New website to help blaze Louisiana's culinary trails

Baton Rouge, LA (September 30, 2009) – Visitors to Louisiana can now plan their dinning itinerary ahead of time online at www.LouisianaCulinaryTrails.com, courtesy of the statewide Louisiana Culinary Trails program that helps travelers eat like locals.

The robust site has all the necessary tools foodies need to plan a mouthwatering journey through the state, including a breakdown of the seven Culinary Trails, more than 1,500 suggestions of local restaurants across the state, maps, and recipes. Each trail is brought to life through a virtual tour of regional culture and cuisine hosted by Louisiana’s own Chef John Besh and actor-comedian Jamie Wax. To jump start the soul-satisfying journey, visitors can also register to win two free nights in New Orleans complete with a gourmet dinner, Sunday brunch, and a Tabasco welcome gift.

The Louisiana Culinary Trails program helps visitors eat their way across the state at mom-and-pop cafes, hoity-toity restaurants, farmers markets, and hole-in-the-wall hideaways. Each trail offers generous portions of authentic cultural experiences in various cities and towns across the state, such as the Red River Riches trail through Natchitoches, Shreveport and Alexandria; Delta Delights including Monroe-West Monroe and Ruston-Lincoln; Prairie Home Cooking encompassing central Louisiana and Opelousas; Seafood Sensation featuring the surrounding areas of Lake Charles and Jennings; Capital Cuisine in the Baton Rouge area and home of Nottoway Plantation, one of the largest remaining antebellum mansions in the Southern United States; Bayou Bounty showcasing Lafayette, New Iberia, Houma, Morgan City and Thibodaux and finally Creole Fusion stretching through New Orleans, Mandeville and Metairie.