Lafayette Hot Spot: Trynd is a chic and unique culinary destination

For something a little different while in Lafayette, check out the fashionable new Trynd Restaurant and Boutique Lounge, which was recommended to me by Ginger Hebert, a longtime resident who always knows what is hip and happening around town. Before interviewing the owner and later the chef, I spent an incognito evening there enjoying the chic ambience while ...

Special Occasion Haven: Chef Augie Lopez gives diners something to smile about

It is hard to resist the appeal of an opulently apportioned, golden-brown, crisply fried seafood platter at Smilie’s Restaurant, where businessmen gather for power lunches on weekdays, families assemble for dinners that are served with style, and locals congregate to celebrate everything from wedding receptions to baby showers and birthdays in the beautifully ...

Italian Sensibilities: 
A culinary odyssey in Mandeville

On a warm and windy Saturday morning, I headed across Lake Pontchartrain to Mandeville to attend one of the monthly cooking classes at Ristorante Carmelo, where diners can watch the chefs preparing dishes in a large open kitchen that is centered by an old-fashioned wood-burning stone oven.
Jazzy music on tape adds to the lively atmosphere at this popular ...