As part of an ongoing effort to get Louisiana back on its feet post-Katrina, the state tourism board has crafted seven “culinary trails” to encourage visitors to taste their way through the diverse state. The suggested itineraries – each intended to fill a three-day visit – are not just lists of popular eateries but rather an eclectic collection of hole-in-the-wall cafés and upscale restaurants, food festivals and farm stands, bakeries and seafood joints. The Creole Fusion Trail reveals the best po’ boy in the Big Easy; Red River Riches offers a stop at a picturesque pecan orchard near Natchitoches; and Capital Cuisine recommends pairing a tasty crawfish pirogue (crawfish étouffée in a pastry crust) with a mint julep at a 149-year-old mansion outside Baton Rouge.

From the Feb/March 2009 issue of Sherman’s Travel magazine.