Published October 11, 2011.

This is the second blog in a row about a Livingston parish eatery. I try to offer some diversity here at the Good Feast but I have been spending a lot of time in Livingston, so that is where I have been doing a lot of my eating-out. As I mentioned in an article published a while back about Livingston, the parish has a lot more to offer than I was ever aware of. The northern part of the parish has a variety of great BBQ spots like Wayne’s (mentioned last month), but the southern part of the parish is just as well outfitted with seafood spots.

You don’t have to look very far in south Louisiana to find a good place to eat fried seafood, but the list of places that do it really well is fairly short. To this list I would add Kevin’s Cajun Seafood in Maurepas. Any restaurant that also has a boat dock is likely to offer well-breaded shrimp, but the food at Kevin’s exhibits an attention to detail and emphasis on consistent high quality that sets it apart.

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Click the small image at left to open a photo gallery. All photos by Frank McMains. The Crawfish Beignet has been popping up on more and more menus around the area, and it is just the sort of creative re-interpretation of Cajun and Creole cooking that has made Louisiana such a treat for the interested eater. Start your meal there. The dish has the light, slightly spongy bite that is associated with a beignet but has much in common with a meat pie or empanada. Kevin’s Crabmeat Au Gratin is a sturdy compliment to the beignets. Rarely does the combination of crabmeat, cream and cheese disappoint, and this is no exception.

The main courses offered at Kevin’s will be familiar to most people without a shellfish allergy, but it is here where Kevin’s puts itself above the fray. Really good fried seafood results from great initial ingredients as well as proper cooking temperatures, fresh oil and how the golden-brown treats are presented after they emerge from the fryer. Kevin’s Stuffed Shrimp is similar to dishes you will see presented in many places, but the stuffing of fresh crab, onion and a satisfying, corn meal-like body results in a dish that is just better than many who bear a similar name. A liberal coating of Tasso Cream Sauce doesn’t hurt matters either.

Tasso is another south Louisiana ingredient that you see more often on menus, but it was virtually unknown outside of the Cajun heartland a few decades ago. I am a big fan of the robust, smoky, piquant flavor that tasso lends to dishes. In this instance its meaty fullness complements the delicacy of the crab and shrimp very well.

Kevin’s Cajun Seafood is located in a new building on a prime corner of Livingston waterfront, but its roots run deep in the area. The original location was tucked much further back among the cypress stands and bayous of Highway 22. The years spent in that old brick building, feeding locals who knew a thing or two about fresh seafood, have served chef Kevin well as he has transformed his more humble, home-style eatery into a higher-end, cloth napkin sort of a place. But, the authenticity of the food can’t be second-guessed even as it settles into more up-market digs.

Kevin’s Cajun Seafood
12555 Home Port Drive
Maurepas, LA 70449-3045
(225) 698-3899

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