Down Center Street, nearly to the bustle of Highway 90, there once was an elegantly-appointed house which offered up lively atmosphere and some of the best food New Iberians — and the rest of the world — had ever tasted. Patout’s Restaurant opened Nov. 3, 1979. Chef Alex Patout, along with siblings Gigi and Mitch, wanted to showcase the family recipes they’d always enjoyed.

“I didn’t realize growing up how great our food was,” Patout said. “It wasn’t until I started bringing friends home from high school and college and watching their reaction to the food on our table that I realized that maybe we had something unique and different.”

The oilfield was booming, the economy was thriving and interest was mounting for all things Cajun then.

“I wanted to do the dishes like my family cooked,” Patout said. “I didn’t want to be what I call ‘Henderson,’ I wanted to cook real Cajun food like we did every day. My family had to argue with me to include fried shrimp on the menu.”

The restaurant opened with a limited menu of family recipes, and Patout said they added dishes as they experimented and refined recipes. One of these recipes was a dish called the Lady Fish, named after a 65-year-old fisherwoman’s boat. Patout describes it as a takeoff on Blackened Redfish from Paul Prudhomme, of whom he speaks highly as mentor and friend.

“He’d call me every night to check on my daily specials,” Patout said. “He was very interested in promoting my work and I appreciated that.”

Lady Fish was grilled speckled trout seasoned with blackened redfish seasoning, served with lump crabmeat and shrimp.

“That sounds pretty standard now, but it was the first time that had ever been done,” Patout said.

The dish became extremely popular with the locals, and even drew the attention and admiration of food critics across the nation like Stanley Dry, who praised its merits in Food & Wine magazine, and Phyllis Richman of the Washington Post.

Soon Patout’s cuisine was earning accolades, both locally and nationally. He was named Louisiana restaurateur of the year in 1984, as well as one of the Top Ten New Chefs in America in Food & Wine Magazine. He was also one of the founders of the Acadiana Culinary Classic, with he and sister Gigi winning many ribbons over the years. His “Cajun Home Cooking” cookbook was published in 1986.

Locals and tourists alike enjoyed the food and atmosphere of the restaurant. Gigi Patout

remembers the first time the former owners of the house, Bella & R.E. Boutte, came to look over new renovations. Gigi said, “They walked around taking all the new spaces in. Suddenly Bella got a strange look on her face. She said to me, ‘our bedroom is a bar now!’”

Any meal at Patout’s was a special occasion, and New Iberians gravitated to the restaurant for their personal celebrations. Patout’s hosted many a wedding reception, banquet and luncheon. Gigi recalls, “All the high school kids would come with their dates for prom, and their parents for graduation. We sold a lot of fried shrimp on those nights.” The fried shrimp Alex needed to be convinced to include on the menu!

With the downturn of the economy, sadly, Patout’s closed its doors in 1989. Alex and his siblings had started branching out into other cities, serving up the Patout brand of deliciousness in New Orleans, Dallas, even Los Angeles. The building became the Iberian Restaurant, and eventually was torn down.

Chef Alex has stayed busy and has honed his craft over the years. “I’m much better now than when I started,” he says.

He is currently back in New Iberia, cooking up a storm in Walter Voorhies’ Cousin’s Barbecue Kitchen.

“Working with Walter has been an absolute joy,” he says.

He is producing Cajun cuisine for catering and take-out orders. His offerings include his crawfish bisque with stuffed heads, (“Too much trouble for most home cooks,” he says, “I like to say it takes three days or three Cajun families to make.”) smoked andouille, boudin, two kinds of gumbo, crab cakes, and much more, prepped and frozen, ready to heat and serve. You can find him on Facebook, and text to order.

“I wanted to do the dishes my family cooked,” – Chef Alex Patout