When asking around Tulane’s campus about what everyone was most excited for at New Orleans Jazz Fest, some mentioned Stevie Nicks, Tyler Childers, or The Eagles. But before those iconic names came up, many immediately cited the infamous Crawfish Monica and Praline Beignets.
More than most music festivals, the food at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival is a defining part of the experience. Jazz Fest simply wouldn’t be Jazz Fest without its insane, sprawling menu of local and state food vendors serving their mouthwatering dishes. This year, over 60 vendors are selling over 200 dishes, meaning there is truly something for everyone. The food is so undeniably good that, according to unconfirmed reports, even Lorde stopped between songs during her set to shout out the dishes she wants to try.
Somehow, each establishment manages to reinvent their restaurant-ready food to be executed flawlessly in the outdoor heat, served on disposable plates for effective eating on the go. Before weekend two kicks off, here is a breakdown of the best eats from weekend one to give you serious FOMO if you aren’t attending, or a hit list if you are.
If you are heading to the Fairgrounds for the second weekend, my biggest piece of advice is to treat the food trends like a team sport. Rally your group– have some hold down a spot in the grass by the stage while some divide and conquer the food lines. That way, you get to taste a bit of everything without wasting too much time. Pace yourself and keep a daiquiri or Mango Freeze in mind to beat the midday heat. Ultimately, half of the magic of this festival is putting down your phone, grabbing a perfect po-boy with both hands, and soaking in the best of what this incredible city has to offer.
Loretta’s Authentic Pralines: Stuffed Lump Crab Meat Beignet
This was hands-down my and my friends favorite dish of the weekend. Loretta’s is known for their sweet treats, but their crab-stuffed beignets are on another level of insane. It was simple and not overly fishy, allowing the lump crab to shine. The juxtaposition of the slightly sweet, doughy beignet with the savory, rich crab is delicious. And the spicy sauce drizzled on top made it a unique flavor profile that you simply can’t find anywhere else. Since moving to New Orleans, my friends and I have been huge beignet fans, but this was our first time trying a savory version, and we unanimously agreed that it was better.
Big River Foods: Crawfish Monica
A definitive fan favorite that has a line at all hours of the festival. They serve a big bowl of rotini pasta coated in a rich sauce full of crawfish tails and Cajun spices. Honestly, categorizing this as “crawfish mac and cheese” is a major disservice to the dish. At its core, yes it hits those same comforting, cheesy notes, but it is the most insanely elevated, perfectly seasoned version of that basic kid’s dish you will ever eat.
Patton’s: Crawfish Sack
You can’t walk around the Fairgrounds without seeing someone carrying one of these distinctive looking sacks. It is essentially a tiny, crispy bundle that is tied at the top with a ribbon made of green onion. Inside, it is stuffed with a rich, heavily seasoned crawfish tail mixture. It’s perfectly designed for eating while walking. “It’s so good, almost like a Creole dumpling,” Ashley, one of my roommates commented as she took her first bite. These sacks apparently also have quite the following, the man standing behind us in line shared that he has come back to get these specifically every year for the past 15 years.
Mona Café: Falafel Sandwich
On day two, we hit a wall of deep-fried fatigue, and this place came to the rescue. The falafel sandwich was a surprisingly tasty vegetarian break from traditional fare. It is served wrapped in warm pita that is easy to eat on the go. The falafel was crispy on the outside and bright green and soft inside. It rests on a bed of hummus and is drizzled with tahini to cut through the crunch of the falafel.
Vucinovich’s Restaurant: Fried Oyster Po-Boy
You can’t do a New Orleans festival without a po-boy and this was Skylar’s pick for our group. The oysters are fried to order so they are hot and crispy when they hit the bread and are seasoned in a batter that delivers crunch and flavor. The oysters are then stuffed into French bread and dressed with lettuce, tomato, pickles, and mayo. It’s a massive, hearty sandwich that captures the essence of classic Creole seafood.
WWOZ: Mango Freeze
This has to be the ultimate festival cooldown treat. In the blistering heat of day one, my roommate, Ariel, and I could not fathom eating the heavy, hot food the rest of our friends were trying. Instead, we opted for the most refreshing thing we could find on the Fairgrounds: the iconic Mango Freeze. It is a wildly tasty, perfectly frozen dessert that cooled us down instantly, but also works as a palate cleanser between bites of all the other savory dishes you’ll be eating all day.
Joyce’s Lemonade: Grilled Cheese & Peanut Butter and Jelly
After a long day of indulging in heavy seafood, sometimes all you crave is a simple, nostalgic reset. Or, if you are my friends Sydney and Zoe, these classics are the main event. Joyce’s is the unsung hero of the festival for dishing out flawless versions of childhood staples: warm, gooey grilled cheese and classic PB&J sandwiches. It provides the ultimate comfort food break, and the grilled cheese I tried was genuinely a 10/10.