Jazz Fest Feast

Some people see Jazz Fest as this:

Image courtesy of Ian Hoch/NOLA Defender.

When I think of Jazz Fest, I envision this:

Cochon de Lait Po-Boy from Love at First Bite.

While most Jazz Festers will be parked 100 yards from the Acura Stage listening to the Beach Boys or dancing in front of Congo Square to Cee Lo Green this weekend, I will likely be engaging in an internal debate as to whether I should go for that second cochon de lait po-boy from Love at First Bite. (And I must say that I had a taste of this pork perfection two weeks ago at French Quarter Fest, and it was best that I have eaten in the last 5 years.)

But as discussed in our article on feasting your way through Jazz Fest, doubling up on your favorite Jazz Fest foods may prevent you from enjoying the bounty from the Fair Grounds. So much to eat, so little stomach space to spare. You can read up on our tips for a multi-course Jazz Fest meal by clicking on the above link or by picking up a copy of OffBeat Magazine's Jazz Fest Bible on your way into the festival.

The food at Jazz Fest has been written about ad nauseum, so we will spare you from another Top 10 list. Instead, we want to know what you think are the most underrated and the most overrated eats at the Fest.

I'll start:

Most Underrated - Fatty's Cracklins
Most Overrated - Crawfish Enchiladas

Jazz Fest Grub

Jazz Fest has finally arrived and with it our annual cravings for those festival treats we usually only enjoy on the infield of the Fairgrounds with a lukewarm Miller Lite to wash it all down. Rene has opined before on how the setting vastly improves our opinion of the food at Jazz Fest, but we both agree that there are certain dishes which cannot be passed up. With so many options to choose from, you could eat all day long and still leave wanting to try more. Here are a couple of my favorites.



I must admit that the chicken fricasse never crossed my radar until a few years back, but now the Bennachin booth in Congo Square is one of my first stops upon arrival.  The combo plate with jama-jama and plantains is a feast that can last you through the entire day if necessary.

When the cochon de lait po-boy from Walker's (a/k/a Love at First Bite) is freshly made, there may be no better sandwich on the planet. However, last year those crazy kids over at St. James Cheese Company taught me a trick that takes this Jazz Fest staple to another universe - adding Fatty's Cracklins ON TOP of the cochon de lait po-boy. This must be what heaven tastes like.

Throw in a crawfish sack and softshell crab po-boy, and I'm almost ready for my mango freeze for dessert.

Crescent City Blues and BBQ Festival

This Saturday and Sunday at Lafayette Square. Nothing but sunshine, live music, and all the Abita beer you can drink at the Crescent City Blues and BBQ Festival. And of course, plenty of food, including both BBQ and other grilled meats for you to sample from.

But if you're anything like me, there is only one festival food which you crave above all others:

Cochon de Lait Po-Boy from Love at First Bite, a/k/a Walker's Southern Style BBQ. Awww, yeah.

Have a great weekend.

Who Says NOLA Is Not a BBQ Town?

Don't you dare tell that to the fine folks at Walker's. If you think that their cochon de lait po-boys at Jazz Fest are to die for, then just wait till you sink your teeth into one of their ribs. I lived in Austin for four years and sampled BBQ from Llano to Lockhart, but I can honestly say that Walker's can mess with Texas if it wanted to.

Stop, salivate, and then read our review in this month's issue of offBEAT. I would cross oceans just to gnaw on one of those rib bones. A trip out to New Orleans East is nothing.

Walker's Southern Style BBQ - Double Eagle