EAT YOUR VEGGIES!
Vegetarian doesn't have to mean bland. Just check out the vegetarian heaven at Village Café, featuring a delightful gourmet tableau of fresh produce cooked to perfection by Executive Chef Jude Tauzin. My favorite is the grilled eggplant - eggplant medallions stacked with sundried tomato pesto and pan-roasted artichoke hearts served with zucchini linguine set in a roasted vegetable broth. Divine, even by meat lovers' standards. 
EAT YOUR VEGGIES!
Vegetarian doesn't have to mean bland. Just check out the vegetarian heaven at Village Café, featuring a delightful gourmet tableau of fresh produce cooked to perfection by Executive Chef Jude Tauzin. My favorite is the grilled eggplant - eggplant medallions stacked with sundried tomato pesto and pan-roasted artichoke hearts served with zucchini linguine set in a roasted vegetable broth. Divine, even by meat lovers' standards. Other vegetarian offerings include the portobello stack - marinated portobello mushrooms layered with caramelized onions, sautéed spinach and tomatoes topped off with boursin cheese onion glace; roasted mushroom flatbread - a medley of herb roasted mushrooms and roasted goat cheese spread served on flatbread, and a composition of various asparagus preparations. Delicious, and good for you, too. - Lisa Hanchey
TAKE AND BAKE
Papa Murphy's Take-and-Bake Pizza, a national pizza chain with more than 1,150 stores in 35 states, has opened a restaurant in Lafayette in the Westwood Village Shopping Center at 2419 W. Congress St. across from Raising Cane's. The restaurant is owned and operated by Cindy and Michael Roger of Carencro. "We hadn't heard about it, and my husband wanted to try something of his own," says Cindy Roger. "We went to the one in Baton Rouge and we were hooked. We've owned one in Lake Charles for a year and a half." Everything in the store is take and bake, including cookie dough and lasagna. There is no freezer in the restaurant, and all ingredients are as fresh as possible. The Rogers own the rights to open four more in the area and plan to eventually have restaurants in Breaux Bridge, Abbeville, New Iberia and Youngsville. Try the Herb Chicken Mediterranean deLITE, $10.99, a crispy, thin-crust pizza topped with olive oil, garlic, mozzarella cheese, spinach, grilled chicken, sun-dried tomatoes and feta cheese. It's one of the many pizza combinations offered at Papa Murphy's. For a full menu visit papamurphys.com or call 261-9111. - Wynce Nolley
OLD TYME MUSIC
Valcour Records has a pretty amazing track record of releasing authentic Cajun roots music that honors the traditions in modern yet extremely classy and tasteful ways. The latest album of the Pine Leaf Boys, Back Home, does just that, keeping the quality control at top notch levels. The 16 songs on this CD include a bustling mix of Pine Leaf originals and covers of old rock 'n' roll tunes given a Cajun makeover. The combination of French and English makes for a pretty easy and laid back listening experience for fans of Cajun music who don't speak French but would like to hear a song they can sing along with now and then. If you're a fan of the music of the Pine Leaf Boys, do yourself or someone you know a favor with this CD. Back Home is available at Johnson's Boucaniere and online at www.valcourrecords.com. - Dege Legg