Boudin, Boiled Crawfish and More from Nearby Bergeron’s

Boudin is associated with the prairie parishes west of Baton Rouge, but mercifully, the Capital Region isn’t without strong sources of traditional Cajun meats. Just off I-10 West in Port Allen (take the Highway 415 Lobdell exit), Bergeron’s serves luscious boudin balls, smoked and steamed boudin, cracklin’, crawfish pies, meat pies and all sorts of smoked sausages and stuffed meats. In time for lent, there’s also boiled crawfish for $3.49 a pound. A restaurant sits on one side of the operation, where you can sample the famed stuffed burger with cream cheese and jalapenos. The filling is a favorite around here for the chicken breasts and pork chops found in the meat market next door. One counter of the market is dedicated to all sorts of smoked sausages, and the freezers boast a jumble of prepared meats, gumbo, red beans and rice and more. But the real reason to stop is for deep-fried pork boudin balls. Elsewhere, they can be diminutive and spongy, but here, the ball is big and the crust, pronounced. Take a bite and feel the crunchy exterior pull away from the tender boudin inside, which is, itself, succulent and well-balanced. There’s a perfect proportion of rice, spice and tiny chunks of braised pork.