Eating good in Louisiana!

We have a bit of dilemma in our family. Patsy and I love a variety of different foods and we also enjoy trying new cuisines from different parts of the country and the world. However our boys have fairly set tastes and do not like to vary too far from those likes and dislikes. In essence they are not yet culinary tourists!

So we have to find a way to sample the huge variety of flavors this nation has to offer on our trip, yet still keep the boys fed and nourished. Our formula has been pretty simple. We make a typical meal that the boys like and then I go out and get take-out from a nearby restaurant that has some of the unique foods Patsy and I want to sample. Then we can share bites with any boys feeling bold and daring and we do not spend nearly as much money as we would if we all went to the restaurant ourselves.

This simple operation was carried out several times in the state of Louisiana, a state with loads of interesting and unique foods. We enjoyed muffalatos from a place called Camille Cafe in Abita Springs. These tasty sandwiches are sort of like club sandwiches with lots of olives and some sort of special sauce and they were quite wonderful. Later we stopped at a little joint called Monster Po Boys in Mandeville and we a split roast beef and a shrimp po boy. These were stunning and marvelous and some of the best things we have tasted on our trip!

Of course the whole family enjoyed the beignets at Cafe Du Monde in New Orleans, after all who does not love doughy, sugary goodness? The whole clan also enjoyed stopping at a chain called Raising Canes in Baton Rouge. This is a chain that started in Louisiana and features basically just chicken fingers. They have a terrific sauce to dip them in as well.

Cajun country is a world unto itself and our stay at a campground there led us to meeting a couple of older cajun gals who had us sample some of their boudin and cracklin. Oh boy dat shure was good stuff! It was so good that we later had to stop at another place in Franklin and buy some more so Patsy and I could have a cajun lunch while the boys had pig in the blankets. Poor boys!

When you add in our Tabasco Factory tour and sample bar and you can see why in just five days we felt like we have truly eaten our way through Louisiana (and that is not counting our stop at the Crawdaddy Cafe in Shreveport last fall!)