The Cajun Foodie

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Posts Tagged Houma

Check out the Voice of the Wetlands Festival this weekend!

Oct 6

Posted by Tommy in The Cajun Foodie | 1 Comment

vow festival logoCome on down to Houma, LA to enjoy down home Cajun music and indescribably delicious food for the 6th Annual Voice of the Wetlands Festival at Southdown Plantation.

For six years now, Tab Benoit has been throwing quite the party, playing music, serving food, and spreading the word about Voice of the Wetlands, his non-profit organization dedicated to bringing national and international attention to coastal erosion in south Louisiana, and the global impact the loss of the United States’ wetlands will have – culturally, economically, and environmentally.

Enjoy Southern dishes like chicken and sausage jambalaya, white beans, alligator, gumbo, and MUCH more!

Don’t miss out on 2 very special (and don’t forget – FREE) performances:

Saturday, October 10 –

Louisiana LeRoux with special guest Jimmy Hall of Wet Willie and Fergie Frederikson of Toto followed by a special ceremony inducting Louisiana LeRoux into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame

Sunday, October 11 –

The Voice of the Wetlands All-Stars performance including Dr. John for the first time at VOW Fest Tab Benoit, Dr. John, Stanton Moore of Galactic, Cyril Neville,
George Porter Jr., Anders Osborne, Jumpin’ Johnny Sansone, Waylon Thibodeaux and Big Chief Monk Boudreaux

Voice of the Wetlands is a free festival for everyone to experience.  Besides food and music every day and night of the festival, there’s also array of other events throughout the weekend:

Friday, October 9 – Traditional Boucherie, complete with a pig roast and cracklins!

Saturday, October 10 – Race for the Wetlands: VOW is kicking it up a notch this
year with a 5k/10k race through Houma.  The race will take place on Saturday, October 10th  beginning at 4pm.

Sunday, October 11 – VOW Benefit Poker Run beginning at Cycle World (5509 West Park Avenue in Houma), ending at the festival.

Visit www.voiceofthewetlands.org for the complete event schedule and music line-up.

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BIG AL’S – Where It’s At for Seafood in Houma

Jun 30

Posted by ellclare in Acadiana restaurant, Cajun recipes, Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Big Al'sLocated on the East side of Houma, Big Al’s Seafood is my favorite place to go for boiled seafood around town.

Many people know that I’m indecisive about lots of things in life, but when it comes to food and when I’m hungry, there is absolutely no hope for a decision to be made.  I want a little of everything.  Everything looks and smells so good.  So many choices… it’s just hopeless.

Well – at Big Al’s, we had the most fabulous waitress who saved me from anguish and let me have a little bit of everything!  You can basically customize your own boiled seafood platter! How cool is this? We ordered 2 lbs of boiled shrimp, 1 lb of boiled crawfish, 2 crabs, and the sides of course (potatoes, corn, and sausage).

We were able to order a crab at a time and a pound of crawfish at a time after that when we still just hadn’t had enough.  It was perfect!  Everything was boiled to perfection: easy to peel, juicy, and spicy enough to feel the kick in your mouth, but not too spicy.

I’ve been a loyal fan of Big Al’s for years now, and every visit leaves me 110% satisfied.  They’re never off.  The menu offers a wonderful selection of fried and boiled seafood along with savory sides to compliment the seafood, and they have just about any style pasta and poboy you can imagine.  There’s also a kid-friendly menu.

Everything about Big Al’s makes you feel right at home: the booths and picnic tables, the Cajun ’decor’, the genuine Southern hospitality from the staff, and the always ice cold Abita beer.  (They DO serve Abita Strawberry, which is also a plus!)

Big Al’s original location can be found at 1226 Grand Caillou Road in Houma.  Their second location is on the Westside of Houma at 1377 West Tunnel Blvd.  For those folks in and around New Orleans, check out Big Al’s location on Annunciation Street in Uptown New Orleans.

Big Al's Seafood Market on Urbanspoon

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Frostop for burgers, po boys, and what else… ROOT BEER!

Jun 22

Posted by ellclare in "Down the Bayou" restaurant | 12 Comments

frostopmugDriving home from work I was thinking of what I was going to eat for dinner (as usual).  Not having a whole lot of time to cook anything, I wanted to pick up something in a hurry. Frostop came to mind because I know I can never go wrong with a Lot-o-Burger!

I remember heading to Frostop in Thibodaux with my parents when I was a little girl, back when it was on the bayou-side next to The Rinky-Dink.  For as long as I can remember, I’ve been ordering the Lot-o-Burger Special with cheese…large beef patty dressed with Frostop’s special blend of mayo and mustard, lettuce, tomato, chopped onions, and cheese (which is optional, although I’m not so sure why).  Heaven.  Juicy, delicious, and always cooked to perfection.teacookies

We all know about the Lot-o-Burgers…. so onto other items of goodness.  While waiting in line to place my order, I noticed something on the counter and got curious.  Getting closer, I see Uncle T’s tea cookies! YUM!  There is “old-fashioned goodness in every bite”!  I have to admit that I couldn’t even wait to get home to try my dessert; I ate 1/2 of one of the cookies while waiting for my order. Soft, fluffy, scrumptious, and made right here in Thibodaux!  You can find Uncle T’s tea cookies in various places around town: Rouse’s grocery stores and a few other convenience stores.

Always ordering the famous burger, I decided to go with something “new” for a change.  Boy am I glad I did!  The roast beef poboy is amazing!  Who even knew there was anything other than the burgers available?  I got home, opened the wrapper, rolled up my sleeves (seriously…this step is a must, unless you want gravy seeping into your shirt sleeves!).  It probably rivals Bowzer’s experience at the Goal Post in Raceland as far as the number of napkins needed goes.

photo 2 300x225 Frostop for burgers, po boys, and what else... ROOT BEER!

Shredded beef, lettuce, mayo, tomato, flooded with gravy on a piece of French bread. While most would agree that poboys are best made on Leidenheimer bread, this was still fabulous!  My mouth is watering just thinking about it again!

Lets not forget that ordering a frosty mug of Frostop’s root beer is a must.  It would be some sort of blasphemy to dine in or take out and not have the root beer as a companion.  It’s so good, that many times one glass won’t be enough.

So – next time you’re in a hurry looking for something to chow down on, head to Frostop’s new location on Canal Boulevard in Thibodaux – you won’t be let down!  You can also enjoy at other Louisiana locations in New Orleans, Baton Rouge, LaPlace, Raceland, and Houma to name a few.  Trust me, the big mug is hard to miss.

Frostop On The Bayou on Urbanspoon

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1921 Seafood in Houma

May 4

Posted by Tommy in "Down the Bayou" restaurant | 2 Comments

1921 150x150 1921 Seafood in HoumaOn a recent excursion to the grandest of all islands (Grand Isle to those of you not familiar with this nickname for the seven miles of fun and sun), the Wife and I were feeling a bit hungry.  My initial plans were to make it down to Harry’s or D&D in Larose but the Wife was having none of it and we were eating sooner rather than later in our trip, so it was clear that a pitstop was going to be made in Houma.

I put 1921 Seafood on the trusty iPhone GPS and minutes later we were outside of what they would proudly call a shack on Barrow Street.  This place is the real deal, with the bathrooms being labeled simply as “Inboards” and “Outboards” and a hand-washing station with commercial soap tacked up on a wall.

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Cristiano’s Ristorante in Houma- Mama Mia and EllClare

Apr 6

Posted by Mama Mia in "Down the Bayou" restaurant | 4 Comments

entrance 150x150 Cristianos Ristorante in Houma Mama Mia and EllClareDeep in the heart of South Louisiana, where Cajun food is king, we found an “authentic” Italian restaurant that will delight the palate of even the most “pig-fat-loving” appetites. Located in downtown Houma, Louisiana, Cristiano’s Ristorante is a “reservation only” establishment for lunch and dinner, satisfying their many patron’s cravings for Mediterranean cuisine…and Mediterranean it is! Most of the menu is in Italian, but with the help of our courteous server/translator, we soon discovered that choosing which delicious entrée we wanted would be tough. Even though we didn’t know the meaning of some of the words, we had no doubt that they all meant something scrumptious! That was clear even before we looked at the menu. The minute we walked into the restaurant, we smelled the tomato, garlic, olives, cheese…Italy. Our Italian heritage was awakened, and our senses went wild! Read the rest of this entry »

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The Real Deal: Bayou Delight Restaurant in Houma

Mar 12

Posted by Mama Mia in "Down the Bayou" restaurant | 8 Comments

O.K Foodies, if you’re looking for authentic Cajun cuisine, you won’t find better than at Bayou Delight Restaurant in Houma, LA ( really “off the beaten path” in Houma). It’s located on what locals call Bayou Black Hwy., which is actually La. Hwy. 90.  The first time I ventured out to find it I got lost, but boy am I glad that I persisted in my quest for “real” cajun delights.  Many restaurants boast authentic Cajun specialties, but you’ll know the first time you feast at Bayou Delight, that you’ve found the bona fide stuff.

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Sushi (in Thibodaux?)

Feb 26

Posted by Cassafrass in "Down the Bayou" restaurant | 5 Comments

OK — So let me make a disclaimer before I begin this one.  I am in no way comparing this sushi to that of Tsunami in Baton Rouge or Lafayette, Sake Cafe in New Orleans, or even Osaka in Houma for that matter.  I don’t even really consider myself a sushi expert, but it’s lent and let’s face it — it doesn’t take long for one to get over eating tuna fish salad for lunch every Friday.

I went to the Rouse’s Epicurean in Thibodaux yesterday after work in search of something to eat for dinner last night.  While I knew they had sushi there, in the past it was not really edible and the fish was often “fishy” tasting and just not really good.  Well yesterday as I drove into the parking lot I noticed “Sushi” signs all over – and I was curious.  As I approached the sushi counter, I noticed new chefs that were actually there making fresh sushi.  As you glanced through the decent selection of rolls and items, they would assist you and even allow you to order a roll with whatever you wanted in it.  They even had summer rolls wrapped in lettuce and rolls made with brown rice for those that want to be healthy.  I chose the crunchy roll with cucumber and the spicy tuna roll both wrapped in brown rice.

sushi1 Sushi (in Thibodaux?)

Although not the best sushi I’ve ever had, it was fresh and tasted good.  So while I patiently wait for someone to open a sushi restaurant in Thibodaux to compete with Houma’s 4 and counting, I will definitely be hitting up Rouse’s again in order to save a drive to Houma.

Note: Apparently Rouse’s has contracted with a new company, so for those of you who were like me and found the sushi there pretty gross in the past, I suggest you give the new chefs another shot.

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Cafe’ Dominique

Feb 25

Posted by Cassafrass in "Down the Bayou" restaurant | 15 Comments

cafe dominique Cafe Dominique

So my girl friends gather once per month for what we like to call “girls night out.”  One night to break away from our husbands, work commitments, healthy eating (yeah right!) during the week.  Tired of the same old local favorites, we decided to try a new restaurant in Houma, Louisiana  – Cafe’ Dominique.  The actual place was warm and inviting.  I felt as if I were in an old New Orleans style restaurant.  The menu has an array of unique items ranging from your basic steak to unique and tasty fish dishes.

We began our 3 hour dinner with wine and appetizers.  I had the salad, which was delicious — cold, crispy, fresh lettuce (which was also chopped, an added plus for me because I hate big leaves of lettuce), topped with crispy bacon, blue cheese, and a very light and creamy buttermilk dressing which did not take away from the bold flavors of the bacon and cheese.  Another friend had the tuna ceviche which was just as delicious as the salad.  Yet there was one item that surpassed them all — THE SEARED SCALLOPS.  They were absolute perfection — buttery, plump, and just melted in your mouth.

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