Monthly Archives: May 2023

Newly Refreshed Cajun Bayou Food Trail Launches with Three New Restaurants

Raceland, Louisiana (May 15, 2023) – It’s no secret that some of the best food in the South can be found in Louisiana. Gumbo, jambalaya, etouffee, boudin … if it’ hard to spell and tasty to eat, odds are no one makes it better than someone’s grandma down in Cajun Country. Here in Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou, chefs have access to their own personal pantry with the bayou being steps away. Fresh ingredients, recipes passed down through generations and the not-so-secret ingredient of “a whole lotta love” come together to create dishes that put this region on the map.

And speaking of maps, in 2018, Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou dished out their very own Cajun Bayou Food Trail. For the past five years, the trail has celebrated the authentic food found within the area’s Cajun roots, offering a way for visitors to truly experience Cajun cuisine like never before.

Today, Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou Tourism is excited to unveil a refreshed trail with new additions and enhancements. Since no one can ever have too many boudin balls, three stops are being added to the preexisting – and authentically delicious – trail, bringing the total participating restaurants to 18. These additions provide more dining options for trail-goers in North, Central and South Lafourche -- Grady V’s in Thibodaux (Blue Crab Beignets, anyone?), Bayou Boucherie Meat Market in Mathews, and Mommie Jo’s Restaurant in Cut Off.

Visitors need only a trail map, passport and quite the appetite to begin their journey, though stretchy pants are also recommended! After getting five stamps on your Food Trail passport, which can be found both online and at the Visitor’s Center, guests are eligible for a free Food Trail t-shirt, a comfy badge of honor that, after sampling all the parish has to offer, should be ordered in a size up.

In addition to updated promotional and marketing items like a refreshed landing page and new Food Trail stamps for restaurants, the beloved trail t-shirt is also getting a makeover … meaning those who have traveled the trail and earned the t-shirt in the past have no excuse not to head to Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou for round two!

Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou Honors Tourism Partners at 2023 Bayou Ambassador Awards Luncheon

Raceland, Louisiana (May 11, 2023) – Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou Tourism, the destination management organization for Lafourche Parish, honored five tourism partners with their Bayou Ambassador Awards in recognition of their dedicated service to the tourism industry in Lafourche Parish.

The Jean Lafitte Wetlands Acadian Cultural Center in Thibodaux was selected as Attraction of the Year, Grady V’s Restaurant in Thibodaux was selected as Restaurant of the Year, the 2022 French Food Festival in Cut Off was selected as Event of the Year, and Ms. Tiffany Dardar, Sales Manager at the Candlewood Suites in Cut Off was selected as the Hospitality Employee of the Year. The recipients were honored for their exceptional service and commitment to making Lafourche Parish a year-round tourism destination in 2022.

A special award, The Spirit of the Bayou Award, was given to the Cajun Music Preservation Society. This award was created to honor a tourism partner who embraces the true authentic brand of Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou as someone who whole-heartedly encompasses the spirit of the bayou. Members of the Cajun Music Preservation Society including Quenton Fontenot, Misty McElroy, Gary LaFleur, and Tysman Charpentier accepted the award.

Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou Tourism (LCBT) Board Chair, Marguerite Knight-Erwin, delivered a special welcome to guests that included the importance of the visitor economy in Lafourche Parish. Additionally, the President & CEO of LCBT, Cody A. Gray, provided an update on projects he and his organization are working on, including a parish-wide signage project, a new visitor’s center, and the announcement of a revamped Cajun Bayou Food Trail.

“Our Bayou Ambassador Awards and luncheon as a whole is our way of showing thanks and giving back to our tourism partners who show an unwavering support to our overall goal in making Lafourche Parish a premier tourism destination” said Cody A. Gray, President & CEO of Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou. “As we continue to recover from Hurricane Ida and the effects of Covid-19, we appreciate their support and we look forward to working with and supporting them in the future. Congratulations to all of our award winners on their much-deserved recognition.”

The 2023 Bayou Ambassador Awards Luncheon coincides with National Travel & Tourism Week, an annual celebration of the United States tourism industry.

Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou Tourism Celebrates National Travel and Tourism Week

This year marks the 40th anniversary of the annual industry celebration