Food is getting mighty tasty in Lafayette, Louisiana, and at The Blue Dog Cafe,  new executive chef Ryan Trahan is one of the culinary leaders making that happen.

When I first began my semi-annual travels to Lafayette about a dozen years ago to indulge my passion for the area’s Cajun and Zydeco music, there were very few restaurants that I could get excited about. Vegetables boiled to mush and deep fried everything weren’t really the way I liked to eat, plus, as a pescatarian who doesn’t eat meat, most of the Cajun specialties like boudin and dishes made with various pork products were not an option for me.

Chef Ryan Trahan and the Blue Dog

All that began to change a few years ago, when a growing number of new restaurants started highlighting local, healthier ingredients and creative cuisine, and bringing the so-called “farm-to-table” concept to my grateful tastebuds. In fact, in recent years, Lafayette has been experiencing a culinary renaissance, earning the titles of “Tastiest Town in the South” in 2014 from AAA Southern Traveler, and in 2012 from Southern Living, and “Best Food City” in 2011 from Rand McNally/USA Today. So, as of my recent trip to Lafayette for Mardi Gras, I have added a new favorite restaurant to my list—one that had, truthfully, underwhelmed me in the past but now has me singing its praises to all who will listen. Thanks to recently-hired Executive Chef Ryan Trahan’s inventive talent and spot-on cuisine, The Blue Dog Cafe has been reborn into a “must go” dining destination. Continue reading