Interesting Foods: Eating Alligator

Published August 12, 2009 at 11:21 am |

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It is understandable that traveling abroad will require one to eat foods that are, how shall I say… not customary in the United States. However, I never thought these moments of gut-wrenching dining would occur in the United States, until last June.

I was near the campus of Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. When work was complete, our group suggested we have dinner at a popular, Louisiana-style restaurant just off-campus.

Tonight’s festivities would take place at The Chimes Restaurant. I love college towns and I love restaurants in college towns. There seems to be an eclectic spirit amongst the shopkeepers and customers. And like most college restaurants, the place was buzzing with excitement. The Chimes Restaurant is a dining establishment with lots of Louisiana charm.

Our table started with something called Boudin Balls. Boudin Balls are a mixture of rice and beef that have been rolled together into a ball and fried. I’m not a fan of fried food, but they weren’t bad.

Next to arrive at the table was Louisiana Alligator, served fried.

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Yep, those same creatures that are swimming in the lakes next to my house can be fried and served on a plate for your enjoyment. All eyes at the table were upon me. The moment of truth drew near. And…

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alligator tasted like chewy, fried chicken – but mostly like fried (whatever that crunchy outer covering is that makes up fried foods). It was fried, which probably made it palatable for me. Did I mention it was fried? The texture was like chicken, as was the taste. I could have had another piece, which means that it wasn’t horrible. But I decided against ingesting another reptilian treat.

The main course was Red Beans & Rice with Sausage. It looked like this (before it entered my digestive system).

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Appetizing right? The roll was good.

Here’s the deal, The Chimes Restaurant creates great food. The place was busy like no one’s business. When I returned to work and mentioned where I had dined, my colleague’s eyes lit up like a Christmas Tree. It’s a great restaurant, I just didn’t care for the fare. Give me pizza, pasta, hamburgers, hot dogs or a salad and I’m happy. Give me alligator and I get a bit squeamish. I think cajun food is something you have to grow up on to appreciate, but what do you think? Comment Below.

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