Restaurant review: Boutin’s

Having grown up in Breaux Bridge and managed local restaurants from Lafayette to New Orleans, Lynn Boutin knows his way around a kitchen in Cajun country. With Boutin’s, his long-running “Cajun music and dining experience” on Bluebonnet Boulevard, he brings not just traditional, down-home south Louisiana dishes to the city, but a huge helping of our state’s indigenous culture, too. Boutin’s revels in its devotion to the classics: grilled, farm-raised catfish stuffed with Louisiana crabmeat; New Orleans-style barbecue shrimp; and fried catch of all kinds. But it’s not afraid to supplement these with fusion dishes, blending Creole style with Italian or Tex-Mex traditions: for example, creamy Crawfish Tasso Alfredo, Crabmeat Stuffed Bell Peppers and Crawfish Enchiladas. The large multi-roomed restaurant often caters to private parties—subdued or otherwise—and hosts live, hip-shaking Zydeco music Monday through Saturday nights. Grammy-nominated sensation Cedric Watson performs Jan. 22. Click here to see what our secret diners thought of Boutin’s.