In Postcards From Chefs Abroad, we download the recent travel itinerary of a Chicago chef. This week, we give you scenes from Atwood Cafe's chef Derek Simcik's trip to Lafayette, Louisiana, courtesy of Simcik himself.
The Jaunt: "I traveled there by myself the last week of July. I've never lived in Louisiana, but my mom's from there and all our family is down there. So I go there every once and awhile to visit." Getting there: round-trip direct flight to Lafayette, LA, $382 on kayak.com.
The Food: "We hit every local dive that was packed with good, cheap food. It just reminded me of being a kid again."
His Most Memorable Meals: "The crawfish at Crawfish Town USA was amazing. The crab boil was incredible. Having the gumbo at Herbert's diner was one of the best because it reminded me of home cooked meals I had as a kid."
The Dishes He's Bringing Back to Chicago: "I'm looking at bringing back a version of the boudin [sausage used in French-Creole cooking] at Herbert's as a Saturday/Sunday brunch special or menu item. I also brought back a whole bunch of pickling stuff. Down there, they pickle everything. So, I grabbed pickled quail eggs, green beans, asparagus."
His Missed Connection with Tony Bourdain: "While I was down there, Anthony Bourdain was also traveling there for No Reservations, and he was hitting some of the spots I was near as well. He was in the Atchafalaya Basin region near Beaux Bridge, which is where my aunt's camp is."
Flip through the gallery for more. [The Feast]
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