1012 Corridor

Mais yeah, chers—gumbo weather is finally here. Countless kitchens along the corridor prepare it, but whose roux stands out above the rest? Turns out once you get past the impassioned tomatoes-or-no-tomatoes and thick-or-thin debates, there are plenty of choices. Here are a few executive favorites. Bon appétite!

Mother’s

New Orleans

Maybe Mother’s is best known for its baked ham, but Ann Schiffman Ruble, public affairs manager for Cox Louisiana, swears by the gumbo. There are two kinds on the menu—seafood and file. “It just doesn’t get better,” she insists.

Acme Oyster House

Covington

There was a time when Acme didn’t have enough business to stay open past 4 p.m. and had just one waitress. Now there are four locations along the corridor. Gallinghouse & Associates Vice President Laura Tobin can be found on occasion at the one in Covington, spooning seafood gumbo. “It’s excellent, with just the right amount of okra, sausage and spice, and the consistency is perfect,” she says. “It’s nice and thick without being too floury.”

La Provence

Big Branch

Just how good is John Besh’s quail gumbo? So good, “you’ll want to cry!” says aficionado Ginny Saxton of Prudential Gardner Realtors in Mandeville. “The dark, silky smooth roux is the perfect perch for the delicious stuffed quail.”

Mansur’s on the Boulevard

Baton Rouge

BESTECS of Louisiana owner Ronald Salpietra brags that the Daily Louisiana Gumbo at this upscale eatery on Corporate Boulevard is “seasoned to perfection and full of chicken and sausage.”

Dempsey’s

Baton Rouge

It’s quite possible the thick roux at Dempsey’s boasts more fans than Jessica Alba’s Facebook page. Ashley Berthelot, research editor for the LSU Office of Communications & University Relations, insists it’s the best gumbo in the Capital City. “Their seafood gumbo is untouchable [with the exception of my Cajun grandmother’s recipe],” she gushes, “with an extra-thick roux and no shortage of shrimp.”

Mike Anderson’s

Baton Rouge

“My 10-year-old son Christian says nobody beats Mike Andersons,” says Cheryl Michelet, director of communications for the Louisiana Board of Regents. “He’s been disappointed by many gumbos, but never Mike Anderson’s. My stepfather travels from Colorado several times a year just for that gumbo and the seafood platter.”

Poche’s

Breaux Bridge

You say, “tomato,” but in Breaux Bridge, they say, “no tomato.” It’s the lack of red orbs that makes the gumbo at Poche’s worth devouring, insists Firefly Digital Inc. Business Development Manager Sean Trcalek. “You can get great gumbo all across the southern part of Louisiana, but gumbo in the eastern part of the state is very different from the gumbo here on the prairie in Acadiana,” he says. “Gumbo here has NO tomato, rarely has okra and is either seafood or chicken and sausage--—not as complicated as the gumbos in Baton Rouge and New Orleans.”

Prejean’s

Lafayette

It’s hard to beat a restaurant that has a slew of gold medals from culinary competitions. Their chicken and sausage gumbo is a three-time World Championship winner. But there’s also seafood, shrimp, smoked duck and andouille. What do they share in common? Rich stock and dark roux; very old-school Acadiana.

Don’s Seafood & Steakhouse Restaurant

Lafayette, Baton Rouge

Louisiana’s first Cajun restaurant serves up a variety of gumbos, including seafood gumbo with shrimp, crab and oysters or seafood gumbo with okra. “Don’s is a long-standing tradition in Lafayette,” says Kristie Carline of Cancer Services of Greater Baton Rouge. “Their seafood gumbo is phenomenal!”

Jefferson Street Pub

Lafayette

An upscale lounge in the heart of downtown Lafayette might not seem a gumbo hotspot, but this one doubles as a caterer. Opines Ken Cumbus, senior vice president and network support manager at IberiaBank: “Sausage is smoky and flavorful, chicken is tender, base is spiced just right, with the perfect balance of ‘browning.’”

Seafood Palace

Lake Charles

There’s nothing palatial about the Seafood Palace. Even so, there’s a reason for the line out the door for a seat at their plastic tablecloths. “I grew up eating gumbo every Sunday from fall through Easter at my grandmother’s home. Her gumbo was the best, but a close second is that served at Seafood Palace,” says Donna Little, director of the Louisiana Small Business Development Center at McNeese State University. “Both their chicken-and-sausage gumbo and the seafood version are tasty, hot and filling and authentic—no tomatoes! ”

Pat’s Fisherman’s Wharf

Henderson

Gumbo falls under the “To Make Things Better” section of Pat’s menu [after the Turtle Soup, we note]. There are five cures to whatever ails you: Seafood, Seafood & Okra, Shrimp, Shrimp & Okra and Crawfish. “Pat’s always fixes my cravings for gumbo!” writes Angelle Bertrand, commercial relationship manager for Gulf Coast Bank & Trust Company.