Unless one is willing to confess a genuine passion for the foodways and history of the city – sign up for a walking tour, or book a hands-on cooking class – what’s on offer concerns merely a noisy introduction. The French Quarter’s raucous kaleidoscope is just the tip of the tourism iceberg: wander a few blocks off the main drag and you’ll glimpse the architectural treasures and indomitable locals far away from the madding crowd in loud, garish Bourbon Street. Here is the New Orleans that stubbornly persists off the tourist book’s recommended itinerary, home to stories, kitchens and dining rooms.
Food Tours in the French Quarter
Culture seekers of the culinary persuasion, wanting to delve into the local foodways of New Orleans can do no better than sign up for a walking food tour of the French Quarter. These tours are a wonderful way to enjoy icons of the delicious Cajun foodways scene – gumbo, jambalaya and beignets to name a few – while a guide shares stories about how the foods came about and the cultures that have shaped them.
With each stop, not only will you feast on some of the city’s best eats, you’ll also become immersed in the history of Creole cuisine. It’s a meal worth every dime.
Must-Try Dishes and Restaurants
Prepared to let New Orleans fill your mouth? Begin at Café du Monde in the French Quarter, with those addictive little fried doughnuts, called beignets, covered in powdered sugar.
Go to the Garden District for Creole food at Commander’s Palace (order the turtle soup and pecan-crusted gulf fish), or go to the Warehouse District for GW Fins, which features a varying menu according to the daily catch.
For a more relaxed environment, head to Parkway Bakery and Tavern in Mid-City for a po’boy sandwich (get the fried shrimp or roast beef with gravy). All these places are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to New Orleans.
Cooking Classes With Local Chefs
Ever wonder what makes gumbo so good? A hands-on cooking class with a local chef will instruct visitors on the basics – how to make gumbo roux, for example, or how to create a light-as-air beignet or muffaletta.
Oh, and the best bit? You get to eat what you’ve cooked, and the recipes go home with you so you can recreate them at home. These classes will improve your confidence in the kitchen and take your cooking to the next level, whatever your ability.
Festivals Celebrating New Orleans Cuisine
The best way to come to grips with the culture of New Orleans is to attend the city’s food festivals – of which there are many. The New Orleans Wine Experience, held each June, is a gastronomic extravaganza where some of the city’s leading chefs cook dinners that pair with an array of global wines.
Seafood buffs shouldn’t miss the Louisiana Seafood Festival, with its lavish seafood buffets featuring crawfish boils, shrimp po’boys, gumbo and more, plus live music and entertainment. And, of course, the legendary Beignet Festival is a must if you have a sweet tooth.
These festivals are not just about food, but are celebrations of New Orleans’ cultural history. Bon appétit, y’all.
Tada! New Orleans is sensory overload; there is no better way to experience it – the food, the history, the culture – than to gorge yourself on it. Ready to roll? Your belly will thank you. 🍽️🎉
