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Rand McNally, in collaboration with its exclusive media sponsor USA TODAY, named Lafayette as the town Best for Food in its inaugural Best of the Road® Rally. Narrowed down from more than 600 submissions, 30 top towns in five categories - Most Beautiful, Most Patriotic, Friendliest, Most Fun and Best for Food - were selected for review during the inaugural Best of the Road® Rally. Along with Lafayette, Addison, W.Va., Burnsville, Minn., Costa Mesa, Calif., Gulfport, Fla., and Visalia, Calif. were named finalists in Best for Food.
The Best for Food judges, Bonnie and Jim Parr who operated under the name The Fun Finders, visited Lafayette in early July as the fourth stop on their cross-country adventure. During the visit, the Parrs ate at Dwyer's Cafe, The French Press, Blue Dog Cafe, Jolie's Louisiana Bistro, Johnson's Boucaniere, Don's Seafood Hut, The Original Don's Seafood and Steakhouse, Charley G's, Randol's, The Accidental Chef Cooking School, Hub City Diner and Pamplona.
They also visited Vermilionville, where they were treated to a seafood feast from the Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board. In addition to sampling the cuisine at as many restaurants as possible in less than two days, they toured a few of Lafayette's attractions and made media appearances on TV and radio. Back home in St. Petersburg, Fla., the Parrs have a passion for helping the homeless so a special stop at St. Joseph Diner was incorporated into their itinerary where a donation was made on their behalf. St. Joseph Diner prepares and serves free lunch meals to the hungry and delivers weekday noon meals to the homebound.
The winning towns were presented by Rand McNally and USA TODAY at the annual convention of Destination Marketing Association International, which served as a promotional sponsor for the inaugural Best of the Road Rally, along with Saab Cars North America, Country Inns & Suites By Carlson, Fleetwood RV and Shell.
For more information, or to view the final results in all categories of the Best of the Road, visit BestoftheRoad.com and USAToday.com.
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SUMMER BLUEBERRY COBBLEROne of the keys to Lafayette's success in winning the Rand McNally Best of the Road® Rally was to have the judges escorted by one of Lafayette's preeminent chefs, Patrick Mould. Chef Mould believes in cooking with what's fresh and in season and, since summer blueberry season is in full swing, this recipe fills the bill. If you're lucky enough to have blueberry bushes growing in your backyard you are currently picking these luscious, ripe, distinctive fruit. Freshly picked berries will last about a week in the vegetable bin of your refrigerator. The bloom, a whitish coating surrounding the berry helps the fruit retain its moisture, causing it to last longer in the refrigerator than most berries. Blueberries also freeze well; lay them out on a sheet pan and freeze, then bag them up in ziplock bags for later use. Chef Mould also has a food, music and lifestyle show called " Cooking Up a Good Life," which airs on select TV stations in Louisiana and Texas. If you're not in an area where it airs, check out the website to see past episodes and get recipes.
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MOST BEAUTIFUL: Sandpoint, ID - reviewed by The McNavigators, who said the unofficial motto is "enjoy the great outdoors, connect with friends and keep life simple." MOST PATRIOTIC: Rapid City, SD - reviewed by Captain & Clark, who described the town as "a place where people from across the world and country can learn about America's past, become inspired by its present, and find hope in its future." FRIENDLIEST: Walla Walla, WA - reviewed by Gone with the Wynns, who described it as "a town so nice they named it twice; a culturally diverse small town with happy faces everywhere you go." MOST FUN: Glenwood Springs, CO - reviewed by TraveleingJules & TravelingJoan, who dubbed the town "a mountain of fun and an adventure capital, with endless ways to get your adrenaline pumping." BEST FOR FOOD: Lafayette, LA - reviewed by The Fun Finders who learned the true taste of Cajun food to be "flavorful, not hot or spicy" and that after a meal, the best dessert is "Cajun dancing." Read the article in USAToday.
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