A few months back, Anthony Bourdain remarked that there’s no place on earth like you, New Orleans. Grillades and grits is a great example. I had never heard of it and I’ve never had anything like it. Highlight of the trip.

Chicken and waffles for Eliza.

Let’s go for a walk, New Orleans. You can sing us a song. “Do you know what it meeeeeeeans…”

Let’s try something completely different. What’s that? Another John Besh restaurant? Do they have grillades and grits?

A pork sandwich will have to do.

After a dinner (with no photos) at Herbsaint, we’ve got one final meal with you, New Orleans. Our last breakfast at Luke was lovely. Let’s do that again.

Eliza will have the pate. I’ll help her out. Doesn’t she look dainty?

Excuse me, New Orleans. Will you pass me my wide angle lens? Otherwise, I’m not going to be able to fit this soft shell crab sandwich in this camera’s meager frame. And yes, that is a fried egg on top.

Eliza’s mom had a fried oyster salad featuring the bacon of one Mr. Allan Benton.

That was fun, New Orleans. Let’s do it again soon.

Thank you, New Orleans. I am delighted as well. Where shall we go first?

Yes, Cochon sounds delightful. Judging by how the name translates and their choice of artwork, New Orleans, I think this will do nicely.

Why yes, I think we would like to try your house made Slim Jim. I find myself wondering why I don’t utter the phrase “house made Slim Jim” more often.

Or “fried rabbit liver” for that matter.

But really New Orleans, I must stop you. You see, people sometimes assume that we here at Chicken Fried Everything only partake of fried food. And you see, we’re much more complicated–I’m sorry, what’s that you say? Fried alligator? Well, if you insist.

OK, New Orleans. After all that I’m going to need a few hours to recover. But dinner is in three hours? Well, I do hear that MiLa has something called Deconstructed Oysters Rockefeller and I am curious…

It’s been a long day New Orleans. Let’s get some rest, as we have a full day tomorrow.

Road Food had lots of great-sounding recommendations for lunch in Lafayette, but we were finally swayed by the plethora of crawfish options at Prejean’s. Plus, it was just off the highway.

They had an impressive display of schwag.

Ben and I shared the Crawfish Platter:  fried crawfish, crawfish Etouffee, crawfish pie, crawfish boulettes, crawfish bisque, fries, dirty rice, and fried crawfish salad. The highlight may have actually been the dirty rice.

I couldn’t resist this commemorative coozie.

Also, for future reference, you will be laughed at (as we were) if you come home from Lafayette and tell people that you went to PREE-GENE’s (especially if they are from Lafayette, as they were). Say it like it’s French.