Blissful bites of the sea

It's Friday during Lent, y'all.  That means that seafood dishes in South Louisiana restaurants are as plentiful as bands in a Jazz Fest lineup.  Of course, there are the all-time favorite boiled crawfish.  These delightful delicacies are in demand at any establishment that offers them.  Next weekend, of course, will be their time to shine as Good Friday seems to be synonymous with crawfish boils.  Fried seafood is a popular choice during Lent, and you really can't go wrong with a good ol' seafood platter.  Shrimp, catfish, oysters, crawfish, you name it, we fry it.  Oysters don't get as much love as our crustacean friends, but I'm here to tell you that they are finding their way into the hearts of foodies everywhere.  I love them on the half shell:  ice cold with homemade-lots-of-horseradish cocktail sauce.  I adore them fried.  They must be cornmeal battered & super crispy.  Apprehensive of oysters, you say?  Well, my good buddy, Nathan Gresham, can turn you into a bi-valve believer in a heartbeat.  He is the chef at Beausoleil, a restaurant right here in Baton Rouge.  Chef Nathan has two oyster dishes on the menu.  They are both outstanding AND on the happy hour menu.  The first is truffled fried oysters.  This, my friend, is a plate of delicious goodness.  The oysters are lightly fried & drizzled in a creamy truffle dressing that will transport you to culinary heaven. Truffled fried oysters are available at happy hour for $5 & on the dinner menu for a slight increase.  Chef Nathan's other oyster dish, however, has stolen my heart this spring:  charbroiled oysters on the half shell.  W.O.W.  That's all I have to say.  These babies are lightly dusted with parmesan, garlic, butter, & a delightful mixture of secret spice.  You can order them at happy hour for only fifty cents each!!!  Beausoleil has happy hour every Tuesday-Friday from 3:00-6:00. It is located at 7731 Jefferson Highway in the Bocage Shopping Center.  Do yourself a favor & check out Chef Nathan & the crew at Beausoleil.  You will find yourself making many return trips to this wonderful local eatery.  Be sure you tell them Meredeth sent you over.