"Well you get down the fiddle, and you get down the bow. Kick off your shoes, and you throw em on the floor. Dance in the kitchen till the mornin light. Lousiana Saturday night."
Doug Kershaw's song has that little something extra that makes Saturday night LSU games and Sunday BBQ's with the family that much better. His song reminds me of home, but it really just makes me want to dance.
Louisiana Saturday mornings are a great prelude to the good food and good times of an LA Saturday night, an appetizer. My favorite way to start a Saturday right is by dancing in the Cafe in the mornin light. Cafe des Amis that is.
Cafe des Amis is nestled in downtown Pont Breux, Breaux Bridge, home to the crawfish fest and Jake Delhomme. It's also an adorable city with some true Cajun charm and lots of bizarre antiques. It's a 45 minute drive from New Iberia and about 30 minutes from Baton Rouge.
Since I'm getting nostalgic, I asked my dad to bring me to the Bridge this past Saturday. The music from Cafe des Amis spills out onto the street the second you hit downtown. The line is out the door, but the mimosas make the wait more fun.
Learning to Cajun dance is easy. Find the eldest couple in the crowd and watch their feet. They don't look at each other, but their feet know the way due to years of Saturday brunches and small town fais do dos. Pairs of feet trace their routes around the dance floor to the beat of the accordion, onlookers chow down on their andouille cheese grits and couche couche, and the regulars coax newbies into their first dance. Local artists' latest works hang around the walls nearby renaissance style paintings of Mary and baby Jesus. Patrons of the cafe sign the walls. It's a microcosm of Cajun country's love for food, music, dancing, religion, and community.
If you're looking for lagniappe, look no further.
I love this!
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