Kid Shelleen’s Charcoal House & Saloon is known for burgers, wings, chicken-corn chowder, and leafy salads. However, the week before Mardi Gras (Tuesday, March 4), the specials menu gets a New Orleans theme. “People look forward to it—it’s a really good menu,” says co-owner Xavier Teixido.
He should know. The restaurateur once worked at Commander’s Palace, the iconic New Orleans restaurant, where he recommended hiring Emeril Lagasse. Outside Mardi Gras, Teixido sends gumbocraving friends to Cajun Kate’s in North Wilmington, which also has a Booth’s Corner Farmers Market stall. “I think their food is the most authentic,” he says.

Cajun Kate’s is one of several Delaware restaurants specializing in fare inspired by the Big Easy. However, New Orleans dishes are now staples on mainstream menus—especially at this time of year.
A culinary amalgam
New Orleans cuisine is the definition of a melting pot. “Because of all the immigration to Louisiana, there are so many different flavors,” agrees Chase Nelson, owner of Po’ Boys Creole Restaurant in Milton.
The Acadians were French colonists who migrated from Eastern Canada to Louisiana. Cajun cuisine is rustic, Teixido says. “The Cajun population was more isolated—they ate alligators and rabbits. They killed birds and stuffed them with boudin [a Cajun sausage].”
Meanwhile, Creoles were descendants of French and Spanish colonials, many of whom came from the Caribbean. The cuisine has been described as “city food,” with more sauces and refined presentations.
Both styles are heavily influenced by Native people and the African and Caribbean slaves who prepared the meals, Teixido notes. Indeed, the word gumbo likely comes from the West African word ki ngombo (okra).
New Orleans cuisine also has an Italian flair. Central Grocery and Deli is the birthplace of the muffuletta, a hoagie-like mix of meats and cheeses on a seeded round roll with olive relish.
A tasty focus
New Orleans-themed restaurants have come and gone in Delaware, but three have staying power.
Cajun Kate’s is owned by Don and Kate Applebaum, who moved to New Orleans in 1997 after graduating from The Restaurant School at Walnut College in Philadelphia. Don worked at Emeril Lagasse’s NOLA, while Kate cooked for Susan Spicer at Bayona Restaurant.
The Applebaums returned to the Philly area to start a family, and Don opened Cajun Kate’s in 2006. Kate worked for Harry’s Savoy Grill and Harry’s Seafood Grill. She later joined her husband, and they opened the North Wilmington location.
The gumbo is rich and as dark as chocolate. The po’boys are crispy, and the muffulettas are big enough to share. Don’t miss Kate’s pastries—she honed her skills while working for Spicer.
1362 Naaman’s Creek Road, Boothwyn, 484-947-8914 (Fridays and Saturdays); 722 Philadelphia Pike, Wilmington, 416-5108; website.
Nelson is the third owner of Po’ Boys, which has seamlessly survived the transitions thanks to the transfer of crowd-pleasing recipes. This hidden gem in a modest strip mall falls into the if-you-know-you-know category.
The gumbo has a lighter roux than the one at Cajun Kate’s, and owners found that basmati rice is more consistent than medium-grain rice, which can get gummy. That may disturb purists, but it doesn’t deter the locals who pack the slender restaurant.
Jambalaya is the bestselling dish, says Nelson, who sells up to 50 orders a day. The chef has a fine-dining background, so don’t be surprised to spot blackened fish with fruit salsa or seafood lasagna with Creole sauce on the blackboard.
900 Palmer St., Milton; 684-0890; website.
In downtown Wilmington, Wilma’s puts Louisiana fare up front. Consider alligator sliders with remoulade on French bread, gumbo with chicken and andouille sausage, and a po’boy with fried shrimp, catfish, or green tomatoes.
900 N. Market St., Wilmington; 400-7766; website.

Nora Lee’s French Quarter Bistro started in Ridley Park, Pennsylvania, and a second location opened in historic New Castle in 2011. (The first site has since closed.) Jambalayas—including alligator sausage and crawfish—and blackened entrees are so extensive that they have dedicated menu sections.
124 Delaware St., New Castle; 322-7675; website
This and that
Zollie’s Jazz Cucina, also in New Castle, draws inspiration from several sources, including the American South. Blackened Louisiana catfish is “wildly popular,” says chef Marc-Antony Williams. It’s served with hoppin’ John—made with red beans, ham hocks, bacon, and peppers—cornbread and a “smokehouse” demiglace. Shrimp and crayfish gumbo, another menu staple, has a medium-brown roux.
On a rotating basis, Williams features Cajun bouillabaisse with boudin or andouille sausage, lobster, shrimp, and catfish. Instead of bananas Foster, Zollie’s offers plantain Foster. “Ripe plantains have a lot more depth of flavor than bananas,” the chef explains.
414 Delaware Ave., New Castle; 570-7419; website.
In Fenwick Island, J.R.’s Seafood Shack serves Southern coastal cuisine, which includes Bourbon Street sliders (fried oysters on a beignet with brie and Cajun tartar), a blackened mahi sandwich and five po’boys (shrimp, oysters, shrimp and crab, catfish, or scallops). Entrees include jambalaya, Cajun shellfish pasta, and cornmeal-crusted catfish.
1500 Coastal Highway, Fenwick Island; 550-3474; website.
Similarly, 1861 Restaurant in Middletown promotes Southern-inspired food. Take, for instance, fried boudin balls, blackened salmon, New Orleans barbecue shrimp with andouille sausage over rice, fried catfish, and catfish sliders with remoulade.
The restaurant also offers “debris fries.” In New Orleans, debris refers to shredded beef in tasty broth served on French bread as a po’boy or as an entree. At 1861, debris meets poutine: Fries are covered in jerk short rib, gravy, and fried onions and topped with three cheeses.
423 Broad St., Middletown; 376-7956; website.
Going mainstream
Like many restaurants, Kid Shelleen’s has shrimp and grits on its brunch menu. Teixido would argue that the ubiquitous dish is more Carolina than Louisiana. Regardless, thanks to the special menu, your palate can visit the Big Easy the week before Mardi Gras.
14th & Scott streets, Wilmington, 658-4600; 1812 Marsh Road, Wilmington, 308-3560; website.
Bluecoast Seafood Grill & Raw Bar in Rehoboth Beach has had gumbo on the menu since it opened. A recent flavor featured pork belly, andouille, and okra over cheddar grits instead of rice.
30115 Veterans Way, Rehoboth Beach; 278-7395; website.
In downtown Rehoboth, Henlopen City Oyster House’s lunchtime menu includes gumbo with chicken, crawfish, and andouille. (Lunch is served in the off-season.)
50 Wilmington Ave., Rehoboth Beach; 260-9193; website.
And if you really want to get your gumbo on, don’t forget the annual Rehoboth Beach Gumbo Crawl, typically held in April. Last year, Blue Moon placed first, Above the Dunes captured second, and Mariachi Restaurant got third, proving that New Orleans flavors truly cross borders. website.