Page 13 - LCTstoryideas2020

ST. LANDRY PARISH

If it’s a culinary favorite, St. Landry Parish has a festival for it…gumbo, cracklins, étouffée, and of course, sweet dough pies! This traditional
dessert is hand-folded and has a thicker, softer, and sweeter crust, similar to a sugar cookie. They are filled with locally sourced, seasonal
ingredients, such as sweet potato, lemon, fig and blackberry. Taste these sweet treats and celebrate their unique history every October at the
Sweet Dough Pie Festival held in Grand Coteau, Louisiana, the Sweet Dough Pie Capital. Every year, pastry chefs and home cooks vie for the
title in the sweet dough pie contest. Taste each variation and judge for yourself. The historic town of Grand Coteau is also celebrated at this
event through Cemetery Tours & Historical Reenactments and trolley tours of the town featuring St. Charles Church and Cemetery, St. Ignatius
School, the St. Peter Claver complex and the Academy of the Sacred Heart. If you miss the festival, travel the St. Landry Parish Spiritual Trail
at anytime of the year to explore Grand Coteau and the other historic and scenic towns of St. Landry Parish.

Sarah Wise | St. Landry Parish Tourist Commission | info@cajuntravel.com
337-948-8004 ext. 102 | CajunTravel.com

CLEAR YOUR CALENDAR FOR AN EPICUREAN JOURNEY AND SAMPLE A GLOBAL MENU

SHREVEPORT-BOSSIER

North Louisiana’s Red River’s soils and bountiful bodies of water create a feast of farm fresh vegetables and sustainable fish. Farms flourish
along the banks of the Red River, offering locals and visitors a taste of the area’s treasures. It’s the very reason Chef Hardette Harris, named
“Louisianan of the Year” by Louisiana Life Magazine in 2017, was able to create the Official Meal of North Louisiana. This appetizing meal
includes fried catfish, purple hull peas, and hot water cornbread, which are all the ingredients that grow and produce naturally along the Red
River. Originally from Minden, Louisiana, Chef Harris coined this meal based on her childhood memories of preparing what was available in
the area.

INDULGE IN SHREVEPORT’S UNDERGROUND FOOD SCENE AT MS KICK
Milam Street Kitchen Incubator & Community Kitchen (MS KICK), located at 1201 Milam Street in Shreveport, is a local gem that houses
underground culinary artists and start-up caterers in an effort to support, build, and supply local cooks with a full-service catering kitchen.
This center is a community project that shares its riches with entrepreneur caterers by giving them an affordable brick and mortar commercial
kitchen to prepare, cook, and serve Shreveport-Bossier foodies at a high capacity.

EL CABO VERDE NAMED BEST MEXICAN RESTAURANT IN LOUISIANA
With an astounding five-star Yelp rating, recipes with all non-GMO ingredients, and a dedicated farm-to-table menu, it is no shock that El
Cabo Verde is dubbed the Best Mexican Restaurant in the entire state of Louisiana by 24/7 Tempo. Owner and Chef Gabriel Balderas was
named “Chefs to Watch” by Louisiana Cooking Magazine in 2016. Chef Balderas’ enrichment of locally grown corn is one of the many culinary
elements to his style that set an unachievable bar for other Louisiana Mexican restaurants. What began as a pop-up restaurant developed in
a flavorful phenomenon that locals respect, appreciate, and support.

COTTON ST. FARM TAKES ROOT IN DOWNTOWN SHREVEPORT
Cotton St. Farms is an indoor hydroponic farm and is one of the rarest and richest in the north Louisiana region. Located in downtown
Shreveport, this unconventional farming technique allows its growers to produce fresh fruit, vegetables and herbs without harmful pesticides,
herbicides, and fungicides. This process leaves the consumer with safe, healthy, aroma-filled, and nutritious foods. Cotton St. Farms fuels
various Shreveport-Bossier restaurants with mixed greens, sprouts, herbs, and more. Michael Billings, founder of Cotton St. Farms and
modern agricultural enthusiast, continues to sprout through concrete without a grain of soil in sight.
NEW WAVE OF EXPERIENTIAL AGRITOURISM TAKES OFF IN NORTH LOUISIANA
With an uptick in outdoor recreation interests, visitors and locals took advantage of hands-on agricultural experiences on rural farms in Caddo
and Bossier Parishes. At Morrell Dairy Farm in Mooringsport, visitors can pet cows that produce the thick, creamy milk and butter you consume.
Ryan Farms Produce in Dixie is the only farm market in the area that takes place on farmland. Haughton’s Blueberry Hill is no stranger to
tourists, blueberry pickers travel near and far to gather pounds of blue berries. Also in Haughton, Mahaffey Farms is known for their premier
foodie farm tours, and they even offer overnight stays at the Mahaffey Farmhouse.
Shalisa Roland | Shreveport-Bossier Convention and Tourist Bureau |
sroland@sbctb.org | 318-429-0639 | Shreveport-Bossier.org

13