A Cajun Plate Lunch + A Fais Do Do

T.G.I.F. and that means time for a great Cajun lunch. Getting off work at noon on Fridays, for most, is a Lafayette tradition. It's time to head over to your favorite Friday lunch spot and indulge in a little decadent Cajun cuisine. We decided to go to Pat's Downtown, where everything on the menu is sinfully delicious. Pat's has some of the best poboys in town, along with many other highly seasoned delicacies. For directions and to see the menu, click here.

Since we will be spending most of the weekend eating shrimp, at the Shrimp Festival, I decided to order something different, one of my faves and one of their specialties, Fried Catfish topped with Crawfish Etoufee!! Oh, when I tell ya'll that this is fabulous, then you know that I mean it! So rich and each bite just melts in your mouth. Served with potato salad, green salad, and bread pudding, it's a delightful way to start the weekend!

In case ya'll are wondering how we eat all of this rich, high calorie Cajun cuisine, without gaining a pound, here is how we do it! We dance, dance, and then dance, some more! Here is a clip of one of my favorite bands, Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys, playing for a fais do do (fay-dough-dough). The first dance is a Cajun waltz and the second is a two-step. Hope that ya'll have a fun and happy weekend!! Let the good times roll, cher!

An Alligator, A Lake, and A Plate Lunch

We decided to order a plate lunch from one of our favorite Cajun eateries, Julien's Poboys. I chose my favorite item on the menu, the Shrimp En Brochette. When I tell you how sinfully delicious these succulent, highly seasoned, fried, bacon wrapped shrimp were, you know that I mean it, cher! I know, the calories, but who's counting? Oh cest' bon, cher! Since I only allow myself to indulge in these divine shrimp, once in a great while, I ate them with great delight and no remorse. They come with curly Cajun fries and a small salad. My friends ordered a Fried Catfish Platter, and a Hot Sausage Poboy. Both, also fabulous!

With morning thunder showers cooling things off a bit, we decided to take a little trip to nearby Lake Martin, this afternoon. Lake Martin is of the most beautiful places on earth and is home to many species of birds, as well as alligators, and wildlife known to the area. It is the largest nesting area of wading birds in the United States and is listed in the top 10 bird watching sites in America by the Audubon Society. At the end of the lake there is a Cypress and Buttonbush thicket with tens of thousands of waders, which include Blue Herons and Great and Cattle Egrets, plus over 2oo species in all. If you're lucky, you may spot a Great Horned Owl or Red-bellied woodpecker. (Click to enlarge, to see Heron)

Lake Martin is a broad, shallow lake that is so peaceful and serene, which makes it is a perfect place to reflect on the beauty of nature and perhaps do a little fishing or hiking. We were in luck today, and captured this shot of an alligator sunning himself. He was about 12 feet long and not the biggest in the lake, as some grow to be 15 to 20 feet long. Here and there, you will see alligator nests which are large mounds of of leaves and dirt. Don't ever get too close to the nests! About this time, we were wishing that we had a piece of bait, so he would open his powerful jaws for the camera. Something else to put on the list for the next trip. Another Cajun adventure awaits! They don't call Louisiana "The Sportsman's Paradise" for nothing! Where do you go to be with nature, where you live?