Driving through the bayou into the lush tropical jungle, we arrive at a homestead called Maison Madeleine Bed & Breakfast, nestled among gardens on the shores of Lake Martin. Built in the 1840s, it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is one of the few surviving Creole cottages from its era. Under the starry Louisiana sky, the twinkling white lights illuminate the ancient trees in this historic Acadian setting. This supper event is so secret that even our guide didn’t know what it was or what it entailed.
Everyone wants a large patio in the South. Add a few ceiling fans, a glass or two of lemonade, and some comfortable chairs, a couple of dogs lounging, and you have the classic, iconic setting that one imagines of this part of the country.
We were greeted with cocktails from Jean Baptiste Rum,
We were treated to oysters from Barataria Beauties Oyster Company,
and wines from Lagniappe Wines of Oregon.
We roamed the gardens, enjoying the unique metal art throughout the yard before having a fascinating demonstration on how to make triangles for music by Brandy, a local DIYer. Self-taught, she made a triangle from scratch.
while being serenaded by two musicians, Yvette Landry playing guitar and accordion, and Beau Thomas playing the violin.
Guest Chef Madonna Broussard and our unforgettable meal
Our guest chef was a James Beard semifinalist for Best Chef: South, and owner of Laura’s II Restaurant in Lafayette, Madonna Broussard.
We had passed spicy shrimp and grits to whet our appetites during cocktail hour.
After about an hour, we were called into the historic dining room for dinner. The table was artfully decorated with flowers, candles, and silver alligator heads (yes, we were in alligator country).
The musicians also played for us during our dinner, which started with Creole Tomato Salad and sliced sweet onions, paired with a Pinot Noir, Illahe, Cute Miette, from the Willamette Valley, Oregon.
The next course was Crawfish Etouffee with Louisiana Steamed Rice and Potato salad. (It should be noted that this is a common thing to serve spicy food with cold, and creamy potato salad to provide a contrast to the spice. This was paired with a Semillon Pinot Noir, Blanco 2022, from Itata, Chile.
Third course: Fried Louisiana Catfish with Creole mustard sauce, paired with a Chenin Blanc, Raphael Monnier, Avis de Tempête No. 13 2023 from Jura, France.
Dessert was pecan caramel cheesecake with Jean Baptiste Rum sauce glaze, paired with a Riesling, Julian Haart, JJ 2024, Mosel, Germany.
For details about Maison Madeleine, go to their website. https://www.maisonmadeleine.com/ .To get on the mailing list to be invited to one of these spectacular evenings, go to https://www.maisonmadeleine.com/secret-suppers
Many thanks to the St. Martin Parish Tourism Commission and the Lafayette Convention and Visitors Commission for hosting this experience.