by Bill Whitney

Created on: June 14, 2010   Last Updated: June 17, 2010

As a lover of the Louisiana Bayous, good seafood and Cajun and Creole food, I am always excited to find a good Cajun style restaurant that serves really good and authentic Cajun/Creole type food.  One of my best buddies in the Navy was from Houma Louisiana and when I used to go visit him I always knew I was in for some really good home-made Cajun food.  It was always such a treat.

Lafitte's is such a restaurant and we are fortunate to have one of the five here in Denver.  It is in the Doubletree Hotel and is really a nice place to enjoy an excellent meal.  There is also one in Phoenix Arizona, Melbourne Beach, Florida, Shaumburg, Illinois, New Orleans Louisiana and the one in Denver.  we enjoyed dinner there last Wednesday night and my son is taking us there for Father's Day.  I am sure that it is going to be one of our favorites.

Lafitte's has five different appetizers that run from $7 to $14.00.  For $7.00 you can get some delicious shrimp broiled in garlic butter and topped with Parmesan Cheese or some rally tasty Cajun Chicken wraps.  For $12 you can have some delicious ribs and chicken wings.  For $10 some really good Creole Crab Cakes.  I love good crab cakes and these are really good.  For $14 yoiu can get a Bayou sampler which has the Crab cakes, Ribs, and the Cajun Chicken Lettuce Wraps.  Lafitte's has tree really tasty soups and you can get them by the cup or by the bowl.  The Vieux Carre Chicken and Sausage Gumbo is very good as is the Sweet Corn and Crab Bisque.  I haven't had the Soup de Jour yet.  You can get a cup of soup and half a sandwich for $6 or a cup of soup and a house salad fior $5.

Speaking of salads, and I do love a good salad, Lafitte's has seven salads from $3 for the house salad to $17 for a Ahi Tuna salad.  That seems pretty high for a tuna salad but I have not had it so I don't know what it includes.  My favorite is the Mardi Gras Mambo salad with Shrimp for $14.  It is fresh romaine and mixed greens topped with sliced mushrooms, Kalamata olives, chopped bacon, blue cheese crumbles, Bermuda onions, cucumbers, tomato's, croutons and creole roasted pecans.  This is $10 or you can add chicken, shrimp. or tuna for $4.  You have your choice of eight dressings.  My favorite is the New Orleans Remoulade which has cane syrup in it.  Very good.

Lafitte's have a couple burgers and sandwiches and wraps.  My favorite is the Fried Shrimp Po'Boy.  They have a couple of pizzas and pastas but when you can have good Cajun etouffee and gumbo, who wants pasta and pizza anyway.

Lafitte's meal entrees all look good and they have House favorites and New Orleans Favorites.  They run from $13 for Louisiana Crawfish Etouffee to $30 for Turf and Surf.  This is a 6 oz Sirloin Strip with your choice of two stuffed shrimp, two clusters of snow crab legs, or four shrimp scampi.  Lafitte's Crawfish Etouffee is the best I have had out of the Bayous of Louisiana.  Lafitte's Baby back Ribs are pretty darned good too.  For a side I usually get there red beans and rice.

Lafitte's desserts are sinful. The Pontchartrain Mile High Mud Pie is delicious but my favorite is the Cookie Crumb Bread Pudding with Grand Marnier Custard Sauce.  Put this with a fresh brewed cup of Starbucks Coffee for the topping to a perfectly wonderful and delicious dinner.

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