A month before New Orleans would host the disastrous 1984 World Fair, the first French Quarter Fest debuted in the bloodline of the city. But it wasn’t like the celebration locals and travelers know now.
Starting at the corner of Chartres and Bienville streets, a jazz parade treaded to Jackson Square, where patrons gathered for an outdoor brunch. About 900 runners charged down Bourbon Street during a 5-kilometer race, and contestants competed in a flashdance contest. Over the Mississippi River, fireworks erupted in the night sky, marking the end of the first ever French Quarter Festival in April of 1984.
Now, 40 years later, the free celebration is one of Louisiana’s largest annual events. And its culinary scene — with food vendor tents scattered across Jackson Square and the riverfront — has rapidly grown as well.
Ivan Gordon, a member of the New Orleans Break Dancers, does a spinning headstand during a dance contest at the 1984 French Quarter Festival.
Times-Picayune archives
On a sunny Thursday afternoon, hundreds of patrons flooded into the French Quarter to celebrate New Orleans culture while carrying paper food trays and colorful drinks. Over 70 vendors — from Vietnamese and Ethiopian to Cajun and Creole restaurants — were cooking underneath the shade of their white tents.
Choosing which booths to visit can be overwhelming for both locals who attend every year and newcomers. After scanning a myriad of menus, you may resort to sitting on a bench with an empty stomach instead.
Here’s a list of French Quarter Fest dishes, ranging from savory to sweet, that are worth a try.
Shrimp and alligator sausage cheesecake
Shrimp and alligator sausage cheesesake made by Jacques-Imo’s at French Quarter Fest.
Poet Wolfe
A lively restaurant that opened in 1996, Jacques-Imo’s is known for cranking out hearty Southern fare. Its shrimp and alligator sausage cheesecake, encased in a thick golden crust, is especially unforgettable.
The popular dish has been compared to a quiche by those who have tried it. But its flavor profile is far more complex than that of a savory French tart. Draped in a mustard tarte sauce and garnished with parsley, the dish features a cream cheese filling that is notably smooth and custard-like.
Jacques-Imo’s tent is located in Jackson Square, where they also sell shrimp and grits, “dirty” macaroni and cheese, and chicken and andouille gumbo. The cheesecake is $9.
Bread pudding with whiskey sauce
Bourbon Street restaurant Desire Oyster Bar set up a tent on the riverfront to serve up fries topped with crawfish étouffée, alligator bites stacked on a stick and a famous Louisiana-style dessert.
Served on a paper tray, the $10 bread pudding is heavy enough to make your arm drop at first touch.
Though it is billed as an old-fashioned frugal dessert, this particular version will make you think otherwise. The warm bread infused with cinnamon are drenched in a dense, light brown whiskey sauce.
It’s a tour de force of New Orleans flavors, including deep-running local traditions and more that show how the city cooks and eats today.
Combo platter
The booth for Patton’s Caterers in Jackson Square is often engulfed by crowds wanting to get their hands on the esteemed combo platter — featuring a crawfish sack, an oyster patty and three shrimp beignets.
Sitting atop a cream sauce, the crawfish sack is a deep-fried miniature bag tied together with a delicate strand of leek and filled with a crawfish mixture. The oyster patty is golden brown and flaky, resembling a biscuit. And next to it are three pillowy shrimp beignets in a white remoulade.
If you’re searching for the classics at French Quarter Fest, look no further than the $21 combo plate.
Mango freeze
The mango freeze offered by WWOZ, New Orleans-own radio station, has become a mainstay at New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival and French Quarter Fest alike.
It was created by an employee at Bayona, a restaurant in the French Quarter, who offered to make a frozen treat that WWOZ could sell to raise money at the Fair Grounds. Now, over 375 gallons of the mango freeze are produced each day of Jazz Fest.
The frozen dessert is like a smooth sorbet, but with a fresher taste that simulates biting into a mango rather than a pile of cold sugar. At French Quarter Fest, it is sold for $7 on the riverfront.
Mango freeze is a classic sweet treat at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival.
Advocate staff photo by Ian McNulty
BBQ shrimp and pepper jack cheese po-boy
Restaurant R’evolution, an upscale French Quarter eatery that specializes in Creole and Cajun fare, is serving up a New Orleans classic on French bread.
The po-boy is stuffed with barbeque shrimp — a Worcestershire sauce and butter-fueled delicacy — and tomatoes, shredded lettuce, pepper jack cheese and pickles. Rather than a deep-fried coating, the tender shrimp are covered in a thin layer of the buttery, brown sauce.
The restaurant sells the sandwich for $9 at the riverfront.
Blueberry mint iced tea
A long line of customers craving a caffeine fix waited in front of the drinks stand in Jackson Square.
Some ordered Luzianne’s fresh brewed iced tea, while others opted for cold brew iced coffee with praline flavoring made by French Market.