ABC - Acadiana Bread & Curry – Out To Lunch

Some things are so familiar we stop thinking about them. Bread, for example. Or curry. They show up in so many meals they’re practically background noise. Staples. Comforts. Universals. So what happens when someone decides that’s not good enough?

On this edition of Out to Lunch we’re talking about reimagining the familiar — turning the everyday into something exceptional. It takes a mix of obsession, patience, and maybe a little defiance. It’s the kind of project that makes your friends say, “You’re doing what now?”

Morgan Angelle, Owner of Straw Cove Baking company, takes “farm-to-table” to a whole new level. At Straw Cove they mill their own wheat and sell their artisanal bread to restaurants and direct to consumers

Morgan Angelle is co-founder of Straw Cove Flour Mill and Baking Company. Morgan isn’t just baking bread—she’s milling her own flour, from grain she sources directly from farms she’s vetted herself. She even knows which wheat scientists developed the strains she uses. That’s commitment. But it’s more than that—it’s a philosophy. For Morgan, bread isn’t just food, it’s a story of place, labor, and connection.

Morgan’s culinary path started early. She grew up in Breaux Bridge watching PBS cooking shows and experimenting in the kitchen. She earned her culinary degree in New Orleans in 2005 and worked in kitchens across the region, but never quite felt at home behind the line. It wasn’t until she got obsessed with dough—literally, while working at Buck & Johnny’s—that she found her calling. Over eight years, she deep-dived into flour science, traveling to learn from bakers, millers, and farmers. She returned home in 2022 with a mission to build better bread from the grain up.

Sajeev Joseph, best known as “Priya’s husband,” co-owner with his wife of Priya’s Indian Food restaurant on Johnston Street and weekly at the Farmer’s Market in Lafayette

Sajeev Joseph is co-owner of Priya’s Indian Food. You might think you know Indian food — tikka masala, naan, maybe a samosa or two. But Sajeev and his wife Priya offer something different: food made the way it’s cooked at home in India. No artificial colors. No sugar. Lots of vegan and gluten-free options.

Originally from India, Sajeev studied theology, economics, and philosophy before settling in Lafayette in 2014. He and Priya started small, selling homemade dishes at the farmers market—she was the first Indian vendor there. In 2020, they opened their restaurant, a cozy four-table spot with a big reputation. Sajeev left his full-time job to support the business and help care for their kids. These days, their children sometimes pitch in too—making it a true family operation.

Johanna Divine sits in for Christiaan Mader on Out To Lunch Acadiana at Tsunami Sushi in downtown Lafayette

One of the knocks you hear from bigger city folks from, say, New York, New Orleans, or Austin, is that, as cool as our Cajun culture is, wouldn’t it be great if there was an awesome bakery here? Or a real, authentic Indian restaurant?

Well, one of the benefits of living in a community like Lafayette, is that one person can make a big difference. When that one person opens an awesome bakery, and another person opens an authentic Indian restaurant, not only do we now have the kind of food you normally only find in a big city, but guess what? We also don’t have to live in – or even visit! – New York, New Orleans or Austin.