We celebrated Steve’s birthday at Café Vermilionville Lafayette Louisiana because of Hurricane Zeta threatening New Orleans.

Café Vermilionville is in a welcoming historic home turned restaurant

In all of our 38 years in South Florida we only left once because a powerful hurricane was threatening. But after only a few months on the road we had already evacuated Hatteras NC and ended up in Williamsburg VA, stayed hunkered down in New Orleans for a tropical storm that wreaked havoc on southwestern Louisiana and left New Orleans for a few days to be safe.

The building that houses Café V (Café Vermilionville) has historic designation which dates back before the Civil War!

The day we drove from New Orleans to Lafayette was Steve’s birthday. So as soon as we got settled at Frog City RV Park I went online to try to find someplace worthy of his birthday celebration. As soon as I read the menu at Café Vermilionville I knew it was the perfect choice. When so much care is placed in the menu writing the actual dishes are made with a great deal of love.

A sign of the times. This is what sits on the porch just outside the entry door!

As we walked up to the front porched we loved the fact that the restaurant resembled a plantation home. The first thing that struck us was a small, elegantly laid table that included a silver tray topped with disposable masks. It did instill confidence in managements efforts to keep everyone safe.

The restaurant is made up of several small dining rooms, a gorgeous courtyard where the have concerts and serve meals, and an upstairs for larger catered events. Our server was delightful and efficient. But what really made the night so memorable, besides the food, was owner Andrea Veron who came to the table to say hello.

Andrea, Steve and I had so much in common! Of course there was our passion for great food. But there was more than just that. She and her restauranteur husband Ken also love RVing, music and art. In between attending to other diners Andrea would return to our table to chat, which made us feel like we were dining with an old friend, She even wrote up a very long list of places for us to visit in both Lafayette and New Orleans. And because she and her husband travel in their RV whenever possible, she told us about places in Texas, like Marfa, that we would have never known about.

The Café Sampler of Crawfish Beignets, Bacon Wrapped Garlic Shrimp, Fried Alligator Tenderloin, Fried Pickle and Grilled Cajun Sausage

But it was the food that was truly the star of our dining experience. We started of with the Café Sampler which gave us a chance to taste many appetizers. On the platter were Crawfish Beignets, Bacon Wrapped Garlic Shrimp, Fried Alligator Tenderloin, Fried Pickles and Grilled Cajun Sausage. Each bite had its own unique flavor and texture and as a whole it created a symphony.

Corn and Crab Bisque with freshly baked bread to get every last delicious drop.

And because it was a chilly evening, we decided to share a warming bowl of Roasted Corn and Crab Bisque. We were so glad we did! The flavors of corn and crab were distinct. The soup was rich and creamy. But best of all there were plenty of nuggets of corn and fresh crab to chew. I LOVE soups you can chew!!! The soup was delicious that we couldn’t resist wiping the bowl clean with some freshly baked bread.

Steak Louis XIII with Brabant Mashed Potatoes and Steamed Asparagus

Somehow I knew before we even got to Café Vermilionville Lafayette Louisiana, that we would both be ordering the same entrée. The description of the Steak Louis XIII was just far too mouth watering to order anything else. Six-ounce Filet Mignon stuffed with Louisiana Crawfish Tails, Bacon and Cheeses; finished with a Wild Mushroom Demi-Glace and Crawfish Mornay Sauce. Served with Brabant Mashed Potatoes and Steamed Asparagus. Don’t you want to eat that right now?

Yes. It was every bit as amazing as it sounds. All of the deep rich flavors worked together to create a happy celebration on our tongues. And that filet was impossibly tender. It was cooked to a perfect medium rare and honestly did not even need a knife to cut. The dish was so good we almost licked our plates clean.

The enticing dessert cart made choosing desserts extremely difficult!

The most difficult decision of the evening was what to select for dessert. Our server presented us with the dessert cart. On it were samples of 9 different offerings to choose from:

Bailie’s Liqueur Torte – Three Layer Devil’s Food Cake soaked in Bailie’s Mint with Chocolate Buttercream Icing

Bananas Foster Cheesecake – Ladyfinger Crust, Sliced Bananas, Brown Sugar Almandine Sauce

Berry Crisp – Blueberry, Raspberry and Blackberry Cobbler with Sugar Pie Crumbles

Bru’s Famous Carrot Cake – Multi-layered Carrot Cake with Decadent Cream Cheese Icing and Toasted Pecans

Classic Southern Pecan Pie – Louisiana Pecans, Butter Crust and Caramel Drizzle (Featured on the Cooking Channel)

Crème Brûlée – Classic French Custard with Caramelized Sugar Shell and Strawberries

Godiva White Chocolate Bread Pudding – White Chocolate Bread Pudding with Godiva Liqueur, Crème Anglaise and Dark Chocolate Drizzle

Key Lime Pie – Fresh Key Lime Juice. Graham Cracker Crust and Raspberry Drizzle

Mocha Macadamia Cheesecake – Oreo Crust, Mocha and Macadamia Cheesecake and Toasted Macadamia Nut Crumble

Sweet, rich and crunchy Classic Pecan Pie

Crème Brûlée with Fresh Strawberries

Though we would have loved a taste of each, we settled on a slice of Pecan Pie and a Crème Brûlée and shared both. We definitely made great choices!