CATFISH

Fried catfish is the one constant in a constantly changing list of daily specials at Café Reconcile. Bull's Corner's Catfish Bucktown places pecan-crusted, fried catfish under Gulf shrimp sautéed in a meuniere sauce and serves it with lemon herb rice. The catfish come either fried or blackened at Beck-N-Call, which adds macaroni and cheese and green beans to the entree. Coffee Cottage Café's pecan catfish is bathed in buttermilk, tossed in seasoned corn flour, fried and served with a roasted red pepper sauce along with a side of roasted corn grits. Middendorf's lakeside location has been drawing hungry people since 1934 with its famous fried thin catfish fillets. Mulate's Cajun Restaurant's Catfish Mulate offers the fillets lightly floured and topped with crawfish etouffée and served with chicken and sausage jambalaya, sautéed vegetables and a twice-baked potato.

The fried catfish salad from Adam's Catfish House places the fish and relish, onion, mayo and egg on top of a bed of lettuce. Fried tidbits of freshwater catfish with Alzina's special sauce are a popular appetizer at Bon Ton Cafe. The combination plates at Chun Lee Restaurant include a spicy Szechwan-style dish of fried catfish and vegetables. Ralph & Kacoo's offers Catfish Acadiana: catfish stuffed with crabmeat, oven broiled, served with the house Lafitte sauce and topped with hollandaise. The shrimp and catfish combo plate is a popular lunch at Legend's Patio Bar & Grille. Breaux Mart seasons their catfish with lemon pepper and then offers it baked or fried. Crawfish Lafayette at St. Charles Tavern presents grilled catfish topped with crawfish etouffée. Over at Hobnobber's Café, the catfish fillet is topped with crawfish sauce. Fried catfish or shrimp fill baskets at the Treasure Chest's Pointe Deli on weekend nights only.