ABOUT THE EPISODE 

Guest Samantha Carroll, the Executive Director of the Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board, joins hosts Brady and Anna on Louisiana’s Playground to discuss the impact of seafood to Louisiana. The trio discusses seafood’s role in the state’s economy, workforce, and culture. In addition, Carroll dishes about her experience with the Louisiana Seafood Cook-Off as it heads to Lake Charles for the first time this June. 

ABOUT THE GUEST 

Samantha Carroll is the Executive Director of the Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board. In addition to that role, Samantha is a renowned chef that has used her Louisiana roots to carve out a slice of the state’s culinary scene. She owns and operates restaurants with her husband, Cody Carrol, and was named the Queen of Louisiana Seafood in 2013. That led to a multi-season show on the Food Network called Cajun Aces. Now she uses those skills to promote Louisiana seafood to the world.  

ENVIE EATS 

Nina P’s Cafe has been a staple in the community for over 20 years. The New Orleans French Quarter-themed restaurant is ideally located between McNeese University and Golden Nugget and L'Auberge casino resorts. The mother-daughter duo serves up delicious seafood-inspired dishes topped with their staple crawfish cream sauce. Most notably, their chicken and sausage gumbo has been named Lagniappe Magazine's best of SWLA Gumbo for over a decade! 

RESOURCES MENTIONED 

@visitlakecharles In Episode 12 of Louisiana’s Playground Podcast, Anna and Brady visit Nina P’s Cafe in Lake Charles! 🎙️ A staple in the Lake Charles community, Nina P’s Cafe is a New Orleans French Quarter and Mardi Gras-themed restaurant that has been awarded best gumbo in Southwest Louisiana for over a decade. Owned and operated by this mother-daughter duo, Paulina and Fallon serve a vast array of seafood dishes like crawfish bread, crab cakes, and blackened red fish. They are also known for their loaded potatoes, savory burgers, and poboys. Featured in the video is their new Mardi Gras Stack that has two crab cakes topped with two over easy eggs, homemade crawfish cream sauce, and four golden fried Gulf shrimp. 📍 1600 W McNeese St # A, Lake Charles, LA 🎙Listen here or anywhere you get your podcast: visitlakecharles.org/podcast/ Envie (sounds like an·vi) Eats: The desire to eat. A lot. #LouisianasPlayground #EnvieEats #Podcast #VisitLakeCharles #ninaps #ninapscafe #seafood #louisiana #lakecharles #lakecharlesla #lakecharleslouisiana #crawfish #shrimp #mardigras #cajun #cajunfood ♬ Oh, Mam - Steve Riley & The Mamou Playboys