I did a FB post about the bakery/cafe, Geaux Fresh in Minden where I went for an early lunch after visiting the cemetery. The TV series Hometown has done some “Hometown Takeovers” where they select a small town struggling economically, but trying to revive. They do a few projects, one of which is revive a small business. This cafe was selected during the Minden “Takeover”.  It is very nice, excellent food, friendly staff and they seem to be doing well. As it turns out yesterday was shrimp day for me. I had the spicy Cajun shrimp wrap at lunch and more shrimp for dinner.

I decided to take a different route to Natchitoches and go on a slightly longer drive that I hadn’t been on in years. Not much has changed. I also decided to stay downtown at a B&B and I should have checked their website more carefully. Charming Victorian, nicely furnished throughout, and the Wifi connection is good. It isn’t that I mind third floor with no elevator. It’s the staircase to the third floor is quite frankly dangerous. I can manage, but have to be very careful. And there is no in-room coffee maker. Location is good, too though if you are a walker – and I am.

One of my favorite restaurants is being transitioned to what looks like it will be a nice Cantina and I erroneously thought my second favorite was closed. Turns out it isn’t, and I’ll remember that for next time. In all fairness, all the restaurants downtown are good, but not all are open for dinner.  Anyway, I actually did a “double” last night. That wasn’t my initial intent. I was at Mama’s Oyster House and had a cup of the shrimp and corn bisque, then a special appetizer of bacon-wrapped shrimp. I didn’t want a full entree, but that turned out to be not quite enough. Natchitoches is university town and it was a Friday night so things were getting a bit loud. There was a new place on the way back to the inn and I thought I could pop in there for another appetizer and glass of wine. But as I walking along at the Sushi place, there was a lit sign, “Bar in back” that looked intriguing. Natchitoches has a lot of New Orleans architectural influence, and this is one where there was a courtyard between the main restaurant and its second bar and dining room. The back was very quiet as only one guy in the courtyard and people at the one table were on their way out. I had my other glass of wine and the garlic shrimp skewer appetizer.