Casian Seafood

You don’t think of crawfish when you think of Colorado, and you probably don’t think of Lafayette when you think of James Beard Award-nominated restaurants. But you’ll find both in one appealing package at Lafayette’s Casian Seafood, which was nominated for Best New Restaurant in the Mountain region in 2022. It didn't take home the prize, but you’ll feel like a blue-ribbon recipient digging into a seafood boil at the Cajun-Asian spot (get it seasoned with regular or spicy ginger, lemon and garlic; lemon butter; or the house “spicy Casian”). You can also go straight-up Cajun with jambalaya and fried oysters or Hmong-influenced with lemongrass sausage or ceviche-shrimp larb.