Kerry Boutte is a most unlikely-looking Cajun. He looks like a refugee from L.A. with his ponytail and hipster threads. His restaurants and his apartment are adorned with avant garde works by artists from Acadiana—Boutte  is obviously an aficionado of the more sophisticated visual arts created by his Cajun comrades.

He may appear to be a big city boy, but once he opens his mouth, you know you're talking to the authentic item. The lilt of the bayou is in his speech, and once he launches int...