The good news about Cajun and Creole cooking--the love their meat and their veggies. The bad news--they love to fry everything, drown everything in gravy, and serve everything with a heaping portion of rice. The other good news--in Louisiana just about everything that walks, swims, slithers, flies or crawls is meat. So you can get venison, gator or frog legs pretty easily, and if you really wanted to look, I'm sure you could get possum, nutria, and other critters.

Seriously, as tempting as all the gumbos and jambalayas and dirty rice and deep fried everything is, there is no shortage of fat and protein in Louisiana cooking, the good kind even. So just eats mounds of crawfish with butter and oysters and shrimp, sausage (maybe skip the boudain b/c it has rice in it), catfish, crab, duck, pork rinds, turtle, oxtail, and some heaping sides of collards and okra and you ought to be fine. The problem with Louisiana cooking and Southern cooking in general is not wanting for fat and protein, but being both high fat AND high carb at the same time. Those people can eat. Then again, they're, in general, among the fattest, most metabolically disordered populations around.

But enjoy your time there...and personally I wouldn't sweat a Po'Boy or a little bite of gumbo, and maybe even just one gut bomb of a beignet with a cafe au lait. I think even paleolithic folks cheated for a special occasion (admittedly, it was probably on a larva ridden honey comb and some fermenting fruit).

did my training down there. Eat lots of seafood but not fried. They generally fry in oils loaded in omega 6's. That is the real problem in NOLA. Its not the carbs because they will switch them out for you. So stick with the fresh catch and fresh veggies and ask them to cook it in straight butter. Susan Spicer at Bayonna is very accomodating.

I travel to Southern Louisiana for work regularly. Crawfish are in Season, so eat up!

The biggest thing i look out for when I'm there is the fact most folks consider margarine superior to butter, so the roux and gravy can be deceptive. If they are cooking the old fashioned way (butter and lard), then it's not a big deal. Margarine, flour and sugar sneak into everything, however. Stick with fresh seafood, and minimally prepared dishes for the most part, and you'll be fine. There is also no shortage of fine dining, and classically trained chefs tend to shun crap in their kitchens.

BBQ Shrimp is a favorite of mine. Why is it called Barbecue? No one knows. Big ass shrimp cooked in creole butter is definitely OK in my book. Gumbo works if you go easy on the rice. Jambalaya is good if you pick out the meat, and go easy on the rice part. Eat some alligator if you get a chance. Drink some Coffee and Chicory from Cafe du Monde. Check out the Preservation Hall Jazz Band. Listen to WWOZ.

Have fun! and stay away from the Daquiri's!

I just got back from my first trip while being ketogenic. I went to London and fared well once I was there (found a restaurant that served game, another that served fish, etc.). But the hardest part was the flight there. I had ordered a non-gluten meal thinking that it would be ok, but no way - it was so full of carbs and sugar that I didn't eat for 7 hours. I now have learned that one must always bring one's own food to eat on a plane.

In regards to New Orleans, it has always been my favorite foodie town in the whole world, literally. I think you will do really well at the higher end Creole restaurants, which are less about rice and beans (Cajun) and more about lovely cuts of meat in cream sauces (it's really French cuisine underneath). Try Brennan's for brunch - their Eggs Benedict is world-renowned. Not exactly paleo, but not a carb in sight. And avoid walking by the Cafe du Monde (the fried beignets will smell too tempting). And a shot of bourbon is only 1-2 net carbs. So, go for it. Laissez le bon temps rouler!

There are tons of great places where you can get Paleo eats in New Orleans..

In Bywater alone:

Booty's Maurepas Foods The JOINT (bbq.. awesome) Mariza (charcuterie plate, oysters, Awesome hanger steak)

Also: Cochon and Butcher next door Sylvain has an amazing steak with brussel sprouts

I read that Cafe Martanique (uptown) had bison tartare on their menu awhile back (haven't gotten there)

I could go on and on actually.. You will have trouble if you go to "traditional New Orleans" restaurants, but most of the new places cropping up are better choices, with lots offering organic, slow food, local,fresh food.

Check out NolaEater blog and Not For Tourists/ Nola and you will get hooked into the new generation of restaurants here.

Have fun!

I live in New Orleans and have not been able to find a paleo friendly restaurant anywhere. Since your on vacation, let loose and enjoy our food. Magazine Street has many great places for food and drink, plus you will be around more locals. It is also a great place to catch some of the parades Uptown.

I know this is a little late but there is one restaurant in NOLA that is mostly Paleo. Try Cochon's! They have all the great stuff i grew up on that and that is paleo... duck, alligator, liver, pork, shrimp, crab, fish... the list could go on and on! It really is a great place to try.

Cochon is unbelievable and plenty of great options! Susan Spicer is now out at Mondo & still amazing.