The food scene this weekend is dominated by the Jazz Festival, where the eats are as good as the music, and in exactly the same way. In the past few years of the Jazz Festival, the food offerings seem to have reached a plateau. A few new vendors appear, but they fade into the familiar array. It’s a long time since anything alarmingly new and different has turned up. But isn’t this what we want from the Festival? It’s certainly true of us Baby Boomers, who were just reaching the age of majority at the time of the first JazzFest in 1970. It’s a ritual, with our strange kind of hippie nostalgia. Enough other things have changed in our lives without the Jazz Festival’s becoming unfamiliar, too.
Here’s our annual list of all the food being served at the Jazz and Heritage Festival at the Fair Grounds. I have annotated it with ratings on a scale from zero to three notes. Here's what they mean:
[title type="h5"]MusicNoteRating1Recommended. Try it if the dish appeals to you.
MusicNoteRating2Outstanding. Taste this even if if you wouldn't ordinarily do so.
MusicNoteRating3Essential. Not to be missed.
[/title]
These are my own recommendations, based on past years. Your mileage may vary.[divider type=""]
JazzFestivalEatGuide
[title type="h5"]Burks and Douglas 1 Food Area I[/title]
Red beans and rice, sausage
Vegetarian red beans and rice
Blackberry cobbler
[title type="h5"]Cajun Nights Catering 1 Food Area I[/title] Alligator pie
Crabmeat stuffed shrimp
Fried green tomatoes
[title type="h5"]Catering Unlimited 1 Food Area I[/title] Cajun jambalaya
Fried chicken
[title type="h5"]Crescent Catering 1 Food Area I[/title] Cajun duck po-boy
Cajun shrimp & duck pasta
[title type="h5"]Dimartino’s 1 Food Area I[/title] Muffuletta
Vegetarian muffuletta
Roast beef poor boy
Turkey giardiniera salad
[title type="h5"]Fireman Mike’s Kitchen 1 Food Area I[/title] Alligator sauce piquante
Shrimp and grits
Shrimp and okra gumbo
[title type="h5"]Gallagher’s Grill 1 Food Area I[/title] Pecan catfish meunière
Seafood mirliton casserole
Fried crab cake, smoked tomato and jalapeño tartar
[title type="h5"]Joyce’s Lemonade 1 Food Area I[/title] Lemonade
Fruit salad
[title type="h5"]Love at First Bite 1 Food Area I[/title] Cochon de lait po-boy
[title type="h5"]Ms Linda’s 1 Food Area I[/title] Ya ka mein
Vegetarian ya ka mein
Fried pork chop sandwich
Bread pudding w/ rum sauce
[title type="h5"]Panaroma Foods, Marksville 1 Food Area I[/title] Crawfish bread
Shrimp bread
Sausage and jalapeño bread
[title type="h5"]Papa Ninety Catering 1 Food Area I[/title] Boudin
Boudin balls
Shrimp and lump crab ravigote
Crawfish remoulade
[title type="h5"]Patton's Caterers 1 Food Area I[/title] Crawfish Sack
Oyster Patties
Crawfish Beignets
[title type="h5"]Sharon & Guilherme Wegner 1 Food Area I[/title] Louisiana crawfish poor boy
Fried alligator poor boy
Alligator, fried jalapeños and onions
[title type="h5"]Smitty's Seafood Restaurant 1 Food Area I[/title] Boiled crawfish
Louisiana crawfish etouffée
Cajun crawfish rice
Spicy boiled potatoes
[title type="h5"]Squeal's Smoke Street Catering (New) 1 Food Area I[/title] BBQ Brisket Sandwich
BBQ Chicken Sandwich
Smokey Bacon Greens
[title type="h5"]Stuf Hapn Event Catering 1 Food Area I[/title] Crabmeat poor boy
Creole stuffed crab
Catfish amandine
Potato salad
[title type="h5"]Ten Talents Catering 1 Food Area I[/title] Spinach artichoke casserole
Seafood au gratin
Sweet potato pone
[title type="h5"]Vaucresson Sausage Co. 1 Food Area I[/title] Hot sausage po-boy
Crawfish sausage po-boy
Italian Chicken sausage poor boy (new)
[title type="h5"]Vucinovich's Restaurant 1 Food Area I[/title] Fried shrimp poor boy
Fried oyster poor boy
Fried oyster spinach salad
Pannéed chicken poor boy
Stuffed artichoke
[title type="h5"]Ajun Cajun Ninja 2 Food Area II[/title] Shrimp yakisoba (pan-fried noodles)
Yakiniku poor boy (Japanese barbecue beef)
Crabstick & cucumber salad
Seaweed & cucumber salad
[title type="h5"]Angelo Brocato’s 1 Food Area I[/title] Louisiana strawberry ice
Lemon ice
Specialty flavor gelato
Spumoni
Cannoli
Fig and sesame cookies
[title type="h5"]Canseco’s Markets 1 Food Area I[/title] Cuban sandwich
[title type="h5"]Cottage Catering 1 Food Area I[/title] Crawfish strudel
White chocolate bread pudding
[title type="h5"]Creole's Lunch House 1 Food Area I[/title] Creole's Stuffed Bread
Sausage, Pepperoni & Mozzarella Stuffed Bread
[title type="h5"]Fatty’s Cracklins, St. Francisville 1 Food Area I[/title] Cracklings
Fried sweet potato chips
[title type="h5"]Galley Seafood Restaurant 1 Food Area I[/title] Fried soft-shell crab poor boy
Fried catfish filet poor boy
[title type="h5"]Jamila's Café 1 Food Area I[/title] Tagine of lamb (lamb stew with basmati rice),
Merguez (grilled lamb sausage)
Crawfish, spinach and zucchini bisque
*Tunisian salad
[title type="h5"]Big River Foods 1 Food Area I[/title] Crawfish Monica
[title type="h5"]Husing 1 Food Area I[/title] Strawberry shortcake
Key Lime Tart
[title type="h5"]Mona's Café 1 Food Area I[/title] Gyros sandwich
Falafel sandwich
Hummus with pita
Tabouli with pita
Greek garden salad
[title type="h5"]Mrs. Wheat's Foods 1 Food Area I[/title] Spicy Natchitoches meat pie
Crawfish pie
Broccoli and cheese pie
[title type="h5"]New Orleans Coffee Company 1 Food Area I[/title] Café au lait (hot, iced, or frozen)
Black coffee (hot or iced)
[title type="h5"]Praline Connection 1 Food Area I[/title] Grilled chicken livers with pepper jelly
Crowder peas and okra
Collard greens
Crispy wings
Fried okra
[title type="h5"]Prejean's, Lafayette, LA 1 Food Area I[/title] Pheasant, quail and andouille gumbo,
Crab and crawfish stuffed mushrooms
Crawfish enchilada
[title type="h5"]Taqueria Corona 1 Food Area I[/title] Fried fish taco
Shrimp taco
Chicken taco
[title type="h5"]Wally Taillon, Gonzales 1 Food Area I[/title] Jambalaya
[title type="h5"]AJ’s Sno-balls Congo Square[/title] Sno-balls
Ice cream stuffed sno-ball
[title type="h5"]Bennachin Restaurant Congo Square[/title] Jama-jama (sautéed spinach)
Fried plaintains
Poulet fricassee (chicken on a stick)
[title type="h5"]Gambian Foods 3 Congo Square[/title] Dibbi (grilled steak on pita)
Spicy grilled tofu & veggies, peanut sauce
Couscous with yogurt sauce
[title type="h5"]Marie's Sugar Dumplings Congo Square[/title] Sweet Potato Turnover
Pecan Pie
Sweet Potato Pie
Banana Nut Bread
Bacon Pecan Square
[title type="h5"]Palmer's Jamaican Cuisine Congo Square[/title] Jamaican chicken
Caribbean fish
Curry chicken patty
Steamed vegetables
[title type="h5"]Ba Mien Vietnamese Cuisine 4 Heritage Square[/title] Goi cuon (spring roll)
Bun (vermicelli with shrimp or beef)
Cha gio (vietnamese egg roll)
[title type="h5"]Baquet's Li'l Dizzy's Cafe 4 Heritage Square[/title] Crawfish bisque
Creole filé gumbo
Trout Baquet
[title type="h5"]Café du Monde 4 Heritage Square[/title] Beignets
Café au lait (hot, iced, or frozen)
Milk
Chocolate milk
[title type="h5"]Down Home Creole Cookin' 4 Heritage Square[/title] BBQ pork ribs
BBQ turkey wings
Meaty white beans
Cole slaw
Peach cobbler
[title type="h5"]La Divina Gelateria 4 Heritage Square[/title] Old fashioned hand made ice cream sandwiches
Creme brulee
Artisan gelato and sorbetto
Chocolate Azteca
[title type="h5"]Minnie Pearl Pies and Pastries 4 Heritage Square[/title] Creole cream cheese cake with strawberries
Lemon meringue pie
Pearl pies and pastries
[title type="h5"]Angelo's Bakery 9 Around The Grounds[/title] Coconut macaroon
Brownie with pecans
Cream puffs
Chocolate éclair
[title type="h5"]Gallo & Marks 9 Around The Grounds[/title] Strawberry smoothie
Chocolate dipped strawberries
[title type="h5"]Jumbo Peanut Company 9 Around The Grounds[/title] Fresh roasted jumbo peanuts
Glazed pecans
[title type="h5"]Loretta's Authentic Pralines 9 Around The Grounds[/title] Pralines: assorted flavors
Praline pecan and sweet potato cookies
Praline shoe soles
Lump crab stuffed beignet
Praline stuffed beignet (new)
[title type="h5"]Lucky Dogs 9 Around The Grounds[/title] Jumbo Lucky Dog
[title type="h5"]Mr. Williams’ Pastries 9 Around The Grounds[/title] Pies: Apple, Cherry, Coconut, Pecan, Sweet potato, Bean custard
[title type="h5"]Plum Street Sno-balls 9 Around The Grounds[/title] Sno-balls
[title type="h5"]Roman Chewing Candy 9 Around The Grounds[/title] Roman Chewing Candy Company
[title type="h5"]Sunshine Concessions 9 Around The Grounds[/title] Rosemint iced tea
Mandarin orange iced tea
Regular iced tea
[title type="h5"]WWOZ Radio 9 Around The Grounds[/title] Mango Freeze
[title type="h5"]United Houma Nation, Golden Meadow 9 Around The Grounds[/title] Fry bread
Smoked sausage macque choux
Creamy shrimp macque choux
Indian tacos
[title type="h5"]J and M Seafood 6 Grandstand[/title] Freshly shucked oysters on the half shell
Louisiana crawfish salad roll
[title type="h5"]Joyce’s Lemonade 7 Kids' Food[/title] Lemonade
Fruit salad
Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Crispy rice treats
Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich
[title type="h5"]Miss Linda’s Catering 7 Kids' Food[/title] Baked macaroni and cheese
Huckabuck frozen cups
Sloppy Jeaux Sandwich (new)
[title type="h5"]Congreso Cubano 8 Cultural Exchange Pavillion[/title] Ropa Vieja (Braised Steak)
*Frijoles Negros (Black Beans & Rice
Tostones (Fried Green Plantains)
Paleta de Café con Leche (Coffee Ice Pop)
