Road trip des Amis – Black-as-night turtle soup, sticky cane syrup duck, and barbecued shrimp that begs for bibs and napkins: such trappings have made Café des Amis in Breaux Bridge (Map it!) a favorite haunt for Baton Rougeans in search of great destination food.

Black-as-night turtle soup, sticky cane syrup duck, and barbecued shrimp that begs for bibs and napkins: such trappings have made Café des Amis in Breaux Bridge (Map it!) a favorite haunt for Baton Rougeans in search of great destination food. Any road trip aiming for points west of our city would benefit from a stop at this enduring eatery that defines “worth the drive.”

Long patronized by writers, artists, tourists and locals, Café des Amis is the pulsing anchor of the town’s charming Main Street. Its adjacent sister property, Maison des Amis, offer diners a quaint, relaxing bed and breakfast option.

Staying overnight on a Friday gives visitors a chance to experience the bump and grind of the famed Saturday morning Zydeco brunch. Along with washboards and sure-footed dancers comes a rare Cajun- and Creole-inspired breakfast menu. Look for couche couche, a cozy bowl of cornmeal and milk topped with syrup or sugar, and orielle de cochon, fried dough shaped like a pig’s ear stuffed on one end with a thin cord of boudin. Here, pancakes can be embellished with praline sauce, grits with tasso and biscuits with crawfish étouffée. Click here to read more. —Maggie Heyn Richardson