Lafayette has lost one of the most influential figures in its culinary history.
Charlie Goodson, founder of Charley G’s and a driving force behind several of the city’s best-known restaurants, has died following a battle with esophageal cancer. Goodson passed away at his home in Lafayette on Wednesday after a lengthy illness, according to family members.
Goodson was widely regarded as a cornerstone of Louisiana’s restaurant industry, with a career that helped define upscale and locally driven dining in Acadiana.
A Career That Shaped Lafayette Dining
Goodson’s journey in the restaurant world dates back to the 1970s, when he began with Judge Roy Bean’s Saloon. That concept later evolved, with partners, into Café Vermilionville, now one of the area’s most celebrated fine dining destinations…