LONG BEFORE Dr. John sang about “crawfish, jambalaya, red beans, and fine pralines” in “Goin’ Back to New Orleans,” food and music were always intertwined in this city. There is no better time to experience both than during the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, which is held every spring (April 25 to May 5 this year). The legendary event, now in its 54th year, draws people from around the world. But the name can be a bit misleading. Although there are dozens of jazz performances (plus blues, folk, zydeco, rap, country, bluegrass, and more), the week-and-a-half-long celebration is just as much about eating.
Forget the usual hot dogs and fries—many Jazz Fest dishes are restaurant worthy. Dine on crawfish strudel, duck and shrimp pasta, and catfish almondine, but save room for desserts like praline-stuffed beignets or strawberry shortcake. You’ll also find all the regional specialties like jambalaya, gumbo, étouffée, and muffulettas plus po’boys aplenty—including alligator sausage, fried soft-shell crab, Vietnamese meatball, and turducken. Many of these are available only at the festival, so grabbing a bite is as big a priority as catching your favorite musicians.
If that seems like an overwhelming feat, Alon Shaya, chef at local restaurants Saba and Miss River, can help. An admitted Jazz Fest fanatic, he has called the city home for 20 years and has been to the event at least that many times. Below, he pared down the multitude of options from more than 50 vendors to just a handful of recommendations that provide a delicious culinary road map for first-timers or seasoned attendees.
by LISA CERICOLA photograph by VICTOR PROTASIO
Miss River’s Louisiana Crawfish Rolls
If you can’t make it to Jazz Fest, try Shaya’s recipe, an homage to the crawfish-salad roll by Smitty’s Restaurant & Oyster Bar.
ACTIVE 10 MIN. TOTAL 10 MIN.
MAKES 4
Stir together 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 2 tsp. prepared horseradish, 2 tsp. Creole mustard, 1/2 tsp. grated lemon zest, 4 tsp. fresh lemon juice, 1/2 tsp. kosher salt, 1/2 tsp. Cajun seasoning, and 1/4 tsp. hot sauce in a medium bowl until smooth. Add 1 lb. cooked and peeled crawfish tails; stir to coat. Melt 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter in a large skillet over medium; add 4 top-split hot dog buns, and toast until golden on both sides, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Fill toasted buns with crawfish mixture; sprinkle evenly with 4 tsp. minced fresh chives. Serve with lemon wedges, if desired.
(1)“Prejean’s makes the best gumbo in the world—with pheasant, andouille, and quail—not too thick in texture, which I prefer, but full of meat and flavor. It doesn’t matter if it’s 100 degrees outside; you’ll want to cozy up to this hot bowl of deliciousness.”
(2) “Strawberry lemonade is the ideal cooldown. The cups are huge, and they squeeze the lemons fresh, which is something you don’t always see.”
(3) “Ms. Linda Green, the Yakamein Lady herself, cooks up the most tender fried pork chop sandwiches. My move is to do two mayonnaise packets, one on each side of the meat, and then add copious amounts of Crystal Hot Sauce. Eat around the bone.”
(4) “Crawfish Monica from Big River Foods is one of the most popular dishes here for a reason, featuring noodles cooked just right with a creamy seafood sauce on top. I get a bowl each time I come.”
(5) “Don’t sleep on the crawfish-salad rolls from Smitty’s Restaurant & Oyster Bar in the grandstand, which is a great place to catch some shade. The brioche buns are filled with a chilled crawfish salad to make a Cajun version of a lobster roll.”
FOOD STYLING: CHELSEA ZIMMER; PROP STYLING: SHELL ROYSTER
PORTRAIT: WERK CREATIVE; ILLUSTRATIONS: KENDYLL HILLEGAS
