Eat Lafayette – Gator Cove (Sponsored)

I've been to Gator Cove dozens of times, but it was always for the boiled seafood. This time, I actually looked at the menu, and I was blown away!

12 different appetizers (the Boudin Bombers are the - - well, actually, they are the BOMB!!), 4 different salads, boiled seafood, delicious Cajun delights, the menu goes on and on!

William Menard, the Executive Chef at Gator Cove, prides himself on making certain that EVERY menu on the item is MSG-free, and will accommodate for most "special diet" requests when preparing his dishes.  After spending just 10 minutes chatting with William, it was clear that he is passionate about his cooking, his "restaurant" family, and his heritage, and wants to make sure that your experience at Gator Cove leaves you satisfied, whether you are from New York or New Iberia.

We started our meal with the Boudin Bombers, which is a concoction consisting of boudin and pepper jack cheese, wrapped in dough and fried till golden brown - a delicious combination! (You'll notice in the video that the cheese was good and melted... I was wearing it all over my face!)

For our entree', I ordered the Shrimp and Grits, and Ellen ordered the Shrimp and Asparagus Pasta.  The Shrimp and Grits at Gator Cove is different than most other restaurants in Acadiana:  William uses shrimp courtbouillon to top his grits, accented with large shrimp, battered and dipped in panko bread crumbs and deep fried.  AWESOME!

The Shrimp and Asparagus Pasta wasn't cream-based (which made it a lot easier to go back to work!); it's pasta with tomatoes and asparagus, tossed in a lemon-butter garlic sauce... light and delicious!  He accents the dish with breaded and fried spears of asparagus.

The dessert are ALL made in-house.  We tried the Red Velvet Cheesecake, made with REAL CREAM FROSTING!  William offered for us to try some of the other desserts, but we were stuffed!! (We did manage to fit one of the other desserts in a 'to go' box....)

I feel like I have cheated myself for the past 20 years for going to Gator Cove and never having ordered from the menu.  Don't get me wrong: Gator Cove's boiled crawfish, shrimp and crabs are some of the best in Acadiana; I just didn't realize that I was missing out on so much good food from William's kitchen!

The restaurant is VERY family-friendly, with free-roaming peacocks on the property, and real, live deer in the pen next to the back parking lot.  There is a 13-foot, 7-inch alligator in the restaurant, which gets lots of attention from visitors!  The restaurant can cater to groups of 1 - 300; whether it's a rehearsal dinner or family reunion, wedding reception or anniversary party, Gator Cove can accommodate!

Thanks to William for being such a generous host, and a wonderful ambassador for Cajun Country!

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