Picture Perfect: Capturing the charm of Breaux Bridge
When you get close, the familiar earthy scent of the bayou becomes laced with spicy seductive scents, calling to you like a siren’s song from the kitchens of the Crawfish Capital of the World, Breaux Bridge, Louisiana. Here, the locals’ list of ways to cook crawfish sounds like Bubba’s colloquial catalog of shrimp dishes in Forrest Gump. Boiled crawfish, fried crawfish, crawfish gumbo, crawfish dogs, crawfish jambalaya, crawfish boudin, crawfish pies, crawfish bisque, crawfish étouffée, and much more, not to mention lots of secret family recipes. Though it took some convincing to get the Acadians to eat mudbugs in the first place, they took to the new food with gusto once it was deemed a good source of protein, delicious, and versatile. Soon, local restaurants began featuring crawfish regularly on their menus. St. Martin Parish, home of Breaux Bridge, became famous for their farmed crawfish as well as for the mouth-watering dishes they created to complement them. In 1960, the annual Crawfish Festival was born, just one year after the city was named the Crawfish Capital of the World.
This small Cajun town was not founded by a raucous explorer or a chartered governor, but by a strong-minded young Acadian French woman by the name of Scholastique Picou Breaux. A 33-year-old widow, Scholastique drew up the first plans of the town in 1829. She included a detailed map of streets and reserved areas for a school and a church; soon after, she began to sell plots of her land to locals. The bridge connecting the banks of Bayou Teche became the namesake of the city, used as a land marker when locals gave directions. It was built in 1799 by her late husband’s father, Acadian pioneer Firmin Breaux, and has been rebuilt and reinforced many times through the years.
Now at the historic Pont Breaux, a modern bridge stands, adorned by pictures of crawfish that lure visitors across the Bayou Teche. An old bridge that once connected the banks (until the Civil War) has been made into a stage, creating an outdoor arena, pier, and park space for barbeques, festivals, and performances.
The natural beauty draws visitors to this area of the Atchafalaya basin, the country’s largest river basin swamp. The lush landscape abounds with winding rivers cradled in groves of leaning cypress trees and ancient oaks hung with Spanish moss. For nature lovers, there is truly an endless array of brilliant flowers and wildlife, though petting the alligators is not encouraged. One of the top ten bird watching sites in the United States, according to the Audubon Society, is at Lake Martin, the largest nesting area of wading birds in the country.
Lake Martin is only one of many beautiful sites along the scenic byways running through Breaux Bridge. A great place to kick back and enjoy the atmosphere is McGee’s Landing, where you will find floating Cajun cabins (should you choose to stay the night), airboat swamp tours, a boat landing, and a café and bar near the bayou to refresh the weary traveler. Take a tour or rent a canoe and go exploring; experience the majesty of the south Louisiana landscape. Watch the vibrant oranges and purples sift through the sky of a bayou sunset, listen to the symphony of the bullfrogs and cicadas, and feel the soft touch of the breeze caress your cheek. This experience cannot be communicated through pictures or magazine articles, for there is something about the quality of light in the bayou and the fragrant rich soil underfoot that you will only understand by walking through this lush enchanting world yourself.
When you have your fill of nature’s bounties, venture into the city and continue your adventures there. Mosey on down the quiet streets of the historic downtown area, stopping into galleries, boutiques, and restaurants along the way. If you’re an art lover, the 6,000-square-foot Bridge Gallery space will be calling your name. Housed in a rustic Acadian-style warehouse on South Main Street, the Bridge Gallery and its founding company, Impressive Art, specializes in showcasing and promoting fresh, undiscovered talent as well as distinguished artists in the area, featuring regularly rotating exhibitions.
Breaux Bridge creates the perfect atmosphere for antique hunting; imagine unearthing that perfect piece deep in the heart of Cajun Country. Start your search at Lucullus, renowned worldwide for its select collection of antiques related to the grand pursuits of cooking, eating, and drinking.
For twenty-five years, the Lucullus location in New Orleans has provided for casual collectors as well as connoisseurs. After Katrina, owner Patrick Dunn decided to close the second shop on Magazine Street and found an alternate location in Breaux Bridge. The rest, as the locals say, is history. “It was no accident that we came into the wonderful world of Breaux Bridge,” says Dunn. “The consequence of the hurricane is that people have rediscovered the Louisiana countryside and found new joy in the treasures of the table.”
Another hotspot for antiques, gifts, and home interiors is Le Napoleon, located in a one-hundred-year-old building on the corner of Main and Bridge Street downtown. As you step inside, you are immediately faced with a grand staircase surrounded by ware of all sorts. The friendly staff creates a pleasant atmosphere, perfect for leisurely browsing. Janell’s Antiques and Gifts is another treasure trove worth exploring, located nearby on Bridge Street. For a complete shopping experience, Janell’s is a perfect spot to find everything from crystal to bath products, jewelry to home décor.
After all that shopping, stop and enjoy some refreshment, because in the South, it’s really all about the food. Café des Amis, owned by Dickie Breaux, is located in a historic building constructed in the 1800s, complete with antique longleaf pine wood floors, pressed tin ceilings, and rich red brick masonry. After 16 years of business, Café des Amis has created quite a following, chosen as one of the top ten regional restaurants by Bon Appétit, among numerous other awards and recognitions. The café is especially popular on Saturday mornings during the Zydeco Breakfast, where top local bands play from 8:30 to 11:30 and enticing smells wake up the neighbors. Specializing in authentic Cajun cuisine, the chefs at this jazzy joint offer quite a menu, and not just for breakfast. “The most popular dish is probably the baked duck, which is basted with a cane syrup and pepper jelly sauce. But there’s also the crawfish pie, seafood corn bisque, duck and andouille gumbo, shrimp gumbo…” These people know how to cook it up!
Another cool spot to spend time is the Coffee Break, a laid-back café located on Main Street in a historic building that housed Broussard’s hardware store for many years. On Saturdays, local musicians come in and play at the Cajun Jam session; the café sells CDs and even the fiddles hanging on the walls, allowing visitors to take the local sounds with them when they leave. Grab a coffee and a piece of Hummingbird cake (no hummingbirds in it, just pineapple and banana) and sit in the back courtyard or on the front porch and watch the world go by.
The downtown historic district exudes Old World charm, gently drawing folks through its streets. Strolling down the avenues lined with Creole cottages and quaint shops, you can almost touch the fine veneer of time worn into the landscape. It seems like the city itself is alive, breathing energy and joie de vivre through its people. You can hear it in the Zydeco, taste it in the twenty different versions of crawfish étouffée, see it in the twinkling eyes of the people who live there. Lazy weekend days are seemingly endless, dusty shadows breaking the rhythm of the sun as it works its way over rooftops. Time here is set to a southern beat, measured in moments rather than New York minutes, so let your city walk slip into a casual stride, sachet, or even a two-step as you experience this gem of Cajun culture. ✦
