Louisiana Cookin’ – September-October 2019

31 louisianacookin.com

CHEF’S TABLE

ATSPOONBILLWATERINGHOLE& RESTAURANT, every

dishhasa storytotell.The restaurantfromChefJeremyConnerand

partnersStephenVerretandAdamLoftinopenedinNovember 2018

indowntownLafayette.Namedfortheroseatespoonbill,a bright

pinkwadingbirdwitha spoon-shapedbill,Spoonbillis situatedinthe

iconicbuildingthatwasoncea Conocogasstationandmostrecently

hometoThe FillingStation,a popularrestaurant.

Jeremyandhisteamaimtogivedinersfun,memorable

experiences.Theyhavecreateda relaxedatmosphereandgathering

place,keepingthebuilding’soutdoorpatioandaddinglargewindows

thatfill theinteriorwithlotsofnaturallightandbringthefeeling

ofoutdoordininginsidetherestaurant.Outside,thebuilding’s

recognizablepinkandpurpleneonlightsgreetguests.Inside,theycan

watchdishesbeingpreparedintheopenkitchenandcocktailsbeing

craftedbehindthebar.

AnAlabamanativewhogrewupinPensacola,Florida,Jeremy

hasalwayshada connectiontotheGulfCoastanditscuisine.After

startinghisprofessionalcookingcareerinPensacola,hemovedto

Lafayette,wherehemadea nameforhimselfattheformerVillage

CaféandasthefounderofCellarSaltCo.Morerecently,heand

Stephenhosteda successfulpop-upseriesbeforehatchingtheideafor

SpoonbillandjoiningforceswithAdam.

AtSpoonbill,JeremysharesstoriesoftheGulfCoastthrough

hiscooking.Spoonbill’smenuis a combinationofSouthernfare,

globalflavors,andreimaginedLouisianaclassics.It focusesheavily

on Gulf seafood and simply prepared ingredients in dishes such as

BBQ Shrimp in an Urban South Paradise Park beer-butter sauce

and Jeremy’s personal favorite, the Grilled Fish, which is served with

grilled vegetables in a sauce made of their own juices, lemon juice,

and basil. Th at dish gives him the opportunity to highlight “trash fi sh”

(species that are oft en overlooked), like black drum or sheepshead.

Spoonbill WateringHole&Restaurant

900 Jeff erson St. • Lafayette

337.534.0585 • spoonbillrestaurant.com

STORIES

OF THE GULF

Chef Jeremy Conner

by caitlin watzke