La Louisiane Has Kept Cajun Cooking Alive in NDG for 30 Years

Inside, one walks into the sweet smell of andouille sausage smoking in the back room, paintings of jazz musicians on the walls, and strings of warm lights all adorning the dining room of La Louisiane.

Kyle Kerr has been the owner and operator of the NDG institution since 1994, when he bought the catering business from its previous owners and converted it to a full-blown restaurant.

“I was working here doing catering, and the chef would serve a Cajun menu at night—poboys and whatnot—but I actually left town with a buddy of mine and traveled Europe. When we came back, I opened a café downtown, and he came back to work here. One day he called me and told me the place was for sale, so we bought it, scrapped the catering and started back as a Cajun restaurant with the bar and more seating.”

A boss with sauce

Kyle isn’t Cajun himself, but fell in love with the cuisine while working those late nights catering.

“It’s just really interesting food. It’s not just spicy, it’s flavourful. And the basics, I mean, for me, I like the French sauces. If I was a chef, I would be a saucier. I just love making sauces, and Cajun food has so many of those classic French sauces as a base.“

Those French sauces are just one part of what makes Cajun cuisine so special. Like Montreal, Acadia began as a French settlement in the 17th century, and many Acadian descendants eventually found their way to Louisiana. There, the classic French techniques merged with traditional Southern ingredients, with Spanish and West African influence helping shape the style of cuisine. It all builds from a flavour base known as the ‘holy trinity’ mirepoix of green bell peppers, onions, and celery, with cayenne pepper serving as the primary source of its signature heat.

Cajun cuisine also sets itself apart through the technical finesse involved, along with some special equipment to boot. “The blackening pan is a big thing for us here. We have a really great seasoning that we make in-house, and you just take a super hot cast iron skillet with blackening spice on both sides of the meat, and that’s it. There’s no oil, which makes the spices kind of stick more, and then it’s finished off in the oven. You can’t do that at home—you’ll smoke out your entire house.” The result is a dark, complex crust that keeps the meat inside moist.

Blackened Chicken is always a star dish on their menu, served up with garlic mashed potatoes, seasonal vegetables, and a delectable lemon beurre blanc. As for those looking for classic Cajun flavours, the Jambalaya is a must with its spicy, robust combination of rice simmered in a rich sauce and a choice of meat or seafood (and there’s blackened tofu for vegetarians).