Unauthorized

This is one of the major foody and zydeco music destinations 5 to 6 miles east of Lafayette, Louisiana. The tiny village of Breaux Bridge is full of artsy shops and antique dealers. The quaint Café des Amis has the feel of a French bistro in the heart of Cajun country. Nearly every night high quality, exotic zydeco bands perform. Like most Cajun cooking, the food is rustic, flavorful, super-fattening, and heavy ... but delicious. I loved the shrimp and okra gumbo, but truthfully, every restaurant where I had gumbo during my week in Louisiana was delicious. My wife’s fried catfish was also top-notch, as were the deep-fried eggplant wheels. The shrimp étouffée was a little heavy with a cloying sauce, and the rice was just so-so. The service was friendly. I looked at the wine list, which was adequate, but hardly exciting, so we opted to have iced tea with our lunch. Nevertheless, I would not hesitate to recommend Café des Amis to get a feel for the Cajun culture as it seems authentic, even though it is a prime destination for tourists.