Evangeline Parish

Evangeline Parish was created by a dividing of St. Landry Parish in 1911. The story goes that folks in Ville Platte and Mamou had to travel too far to do business at the parish seat. They felt they were being overlooked for opportunities in the parish. Join us as we tour Louisiana.

Named for the heroine of Longfellow’s poem the residents  are said to claim themselves the “most Cajun” of all. A real blending of cultures, Evangeline claims the most French spoken, best gumbo, best boudin, the best music and the best whatever else. Who knows, they just might be right – let’s find out.

In this parish there’s the “wild side” like food and cajun music and there’s the “wild side” like the Louisiana State Arboretum and the Native Plant Heritage Garden.  A mini-bus from Riverside Limousines with a professional chauffeur a great way to see the parish. You visit with friends, listen to music, watch a video, eat a snack and leave the driving to us.

Mamou

Mamou is about 2 hours from Baton Rouge. The town has been immortalized in the song, “Big Mamou?”  If we leave before 7:00 a.m. we can get to Fred’s before 9:00 a.m. and enjoy music and Cajun dancing. The live band starts at 8:00, (yes, that’s 8:00 a.m.) It may be standing room only by the time we arrive. When we leave there we can drop our luggage at Cazan’s across the street from Fred’s if we plan to spend the night.

Ville Platte

Leaving Mamou we’ll stop by T-Boy’s Boudin and Crackin’ to put some of his A+ boudin (sausage made from pork, rice, seasoning and spices) in the ice chest as we head for lunch at Cafe de La Salle in Ville Platte. According to Acadiana Table’s “Faces and Places” they are hard to beat for “true Cajun food” Their smoked ponce is one of the best he’s ever had. Ponce is a sausage stuffed pig stomach. In addition, the buffet has items like hen gumbo, mustard greens and corn macque choux. Sounds mouth watering.

After lunch we’ll explore the State Arboretum at Chicot State Park. After enjoying the arboretum well explore the town and stop in the local seasoning producers – “Slap Ya Mama’s”, Jack Miller’s and Kary’s Roux. Another place we can visit is Teet’s Food Store. They are known for foods like cracklins’,hog head cheese, tasso, meatballs and ponce.  We’ll stop by the Swamp Pop Museum and then drive the Zydeco Cajun Byway back to Mamou. Check in, rest, freshen up, walk around the town and get recharged for supper.

We’ll head to the Crawfish Barn for great Cajun Food. To begin we can share appetizers like “The Big Mamou” or “Shrimp Evangeline.” When it’s time order entrees when can choose platters of crawfish in season or specialities like “The Mixed Grill (oysters, shrimp, catfish)” or “The Cajun Ribeye (16 oz ribeye topped with crawfish ettouffee).” For dessert there is “Banana’s Foster Cheesecake” or Bread Pudding.

After a busy day our beds at the Cazan will be especially welcome.

Baton Rouge

After a good nights sleep we will enjoy coffee and a leisurely breakfast at Cafe Mamou before heading back to Baton Rouge with our memories and Cajun groceries. The trip to Evangeline parish has been a Cajun music and food tour.

In Riverside Limousines mini-bus there is lots of flexibility for your small group tour. As your group enjoy the sites and meet some of the locals, they will discover new places of interest. Our professional chauffeur will adjust the itinerary to suit your interests. As this part of your Louisiana tour ends and you relax on the way home remember: “we drive … you have fun!”

John Kelton