From tasty, savory crawfish tails to dirty rice to spicy boudin, what would a Louisiana festival be without great local food? New Iberia is home to some fascinating foodways, including world famous Tabasco Sauce, produced nearby on Avery Island, pecans packaged at Cane River Pecan Company, and Louisiana Konriko Rice milled at local company, Conrad Rice Mill, the oldest operating rice mill in the country. Food is serious business here, and there are lots of chances to sink your teeth into the region’s flavorful fare during the Books Along the Teche Literary Festival.
Enjoy Cajun delicacies during the Jazz It Up opening night reception on the grounds of Shadows-on-the-Teche, a National Trust for Historic Preservation site located in New Iberia’s National Register Historic District. The outdoor cocktail party features Louisiana cuisine prepared by chefs Cody and Samantha Carroll, owners of Hot Tails Restaurant in New Roads and stars of the 2017 Food Network show Cajun Aces. The two met and fell in love while earning culinary arts degrees at the Louisiana Culinary Institute in Baton Rouge. Before the evening ends, raise your glass to the Bunk Johnson Brazz Band, then get in formation, because it’s time to learn to second line!
On Saturday, Cody and Samantha Carroll, crowned the King and Queen of Louisiana Seafood in 2013, return for the Louisiana Seafood Great Southern Chefs Food Demo. Seafood fans are in for a treat. The Carrolls are Louisiana natives who believe in using local bounty to craft delicious dishes.
Louisiana is the second largest seafood producer in the United States, harvesting and processing more than 850 million pounds of shrimp, crab, crawfish, and fish every year. In the open-air Steamboat Warehouse Pavilion on Main Street, the Carrolls will demonstrate helpful how-to’s when working with fresh seafood and prepare a dish you can make at home. Best of all, the event includes a tasting.
On Saturday evening, enjoy Cajun fare in a relaxed environment at the Boogie on Down Evening Party at the Steamboat Warehouse Pavilion. When you hear the accordion play, it’s time to try the Cajun two-step. But don’t worry if you’re a novice. Professional Cajun dancers will provide lessons beginning at 6 pm, followed by a delectable dinner of signature Cajun dishes. You’ll feel like a local as you dine on crawfish étouffée and gumbo while Terry Huval and the Jambalaya Cajun Band perform live.
As you explore historic downtown New Iberia on your own, there are plenty of culinary distractions to satisfy the taste buds. Enjoy food trucks, C’est Bon Manger and The Cacklin Hens, or follow Dave Robicheaux’s lead and try a meal at Victor’s Cafeteria—and take home some homemade crawfish pies while you’re at it. Pelicans on the Bayou, Bon Creole, Jane’s Seafood, and Preservation Bar and Grill, also downtown, are among the many spots that serve up authentic Cajun cuisine.
Sponsored by Iberia Travel
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