Monday, April 11, 2011

Monday Munchies: French Quarter Fest Vittles

Today's post at Come In Character (one of my other blogs) was inspired by the 28th annual French Quarter Festival – one of the largest free music festivals in the American South and, frankly, my favorite festival in New Orleans. Besides the music – which entails hundreds of performances, from solo guitarists to lively zydeco bands – the festival also features a ton of awesome food (the purchase of which helps to fund the free event).

As usual, most of this year's vendors were local bars and restaurants – such as Pat O'Brien's, which served its classic hurricane; The Court of Two Sisters, which offered its traditional turtle soup; and Antoine's Restaurant, which prepared its famous baked Alaska dessert. So, despite the fact that the small, pricey items can add up quickly, sampling food at the fest is a great way to familiarize yourself with the city's local cuisine.

Although Dan and I weren't able to spend all four days at the fest, we did manage to venture outside a few times – and of course, we opted to sample a few dishes along the way. Perhaps our favorite was in Jackson Square: Jacques-Imo's delectable shrimp and alligator sausage cheesecake, a rich concoction that seems more like a casserole than a cheesecake. For a long time now, Dan had wanted to try this dish; when we were in Los Angeles not too long ago, he even attempted the recipe – and though his version came out pretty darn good, we didn't realize how close it was until we tried the cheesecake at the fest.

See, Dan? I told you that you got it right! (And he says I never listen to him!)

8 comments:

Becky said...

Mmmmm Haven't thought about turtle soup for a long time! The only place I've ever seen it on a menu (or eaten it) is in New Orleans. It sure is yummy! Never cared too much about the hurricanes (the drink OR the real thing LOL). I think their "rainbow" was my favorite drink ;-). It's been so many years though...

Laura Martone said...

Hi, Becky! Good to see you here. :-)

I've only eaten turtle soup (with sherry) once in my life, and while it was good, I must admit that I found it difficult to eat the little bits of turtle meat. Some critters are just too cute to eat. :-(

And, though I've tasted a hurricane, I've always been too nervous to drink an entire one by myself - being a lightweight and all. But what's a rainbow?

Becky said...

Hee heee... When I first tried it, I seriously didn't think that there was actual turtle in it. Then I was hooked. But yeah, I'm not sure about all of the environmental issues and all... Here's the rainbow: Rainbow
A colorful drink of Grenadine, Vodka, Blue Curaçao and Pat O’Brien’s ® Sweet & Sour Mix, layered to perfection! It's one of their "signature drinks"...only 1 or 2 shots, instead of what... 5?

Laura Martone said...

Thanks, Becky, for the drink recipe. Sounds yummy - AND lovely. I feel like heading over to Pat O's right now! Wish you could go with me. :-(

Marguerite said...

Hi Laura! Looks like the festival was a blast! Wish that I could have gone and I would have loved to try that cheesecake. Congrats on all of your guide books!

Laura Martone said...

Hi, Marguerite! It WAS a blast - sorry you couldn't head down for it. :-( But there's always next year.

Oh, and thanks for the congrats!

Daniel Martone said...

I thought it was going be cheesier than it ended up being... but it was still very tasty!

Laura Martone said...

I did, too, honey, but I still liked it. Wish I had some now, in fact. Yum!