Jazz, Sure. . . But An Eating Festival Too

The Annual Ritual Of Jazz Fest Food

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"]Recommended. Try it if the dish appeals to you. Outstanding. Taste this even if if you wouldn't ordinarily do so. Essential. Not to be missed. [/title] These are my own recommendations, based on past years. Your mileage may vary.)[divider type=""] [title type="h5"]Burks and Douglas Food Area I[/title] Red beans and rice, sausage Vegetarian red beans and rice Blackberry cobbler [title type="h5"]Cajun Nights Catering Food Area I[/title] Alligator pie Crabmeat stuffed shrimp Fried green tomatoes [title type="h5"]Catering Unlimited Food Area I[/title] Cajun jambalaya Fried chicken [title type="h5"]Crescent Catering Food Area I[/title] Cajun duck po-boy Cajun shrimp & duck pasta [title type="h5"]Dimartino’s Food Area I[/title] Muffuletta Vegetarian muffuletta Roast beef poor boy Turkey giardiniera poor boy [title type="h5"]Fireman Mike’s Kitchen Food Area I[/title] Alligator sauce piquante Shrimp and grits Shrimp and okra gumbo [title type="h5"]Gallagher’s Grill Food Area I[/title] Pecan catfish meunière Seafood mirliton casserole Fried crab cake, smoked tomato and jalapeño tartar [title type="h5"]Joyce’s Lemonade Food Area I[/title] Lemonade Fruit salad [title type="h5"]Love at First Bite Food Area I[/title] Cochon de lait po-boy [title type="h5"]Ms Linda’s 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 Food Area I[/title] Crawfish bread Shrimp bread Sausage and jalapeño bread [title type="h5"]Papa Ninety Catering Food Area I[/title] Boudin Boudin balls Shrimp and lump crab ravigote Crawfish remoulade [title type="h5"]Patton's Caterers Food Area I[/title] Crawfish Sack Oyster Patties Crawfish Beignets [title type="h5"]Sharon & Guilherme Wegner Food Area I[/title] Louisiana crawfish poor boy Fried alligator poor boy Alligator, fried jalapeños and onions Guil's LA Crawfish [title type="h5"]Smitty's Seafood Restaurant Food Area I[/title] Boiled crawfish Louisiana crawfish etouffée Cajun crawfish rice Spicy boiled potatoes [title type="h5"]Squeal Bar-B-Q (New) Food Area I[/title] BBQ Brisket Sandwich BBQ Chicken Sandwich Smokey Bacon Greens [title type="h5"]Stuf Hapn Event Catering Food Area I[/title] Crabmeat poor boy Creole stuffed crab Catfish amandine Potato salad [title type="h5"]Ten Talents Catering Food Area I[/title] Spinach artichoke casserole Seafood au gratin Sweet potato pone [title type="h5"]Vaucresson Sausage Co. Food Area I[/title] Hot sausage po-boy Crawfish sausage po-boy [title type="h5"]Vucinovich's Restaurant 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 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 Food Area II[/title] Louisiana strawberry ice Lemon ice Specialty flavor gelato Spumoni Cannoli Fig and sesame cookies [title type="h5"]Canseco’s Markets Food Area II[/title] Cuban sandwich [title type="h5"]Cottage Catering Food Area II[/title] Crawfish strudel White chocolate bread pudding [title type="h5"]Creole's Lunch House Food Area II[/title] Creole's Stuffed Bread Sausage, Pepperoni & Mozzarella Stuffed Bread [title type="h5"]Fatty’s Cracklins, St. Ffrancisville Food Area II[/title] Cracklings Fried sweet potato chips [title type="h5"]Food for Thought Food Area II[/title] Shrimp remoulade poor boy Cajun chicken and tasso with Creole rice [title type="h5"]Galley Seafood Restaurant Food Area II[/title] Fried soft-shell crab poor boy Fried catfish filet poor boy [title type="h5"]Jamila's Café Food Area II[/title] Tagine of lamb (lamb stew with basmati rice), Merguez (grilled lamb sausage) Crawfish, spinach and zucchini bisque *Tunisian salad [title type="h5"]Kajun Kettle Foods Food Area II[/title] Crawfish Monica [title type="h5"]Legal Perks Food Area II[/title] Strawberry shortcake Key Lime Tart [title type="h5"]Mona's Café Food Area II[/title] Gyros sandwich Falafel sandwich Hummus with pita Tabouli with pita Greek garden salad [title type="h5"]Mrs. Wheat's Foods Food Area II[/title] Spicy Natchitoches meat pie Crawfish pie Broccoli and cheese pie [title type="h5"]New Orleans Coffee Company Food Area II[/title] Café au lait (hot, iced, or frozen) Black coffee (hot or iced) [title type="h5"]Praline Connection Food Area II[/title] Grilled chicken livers with pepper jelly Crowder peas and okra Collard greens Crispy wings Fried okra [title type="h5"]Prejean's, Lafayette Food Area II[/title] Pheasant, quail and andouille gumbo, Crab and crawfish stuffed mushrooms Crawfish enchilada [title type="h5"]Taqueria Corona Food Area II[/title] Fried fish taco Shrimp taco Chicken taco [title type="h5"]Wally Taillon, Gonzales Food Area II[/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 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 (New) Congo Square[/title] Sweet Potato Turnover Pecan Pie Sweet Potato Pie Banana Nut Bread [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 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 Heritage Square[/title] Crawfish bisque Creole filé gumbo Trout Baquet [title type="h5"]Café du Monde Heritage Square[/title] Beignets Café au lait (hot, iced, or frozen) Milk Chocolate milk [title type="h5"]Down Home Creole Cookin' Heritage Square[/title] BBQ pork ribs BBQ turkey wings Meaty white beans Cole slaw Peach cobbler [title type="h5"]La Divina Gelateria Heritage Square[/title] Old fashioned hand made ice cream sandwiches Locally made artisan gelato and sorbetto Creme brulee Chocolate Azteca [title type="h5"]Minnie Pearl Pies and Pastries Heritage Square[/title] Creole cream cheese cake with strawberries Lemon meringue pie [title type="h5"]Angelo's Bakery Around The Grounds[/title] Coconut macaroon Brownie with pecans Cream puffs Chocolate éclair [title type="h5"]Gallo & Marks Around The Grounds[/title] Strawberry smoothie Pineapple Coconut Smoothie Chocolate dipped strawberries [title type="h5"]Jumbo Peanut Company Around The Grounds[/title] Fresh roasted jumbo peanuts Glazed pecans [title type="h5"]Loretta's Authentic Pralines Around The Grounds[/title] Pralines: assorted flavors Praline pecan and sweet potato cookies Praline shoe soles Pecan crunch [title type="h5"]Lucky Dogs Around The Grounds[/title] Jumbo Lucky Dog [title type="h5"]Mr. Williams’ Pastries Around The Grounds[/title] Pies: Apple, Cherry, Coconut, Pecan, Sweet potato, Bean custard [title type="h5"]Plum St. Sno-balls Around The Grounds[/title] Sno-balls [title type="h5"]Roman Chewing Candy Around The Grounds[/title] Roman Chewing Candy Company [title type="h5"]Sunshine Concessions Around The Grounds[/title] Rosemint iced tea Mandarin orange iced tea Regular iced tea [title type="h5"]WWOZ Radio Around The Grounds[/title] Mango Freeze [title type="h5"]United Houma Nation, Golden Meadow Folklife Village[/title] Fry bread Smoked sausage macque choux Creamy shrimp macque choux Indian tacos [title type="h5"]J and M Seafood Grandstand[/title] Freshly shucked oysters on the half shell [title type="h5"]Joyce’s Lemonade Kid's Area[/title] Lemonade Fruit salad Grilled Cheese Sandwich Crispy rice treats Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich [title type="h5"]Miss Linda’s Catering Kid's Area[/title] Baked macaroni and cheese Huckabuck frozen cups Sloppy Jeaux Sandwich (new)