For better or worse, Louisiana's had its far share of national attention during the last decade.

The New Orleans Saints became America's underdogs-turned-champions by winning the Super Bowl this past football season. The state elected the country's first-ever Indian-American governor in 2007 in Bobby Jindal. Louisiana State University even brought the coveted BCS football title back to the bayou in 2003.

Of course, there's been heart wrenching tragedies too with Hurricane Katrina decimating the coast line and killing more than 1,800 people in 2005. This year, the BP rig that exploded in the Gulf of Mexico and killed 11 people has left oil covering parts of the coast and destroying huge sectors of the local ecology and economy.

Managerial staffers at Okra's Cajun Creole in Old Town Manassas are anticipating that some of their Gulf imports could spike in price down the line. But at the moment, the New Orleans-themed restaurant is actually thriving.

"I haven't noticed a change in anything lately," said Okra's general manager Tess Griffith, referring to food coming in from the Gulf. "I don't know, further down the road, there could be some price change."

The Manassas resident explained that business climbed in the months following the Saints' 31-17 win over the Indianapolis Colts on Feb. 7. Internet search engine hits for Okra's spiked by at least 10 percent as a local interest in Cajun culinary cuisines developed.

A patio that opened up last summer along Battle Street also expanded business another 10-15 percent, Griffith explained, and meant the restaurant could hire more employees.

"That's really substantial," said Griffith.

She mentioned one of the differences in hiring in a slow economy is that the age of applicants expanded. More people looking for a second time or just some sort of steady cash flow meant more older folks applied and still do.

As for the food itself, the prevailing philosophy for Okra's menu involves "a few ingredients and a lot of seasoning," said Griffith.

Some seafood at Okra's come directly from the Gulf, like shrimp and crawfish. Other items come from local areas or the north, like oysters. Creating a Cajun feel is based more on how they're cooked than geography, and of course several forms of a Louisiana beer company Abita are always on tap. Okra's specialties include its own chili mignon (made with a sweet potato "nest" and cornbread on the side), and a skewer combo that includes onions, green peppers, crawfish and shrimp.

No New Orleans restaurant would be complete without a musical atmosphere of some sort, so jazz and zydeco (fast music played with a wash board, accordion, string and brass instruments) bands perform throughout the year, particularly when Center Street is shut down for annual festivals.

Restaurant owner Charles Gilliam makes an annual pilgrimage to The Big Easy and brings mementos that often make it on the walls.

"(Gilliam), really, he just enjoys the culture down there," said Griffith. "It's such a fun place and (he) just wanted to bring that up the coast."

While some restaurant owners complained and protested when Virginia's indoor smoking ban went into affect last December, the new law did not really affect business at Okra's much, according to Griffith, noting 60 percent of the restaurant's guests are regulars that have been stopping by between five and 12 years.

The smoking ban improved working conditions, she said.

"I was so happy to leave work not smelling like an ash tray," said Griffith.

Virginia restaurants had two options for meeting the updated health code: section off a well-ventilated part of the building specifically for smoking that is away from the kitchen or send smoking patrons outside. Okra's opted for the latter and now smokers congregate near benches out front along Center Street.

"Louisiana is home to one of the most unique food cultures in the world, from ingredients to preparation methods, and is one of the only truly American cuisines we have," Gilliam wrote on the Okra's Web page. "The best recipes were contrived by somebody’s grandmother in a rickety old shack. They stand out to some as a walk on the wild side and to others as a taste of home."

More information about Okra's can be found at http://www.okras.com.