What’s better than date night?

Impromptu date night, that’s what!

Last week was rough, you guys. I thought having Monday off would make it fly by, but I was oh so wrong. Spencer and I both had really long work days, and by the time we got back from the gym (because I still haven’t chickened out of my fitness goal for the year!), all we wanted to do was heat up leftovers and sit mindlessly in front of the TV. Certainly not the most romantic thing in the world.

As we were lifting on Thursday because I lift weights now, I asked Spencer what he wanted for dinner and hoped that he would say “Hot dogs and baked beans sound great to me!” (If you follow me on Instagram, you’ve probably seen the hot dog toaster that my college roommate gifted us when we first moved into the apartment. She meant it as a semi-joke, but it has made an already simple meal choice even easier!)

Luckily for me, he had other plans. You see, Spencer’s dad is what you would call a Cajun food fanatic. He has been to New Orleans multiple times (last time, they took us, too!), Emeril’s Essence is a staple in their household, and he never passes up an opportunity to go to Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen.

When you have that kind of devotion to Cajun food in your family, it just kind of rubs off, meaning Spencer (and now I) consider dinner (or weekend brunch) at Pappadeaux a real treat. It’s a bit more expensive than we would pay for a regular night out, but it’s completely worth it: a) the food is phenomenal, but we’ll get to that, and b) they give you so much of it.

Everything is good at Pappadeaux. That may sound like an exaggeration, but I’ve honestly never had anything that I didn’t like from their menu, and I’ve had a lot of it: crawfish, etouffe, fried alligator, crab cakes, frog legs, catfish. There are two rules that I always keep in mind when visiting: 1. you must order with an open mind (see fried alligator, frog legs in previous list), and 2. you must start your meal with Shrimp and Crawfish Fondeaux. It’s our absolute favorite appetizer in the world, and you will not be disappointed (even if the only photo I got from our meal doesn’t do it justice)!

It’s cheesy and meaty, and the garlic bread that comes with it is to die for. Also, you see those green things; those are veggies, which totally makes this a healthy appetizer…

Another of our favorite appetizers is the fried alligator, but that’s actually what I chose as my meal this time around. If you’ve never had alligator, it’s nothing like what you think it would be. Dare I say, it tastes like chicken? I mean, not exactly, but it’s closer to chicken in both flavor and texture than whatever you would expect alligator to taste like! Plus it comes with this super flavorful dipping sauce with just a touch of heat and the thinnest fried potatoes you’ve ever had in your life.

Basically, if you’re lucky enough to have a Pappadeaux near you, you need to be taking advantage of it. Like seriously.

Do you have new weekend plans? I think so! Also, be sure to check out the blog on Monday. Let’s just say that February will bring lots of great things for this little space! Until then, have a great weekend.