Friday’s lunch special at Suire’s Grocery & Restaurant in rural Kaplan, Louisiana is always the same: an irresistible stew of local turtle meat simmered for hours in a dark reddish-brown gravy, shiny with the gleam of a well-polished family heirloom. The family-owned spot in Vermillion Parish is famous for plate lunch and staples, long a must stop for families heading west along the coast, the place to stock coolers with food for their hunting and fishing camps. The Suirre’s are geniuses at rustic, Cajun cooking, smothering, simmering frying and baking hearty platters guaranteed to satisfy.

Laura Williams Broussard’s signature brown gravy has been simmered by three different generations, ladled over meat and threes since 1968. For years folks from all over Acadiana lined up to taste Laura’s gravy. Now her granddaughter Madonna Broussard is doing her proud at Laura’s II which she opened more than two decades ago on University Avenue. A magnet for students from the nearby college as well as regulars and workers from the neighborhood, Laura’s II is known for oversized baked stuffed turkey wings, smothered okra, and some of the best rice and gravy in the universe.

At Vestal, much of chef Ryan Trahan’s stellar menu sizzles on the 14-foot fireplace central to the restaurant, with impressive results. But first, try some pristine raw seafood, from Gulf oysters to white fish ceviche with salted strawberry and the tuna crudo with ponzu and smoked chili. Try not to eat too much of the housemade sourdough — it will be difficult — and sample a few small plates, like the Caesar with spicy greens and the pork ribs with tamarind, peanut, and coconut cracklin.’ For the main event, steak eaters will swoon over the wagyu or the 16-ounce ribeye from Southern Farms, perfectly caramelized by fire. There’s also a whole grilled fish and a smoky beef cheek Bolognese lasagna, which is the stuff of dreams. If there’s room, a miso mousse is an umami-laden end note.

Kajun Twist & Grill in Lockport, and the original Kajun Twist in Galliano up the bayou, dish rib-sticking Cajun fare in mammoth portions. The restaurants are owned and run by Anthony Goldsmith, who learned to cook from his great-grandmother Alzina Toups, who famously ran her own small restaurant experience by reservation only in Galliano. Cajun Twist offers huge portions of fresh seafood, fried chicken, enormous burgers, frizzled onion rings, fish chips, gumbo, and po’ boys, all guaranteed to satisfy even the heartiest appetite.

In Cut Off, Louisiana, Donna Harris oversees the kitchen at Cher Amie’s, a 60-seat family-run eatery that serves Cajun specialties and a lot more. Harris created all the recipes on the menu and stretches beyond the usual boundaries with globally-accented dishes like bang bang shrimp, crawfish queso, and healthy options including blackened mahi with grilled vegetables and seared tuna salad. The softshell crab pasta and softshell au gratin are real crowdpleasers, as is the shrimp lovers' platter with bacon shrimp, coconut shrimp, stuffed shrimp, fried, and grilled shrimp served with rice and hushpuppies.

Tchefuncte’s in Madisonville, the swank restaurant atop the Anchor, is an inviting waterfront bar and grill steps from the river’s edge. Chef Ryan Galls’ sultry American menu ticks all the boxes, from locally foraged seasonal mushrooms to dry-aged beef sold by the inch and Gulf tuna au poivre; to creative starters like barbecue shrimp with savory sage biscuit. Think elegant date night. The restaurant is gorgeous — if you’ve been thinking about popping the question, this is a perfect spot.

All aboard for Lola, the New Louisiana restaurant in a train depot setting that is really worthy the trip. Chefs Keith and Nealy Frentz have been upping the culinary bar in Covington for more than a decade, creating game-changing fare at this stylish downtown eatery. At lunch, tuck into homespun baked goods and from-scratch platters (tip: get the chicken salad). For dinner, served Friday and Saturday only, expect a white tablecloth setting with the likes of sweet tea roasted duck breast adorned with dirty popcorn rice, collards, and savory pot likker.

Take one bite of the tagliatelle with locally foraged mushrooms and truffled mushroom jus, and it’s crystal clear why Del Porto chef/owners David and Torre Solazzo are three-time James Beard semifinalists for Best Chef in the South. Sophisticated, flavorful, and gorgeously composed contemporary Italian plates will please to no end, while the yellowfin crudo and seafood risotto are swoon-worthy. They just opened the Greyhound gastro pub, a promising follow-up.

If it’s a bayou view you crave, it doesn’t get prettier than Palmettos on the tranquil Bayou Bonfouca at the historic site of Roberts Landing. This waterfront restaurant has been dishing southern charm and hospitality along with a Louisiana-inspired menu since 2002. Enjoy local seafood on the wrap around deck, where gator sightings are not unusual.

If you’ve never explored the sweet old town section of Slidell, it’s a real throwback, with locally owned shops and friendly eateries like KY’s Bicycle Shop. Originally a millinery store in the early 1900s, the historic building had a run as a family-owned grocery, then took off as a bike and lawnmower shop in the late 1960s. The welcoming bar and restaurant, with its ceiling scape of two-wheeled transportation, serves a freewheeling American comfort menu of breakfast, fried seafood, burgers, and plate specials.

White Pillars is a showstopping space, an old mansion restored to its original 1905 splendor after suffering significant Hurricane Katrina damage. The setting is a beautiful backdrop for James Beard Award-nominated chef Austin Sumrall’s unfussy mix of Cajun, Creole, and new Southern cuisine. Whether he’s serving briny oysters that were in the water just hours ago, having fun with shrimp corn dogs, or reinvigorating eggplant Josephine, an original menu item that layers eggplant with marinara, crabmeat, mozzarella, and hollandaise, Sumrall’s eye for detail and sense of flavor is spot on.