Although The Prof and I were in Denver on vacay, we were actually there for a work trip in beautiful Fort Collins, CO. Fort Collins, also known as FoCo, is about an hours drive north from Denver and is a quaint town that's home to the Colorado State Rams. It's a great weekend getaway with so much to do that I couldn't do everything I wanted. I was able to get in a few hours of shopping along with a delightful lunch at a long time local creole and Cajun restaurant. I was excited to put Lucile's on the bucket list and they delivered on lots of flavor and lots of food!

As I waited for the rest of my lunch party to join me, I had a chance to peruse the daily specials menu that was written in colorful chalk on a blackboard right next to the door. My eyes were immediately drawn to the sweet potato crab soup. I've had sweet potato soup before and this was punched up with super flavor. It was thick and creamy and uber comforting for a warm late spring day. It was also filled with chunks of crab throughout each bite. I loved every single spoonful!

One of the highlights of lunch was the cornbread. I got a side just for me with my soup, but the whole table got corn bread to share. It was the most perfectly cooked corn bread you could ask for with it's sweet corn flavor and moist texture. I also loved the little jam that was served along side. And of course I dipped some of my corn bread in that delicious soup. Made my entire meal that much better.

Sausage sandwich with red beans and rice

The Prof enjoyed his meal as well. He ordered the andouille sausage sandwich with a side red beans and rice. It was a plateful of delicious food so he was pretty happy. The sausage had a good spice to it and was dressed with some mustard. The red beans and rice was tasty traditional side to have and complimented his overall meal.

As if salads couldn't get any bigger, one of my lunch friends ordered the Zydeco salad. The Zydeco is a bed of greens topped with bulgar wheat, sautéed mushrooms, feta cheese, smoked pecans, and then drizzled with a raspberry vinaigrette. Bulgar wheat is a great grain option. It takes on flavor easily and can be added to different recipes for texture and meatiness (without the meat). My friend enjoyed the salad because it was fresh, light and nicely balanced. It looked amazing!

Lucile's was a great bucket list destination. There are several locations if you can't make it to Fort Collins, such Denver and Longmont. You'll find a menu filled with delicious options for Cajun and creole food. Even if you're not into spicy things like I am, you're going to find something you'll enjoy.