A string of next generation immigrant restaurateurs are defying the pandemic and taking a leap of faith to more established addresses in the Lafayette dining scene.
Nathan Stubbs
Nathan Stubbs is a freelance writer and a former restaurateur.
Seeking refuge and renewal, venerable Lake Charles restaurants set up shop in Lafayette
Either divine guidance or cosmic providence sent Luna Bar & Grill and Mama Reta’s to set up shop in Lafayette after one natural disaster and in the middle of another.
10 min read
Renovation and reinvention: What it’s like to open a restaurant in mid-pandemic Lafayette
Custom build outs for visionary concepts like Grocery Tavern & Delicatessen, Tchoup’s MidCity Smokehouse and Vestal take time. In a pandemic, they take even longer.
10 min read
New year, new leadership at Vermilionville
After a historically chaotic year, two trailblazing women are stepping in to help make headway with Vermilionville and its parent organization, Bayou Vermilion District.
4 min read
Vermilionville board breaks stalemate with the help of top lobbyist
Call it a Christmas miracle. Just when it appeared that opposing factions of the eight-member Bayou Vermilion District Board of Commissioners had dug into an icy stalemate over its finances and electing officers, this week’s meeting had board members warming up to a new spirit of cooperation. The board unanimously approved CEO David Cheramie’s final 2020 budget amendments, as well […]
4 min read
Deadlocked Bayou Vermilion board faces tough budget cuts and mounting political pressure
A new member will be appointed to fill the final vacancy on the board. Judging by recent four-to-four splits, the ideological tilt of the commission hangs in the balance of that appointment.
9 min read
A very Cajun, Covid Christmas
In a year of disruption, a new Christmas record in Louisiana French provided creative sanctuary for some local music all-stars.
4 min read
Proof of concept: New bakeries rise in Lake Charles after hurricanes Laura and Delta
Despite recent devastation to the regional dining scene, two emerging new bakeries are bringing fresh alternatives to where Lake Charles gets its bread.
9 min read
Louisiana production crews, left gigless by the pandemic, are rebuilding hurricane-ravaged Lake Charles
Stage hands have been among the obscured economic casualties of the COVID-19 pandemic. Several local crews are now finding a home in helping with the logistics of rebuilding disaster-stricken Lake Charles.
9 min read
At Vermilionville, a reckoning with cultural exclusion
Vermilionville has made strides in presenting a more comprehensive portrayal of the Acadiana’s history. Change at the museum, however, is a work in progress.
10 min read
BVD Commissioners resign in dramatic flare-up over proposed George Floyd statement
A message of unity ran into procedural roadblocks put up by the now-departed commissioners, culminating with a contentious June meeting marked with irate outbursts.
9 min read
72 hours of panic, paranoia and painting through a pandemic
A false positive on a coronavirus test sets off a chain reaction of confusion and panic for contributor Nathan Stubbs. Tests might now be abundant but clarity remains in short supply.
12 min read