We knew we would eat well in Louisiana. The Clark family chefs had many Louisiana food traditions handed down to them (both Andy's father and mother were born in Louisiana), which we all enjoy at family gatherings. I just didn't expect the sheer volume of gumbos, fried seafood, meat pies, and other Cajun and Creole dishes to appear on every menu at every restaurant we've entered. Natchitoches restaurant menus are not for the weak of heart (both literally and figuratively).
The first lunch spot we hit, Merci Beaucoup, offered a "Cajun Potato": Stuffed potato topped with crawfish etouffee and a jumbo fried shrimp (or two). Just in case there's not enough carbs in the potato for you, it also comes with warm french bread.
Dinner, at the Landing, involved quail and grits:
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| Quail and grits at the Landing |
And, fried green tomatoes, fried alligator, fried crab cakes, and Natchitoches meat pies:
And, an unbelievable wedge salad:
Just around the corner from our hotel, next to the old courthouse, is Lasyone's, which was recommended a few times to us. I also came across it in this story about a waitress there, a "legend" recognized for her 45 years of service there. Lasyone's is famous for their Natchitoches meat pies, which are similar to empanadas (and likely hail from the Spanish influence in Louisiana's history).
In search of some green vegetables, I was pleased to be offered the salad bar, only to discover the only fresh vegetable on display was the iceberg lettuce. No joke! I should have taken a picture. Oh well, we'd have to get our green vegetables via an order of Southern Fried Green Beans.
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| Crawfish pie and Southern fried green beans |
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| Crawfish pie/Natchitoches meat pie |
Carlton and the others in our party (7 altogether) were on their way to Lasyone's later in the afternoon when who but Mr. Scarborough drove by, simply by chance. He joined them for lunch, shared stories with them, and then picked-up the tab!
This morning, there was a little farmers' market on the riverfront. We ventured down there, and again found more charming things to enjoy. The vendors were selling everything from:
To:
OK, we knew what we were getting with the cracklins, but we've never before seen muscadine jelly, mayhaw syrup, or chow-chow. We're looking forward to cracking these open at home. I have no idea what these are or what they will taste like!
And, of course, we met-up with another local. Andy's contact at the Creole Heritage Center at Northwestern State University offered to meet us down there. We only spent a few minutes with Ms. Loretta Wynder, but she was so kind in her efforts to help us connect Carlton with folks he might remember from his childhood here. Before our trip she had sent us a package full of information about Natchitoches and Natchitoches Parish.
In a country that seems so troubled and heartbroken, we are so heartened by the kindness of strangers here in Natchitoches.
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| Deanna, Ms. Wynder, and Andy |
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