Local Flavor, Living History: Jesse Guidry on Lafayette’s food, music, and the stories

The best meals in Lafayette don’t need a spotlight—they’ve had one for 90 years. We sit with Jesse Guidry, VP of Communications at Lafayette Travel and the engine behind EatLafayette, to unpack what makes this place so magnetic: kitchens that taste like memory, music that stays within reach, and a community that shows up when it counts. Jesse shares how a nonprofit mindset and a love for the offbeat shaped fresh ways to support local restaurants, from food trails that actually move people to new spots, to a year-round strategy that meets diners where they are.We explore how resilience forged Lafayette’s culture—how mismatched histories blended into something durable and welcoming, how you can learn more over a bowl of gumbo than a plaque, and why access matters when a festival musician steps offstage to help you fix a fiddle riff in the jam tent. Along the way, we talk Blackpot cook-offs, the arc from filming six gumbo styles to winning with first-time jambalaya, and the delight of making matzo ball soup for a local fundraiser—because honoring this place means recognizing every thread in the weave.Then we get practical. Jesse walks us through EatLafayette’s pivot from a packed summer kickoff to a smarter, 12-month approach that pairs with existing festivals and youth sports, drives “butts in seats,” and celebrates historic restaurants without exhausting their teams. We dig into the Po’ Boy Trail and Boudin Trail—why they’re more than lists, how they teach taste, and how they make it easy to try somewhere new. Finally, we preview the new EatLafayette app: clean menus, real hours, live music via Lafayette Weekly, trail maps, and the Flavor Quest that rewards exploration with local gift cards.If you care about eating well and keeping dollars close to home, this one’s for you. Hit play, pick a trail, and tell us your favorite po’ boy or boudin shop. Subscribe, share with a friend who loves food travel, and leave a review so more folks can find the flavor.The podcast was made possible through partnerships with Rouses Supermarket, Logic Refrigeration HVAC, Cajun Table, Vermilionville, Soul Haus Kitchen, Chris Logan Media, and Sunday Soda Fountain – proving that when a community rallies around celebrating local food culture, amazing things happen. Subscribe now to join this delicious adventure and become part of the movement that's transforming Lafayette's food scene one bite at a time!learn more: foodiesoflafayette.comSocial MediaFacebookInstagramYouTube