the holidays can feel infinitely more enjoyable when everyone has their own space. Drew Hoffpauir, Sr. had these extended stays in mind for the renovation of a hurricane-damaged…
Lost and Found
Historians love to write about the Acadian diaspora, and Longfellow tells us of their “wonder and sadness.” Now, Lafayette artist Cecilia O’Keefe Neustrom shows us the faces of their “Cajun” descendants who live across the prairies and along…
Best of Dining
In Acadiana, cooking is a way of life. It’s also a family affair and a community event. Home cooks abound, so the pros cooking in the region’s restaurants know they’re gonna be put to the test daily — and they…
Seasonal Shift
Now that cooler weather has moved in, I’m ready for a hearty meal for a weekend gathering. Usually gumbo is my go-to for an autumn meal, but I decided that a cassoulet would be a nice change. Leave it to…
A Lucky Libation
When considering party drinks that could benefit from the oomph that vodka brings, Chef Andrew Green’s Get Lucky highball is a perfectly balanced sweet-and-sour sipper that marries small-batch honeysuckle vodka with blackberries, lemon, barrel-aged bitters and orgeat, an increasingly popular…
Editor's Note
After several years of expanding the home section by adding a kitchen feature, last year we decided to create an entire home issue. Between the positive feedback from you and the amount of fun we had putting it together, we…
Best Neighborhoods
Charpentier Historic District Lake Charles For families looking to land somewhere safe, fun and with plenty of space to move around, Lake Charles’ Charpentier Historic District is an excellent option. In the 15 years she’s lived in the neighborhood, realtor…
5 Tips for Selling Your Home
1. Hire a realtor Again, this might seem obvious, but Savant warns against homeowners trying to go it alone. Most often, sellers take this route to avoid what they see as unnecessary costs. But, Savant said more times than…
5 Tips for Buying a New Home
1. Get pre-approved with a local lender Having your finances in order before you start looking will give you a leg up in today’s hyper-competitive market. By working with a local lender, you can often get a more personalized…
