Hidden New Orleans in Fort Collins

Lucile’s is a restaurant specializing in Cajun cuisine. Creole

classics are somewhat hard to find this far west of the

Mississippi, but Fort Collins has its own little taste of New

Orleans at 400 S. Meldrum St., just across from the Lincoln

Center.

Lucile’s is a small yellow house that gives off a home cookin’

feel. The scattered, unmatched chairs and tables mixed with a

Louisiana theme and spicy smells intrigue the senses.

I had fast service, with a less-than enthusiastic staff. The

true test for me, however, was the quality and taste of the food,

which proved to be fantastic.

Lucile’s is open for breakfast and lunch only, from 7 a.m. to 2

p.m., so I was a little skeptical of how a Cajun breakfast would

taste. My skepticism was almost immediately altered when I took my

first gulp of the incredible fresh-squeezed orange juice. They also

serve fresh-squeezed grapefruit juice, cappuccino, fresh lemonade

and apple cider.

The breakfast and lunch menu is clearly a menu straight out of

the French Quarters in New Orleans. The breakfast choices range

from fresh salmon cooked Cajun style, served with two eggs, grits

or potatoes and a buttermilk biscuit, to Eggs Eisenhower, which is

two eggs, with grits or potatoes, a buttermilk biscuit and a choice

of adding ham, bacon, country sausage, or my suggestion, the hot

Louisiana sausage. It has just the right amount of spices and goes

great with the eggs. The Carlin County is another one of Lucile’s

classics with Chef Mickey’s sausage gravy on a buttermilk biscuit

with red beans and grits. Also, don’t forget to try the beignets,

which are homemade New Orleans-style donuts.

I indulged in the Pain Perdu, which is New Orleans style French

toast, served with fresh fruit, one egg, hot Louisiana sausage and

buttery syrup. I would recommend this dish to any hungry

breakfast-lover. While the fruit was a little on the questionable

side, the French toast and buttery syrup was scrumptious. The syrup

was a thick, Louisiana style that was new and sweet to the taste

buds, and the eggs and hot sausage were the perfect

combination.

The lunch menu reveals an even deeper Cajun food culture with

dishes such as the Popcorn Shrimp Salad, which is a large green

salad tossed with cucumbers, avocados, tomatoes, green chili blue

cheese dressing and fried shrimp. Or try the Crawfish Etouffee,

which is Louisiana crawfish tails smothered in a rich brown spicy

sauce and served with rice. They also offer Po’boy sandwiches and

Lucile’s own gumbo, straight out of New Orleans.

All of the dishes cost between $6 and $9, and from my

experience, I would have to say that, overall, this hidden Fort

Collins restaurant is worth every penny.