Chef John Haug knows that Louisiana culture is more defined by its food than by all of the region's jazz, Mardi Gras beads, and Huey Long bumper stickers combined. He showcases the tasty fruits of Cajun living at Cypress Grill, spotlighting the classic New Orleans dishes such as étouffée and jambalaya that help the restaurant consistently place as one of Austin’s top 35 restaurants in the Austin Chronicle's readers' poll. On Thursdays, live Cajun or Jazz Swing music enlivens the funky neighborhood joint, which is more than likely already filled with the aromas of the fresh Gulf seafood that populates plates of barbecued shrimp and crispy oysters. Chef John also brings his down-home touch to New Orleans Brunch on Saturday and Sunday, which combine Creole influences with locally-sourced organic eggs plucked from pasture-raised chickens. The restaurant also celebrates seasonality; during the spring, cooks haul in 300 pounds of fresh crawfish for the restaurant’s weekly boil.