It’s good to be the king, of course, but it can be even better to be the queen, especially if, like St. Martinville’s Bonnie Breaux, you get to be the Seafood Queen. At the 2017 Louisiana Seafood Cookoff in Lafayette, Broussard-born Bonnie Breaux beat eleven other chefs from all over Louisiana to be 2017’s Seafood Queen. A quick description of her dish will show why she took home the fishy crown: cracklin’-crusted drum with butter poached lump crabmeat and fennel-bacon marmalade, all over Abita Amber-infused Brabant potatoes--fit for a queen, indeed! Breaux was the first female winner of the Louisiana Seafood Cookoff, and went on to place fourth while representing Louisiana in the subsequent Great American Seafood Cookoff. She now travels the state, meeting new people and doing the presumably pleasant work of promoting Louisiana seafood.
To get a taste of Breaux’s cooking, head to The St. John Restaurant in St. Martinville, where she reigns as executive chef and general manager. The structure was once a pecan warehouse, but after a full remodeling (and the hiring of an excellent chef) it’s become one of the best places to eat in St. Martin Parish. Breaux said that the restaurant began just with the intent of feeding locals, but they fed them so well that word of mouth has made The St. John a dining destination, with hungry visitors showing up from all over Louisiana, nearby states, and occasional foreign countries. As the news of Breaux’s title has spread in local and foodie media, the restaurant has seen even more interest, and with their long menu full of tempting favorites, it’s easy to imagine these people spreading the word and coming back for more. Hurry in to St. John soon, while there’s still time to say you knew it back when!
