As I mentioned, returning from Dallas, we spent a night in Natchitoches (pronounced Nack-a-tush not Natch-i-toe-chis). I was tired, CS was hungry. I was content to call room service, but there was no restaurant in the hotel. Instead, the hotel recommended a whopping two restaurants, Ryan’s and Mariner’s. We don’t like Ryan’s so we headed to Mariner’s. All I wanted was a cup of soup, so my expectations were pretty low. I kept thinking it’d be funny if we ate Fried Green Tomatoes recalling that the movie was filmed here.
We drove up to a bucolic scene of the restaurant nestled on Cane River Lake overlooking fishing camps:
We walked in to a room whose wall facing the lake was all windows. It was dusk. It was lovely.
The menu gave a brief history of the city, and offered an extensive array of food choices. I settled on a grilled shrimp salad. CS was torn between the Stuffed Cajun Catfish (baked fillet with Rosetta’s seafood stuffing) and the Acadian (Tilapia fillet, blackened or baked, smothered with their award-winning crawfish etouffe). He went with the waitress’s recommendation, the Acadian.
First they brought CS’s soup, lobster and crab bisque. I love lobster and crab and a good bisque. I didn’t order this myself, though I wanted soup, because I wasn’t sure it’d be any good and it would be too rich in any event. It was rich, but was like silk. The seafood was perfectly cooked and the seasonings were spot on. It was a very good start.
Then they brought the entrees. My grilled shrimp salad was your typical greens and dressing. But those grilled shrimp were some of the best I’ve ever eaten.
Let me back up a minute. I don’t eat seafood out of New Orleans very often. It tends to be stereotypical, overpriced and quite disappointing. Now, getting into Cajun land, Lafayette, Shreveport, Natchitoches, I ease up on my don’t-eat-seafood-out-of-town rule. But you need to take care that you are in a good place and not been taken. So, I was a bit cautious about eating at a seafood restaurant, especially leary of bad seafood.
So, these shrimp were grilled to perfection. Something that is often not done in New Orleans. These shrimp had grill marks on them! And they tasted as good as they looked. They were just the right size, not too small but not so large that they should be butterflied. As good as they were, I could not finish them nor my salad. CS would finish my shrimp, which is something he rarely does–finish my food–but these were just that good.
And then there was his Acadian. This dish, even in my frail condition, was platonic. No question this was remarkable. Again, a little background. I am not a fan of crawfish etouffe. It tends to be a bit gritty to me and just something I don’t prefer. As a matter of fact, when it comes to crawfish I like them boiled (well) the best. I don’t like them cooked otherwise; I don’t like crawfish bread or crawfish Monica; I don’t like crawfish sausage or crawfish pasta. These dishes just don’t do it for me. So, I would have passed on a fish dish with crawfish etouffe covering it. I’d have been missing out.
Mariner’s offered the best crawfish etouffe I have ever eaten. In my life. In my entire southern-Louisiana, 38 year long, life. And CS agreed. It was what etouffe is meant to be: spicy and hearty but not heavy and overly rich.
My skin absorbed the quiet and solitude this restaurant, this oasis, offered to me as I was convalescing. I half wished to stay at this very spot for a week and enjoy the cool breeze that blew on the dock that we stood at after we ate. It was so relaxing and picturesque. On the dock, a father was standing with his two children and they were feeding catfish and turtles fish food. I was informed that if you feed a catfish at the same time every day, you can train him; he’ll return day after day at the same time.
I have this dream of one day owning a fishing camp of my own. I don’t think I want the dream to come true because then taxes would have to be paid, grass cut, floors cleaned, windows to board in hurricane season, etc. But I have this vision in my head of owing a little place like the one just across the lake from Mariner’s (in the picture above). And now I know where I’d like my imaginary camp to go, too.
Are you trying to kill me? Dear Lord, Nola- I just ate dinner and my stomach is rumbling and giving me hunger pangs after reading this!
Lobster… grilled shrimp.. (but I want some crawfish etouffe too!)
That was just plain torturous!
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okay…that sounds so divine!! I hope you are feeling better!!
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Train a catfish? That would have to follow training my kids to pick up their dirty socks!
Glad you had a good time!
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It’s nice to know one’s geometry and theology won’t necessarily be completely and totally offended outside of Orleans Parish.
*wipes drool* Mmmmmmm….shrimp
I had no idea about training catfish! I’m intrigued.
That food and setting sounds amazing. However, my empty stomach is very upset with you right now
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Oy. You are killing us displaced cajuns and deep southers. I could NEVER get a meal like that up here. I can’t wait to get down there and visit some family this summer.
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you are killing me with these food descriptions! at least i know where to go to and who to call when i go back to the NO!! geez! my friends from there are from the 8th and 9th wards. i’ll also need you to point me to a daiquiri bar or whatever they’re called. you’re making me want to go right now!! and Nack-a-tush?? ummmmm y’all and your pronounciations! drives me bananas! my fave roomie (9th ward) used to crack up spelling cities/streets/areas and having me pronounce them the french way as opposed to NO way. lol
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Were they stray catfish? Hahahaha. I crack myself up, sometimes.
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You could do a great line as a food critic. I am not a seafood fan by any stretch of the imagination and I’m salivating at the idea of this.
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Drooling! YUMMY! I began my whole ‘let’s move home’ speech again this week to Army. He’s being a bit of a party pooper though going on and on about just buying a new house. Boo!
Too funny you put the pronunciation about Natchitoches in there. I just did a post on that subject!
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My parents have been to Mariner’s…but I have yet to try it. By the way, I don’t like crawfish either! I am a SHRIMP girl. How are you feeling!?! Better I hope!
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i don’t fish and I’d love a fishing camp!
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Your post makes me miss Natchitoches even more. My husband and I lived there for 2 years. We loved the Mariner. We went at least once a week. We were never disappointed. We also miss Lasyone’s. Best breakfast and meat pies in town. The view at twilight is the best.
Julie
Sounds heavenly! There’s something so relaxing about looking out over the water like that…it’s just calming.
Hope you’re feeling better every day!
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Wow, did that ever dredge up some memories. Well, memory. I ate there once many moons ago and it was every bit as good as you just described.
I’m also a huge fan of the Natchitoches Meat Pie. God I miss Christmas Festival there.
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Why do I always read your blog between meals, when I am MOST hungry?
I’d love a camp of my own but I’d really just settle for a room of my own where i could read, blog (because I really don’t write) and sew….maybe someday!
Love this post.
Natchitoches was my summers when I was in junior high. Summer camp! All your talk about food is killing me. At least I’m home now to enjoy it.
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