For many fans, it’s a toss up. Do they come to the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival for the 13 stages of music and deep dive into New Orleans arts and culture? Or is it he curated feast that reels them in — their pick of crawfish Monica, Vaucresson creole hot sausage po’ boys, trout Baquet, and quail and andouille gumbo? Now that’s a tough call.
The festival runs Thursday through Sunday, April 25 - 28 and May 2 - 5 at the New Orleans Fair Grounds Race Course, with the Rolling Stones closing out all stages on May 2. Several festival staples will be missing this year — the oyster bar in the Grandstand area remains MIA, and gone are the Creole stuffed breads from Lafayette restaurant Creole Lunch House. But overall, the festival’s famous food lineup is robust. Altogether, there will be more than 200 food items at Jazz Fest this year, from 60 vendors.
Start with the good news. Although Panorama Food owner John Ed Laborde took his gooey, crawfish-studded bread out of the running last year, it’s back for 2024. Bennachin, chef Fanta Tambajang’s West African restaurant on Royal Street, is also back after taking a year off; Jamila’s Cafe, from Moncef and Jamila Sbaa, is too.
Remember that the entire festival is cashless. Attendees can use cards, but also digital payment methods like Apple, Google, and Samsung Pay, and there will be cash exchange stations located throughout the grounds. Food costs, in turn, are higher than ever, so it’s important to choose wisely. Below are Eater’s picks for more than 40 items to eat and drink this year, both sweet and savory, and where on the grounds to find them.
For a full list of this year’s Jazz Fest food vendors, see here.
Bennachin: Jama jama (sauteed spinach), plantains and poulet fricassee (chicken on a stick)
Gambian Foods: Dibbi (grilled steak on pita), spicy grilled tofu
Marie’s Sugar Dumplings: Sweet potato pie
Palmer’s Jamaican Cuisine: Curry chicken patty
Strawberry lemonade
Catering Unlimited: fried chicken
Clesi’s: Boiled crawfish
CCI Catering: Duck and shrimp pasta
DiMartino’s Famous Muffulettas: Muffuletta
Love at First Bite/Walker’s: Cochon de lait po’ boy
Ms. Linda’s Catering: Yak-a-mein; Huckabuck frozen cup
Papa Ninety Catering: Shrimp and lump crab ravigote
Patton’s Caterers: Crawfish sack, oyster patties, and shrimp beignet plate
Smoke Street Catering: BBQ jackfruit sandwich
Stuf Hapn Event Catering: Creole stuffed crab
TCA Brocato: Buffaleaux oysters
Ten Talents Catering: Spinach and artichoke casserole
Vaucresson Sausage Co.: Hot sausage po’ boy
Vucinovich’s Restaurant: Fried oyster spinach salad
WWOZ Community Radio: Mango freeze
Ajun Cajun: Yakiniku (garlic ribeye) po’ boy
Big River Foods: Crawfish Monica
Caluda’s Cottage Catering: Crawfish strudel; white chocolate bread pudding
Carmo: Grilled gulf shrimp or fish taco
Fritai: Haitian crab macaroni au gratin
Galley Seafood Restaurant: Soft shell crab po’ boy
Jamila’s Cafe: Lamb tagine
Loretta’s Authentic Pralines: Crab beignet
Mrs. Wheat’s Pies: Spicy meat pie
Prejean’s Restaurant: Crawfish enchilada
TJ Gourmet: Cajun chicken and tasso with Creole rice
Wally Taillon: Jambalaya
Ba Mien Vietnamese Cuisine: Banh mi xiu mai (Vietnamese meatball po’ boy)
Baquet’s Li’l Dizzy’s Café: Trout Baquet; crawfish bisque
Café du Monde: Frozen cafe au lait
Down Home Creole Cookin’: Meaty white beans; peach cobbler
Carmo & WASKA Nola at the Cultural Exchange Village: Empanada de pollo y papa (chicken and potato), ceviche de camaron
Francofonte Catering: Chocolate Azteca gelato, ice cream sandwich
Jumbo Peanut Company: Glazed pecans
Mr. Williams’ Pastries: Cherry pie; sweet potato pie
Roman Chewing Candy Company: Roman candy
Sunshine Concessions: Rose-mint tea
2023-04-28T15:00:59Z dg43tfdfdgfd