Top Ten Tastes of Jazz Fest at Fair Grounds

Trout Baquet is a favorite dish at New Orleans' Jazz Fest at Fair Grounds. (Photos courtesy Geoff Worden)
Imagine if a historic stadium like Lambeau or Wrigley hosted a seven-day event that allowed stages, people, food stands, etc. to blanket the field of play and the attendance figures eclipsed those for the teams that play there ... by a lot. Now imagine that a good number of people at that special festival have no idea they are in a football or baseball stadium. Welcome to Jazz Fest at Fair Grounds!
Nearly a half million people will pour through the gates and soak up seven days of music, food and culture. The crowd on the biggest horse racing day at the storied Fair Grounds doesnʼt even begin to compete with a single day of Jazz Fest. That might be good news, since, to accommodate all those people, you would be unable to hold a race, on the dirt or the turf. Porta-potties are set up around the dirt track. Stages sit for weeks in the turf course. People dance, walk, sit and lie all over the place. Even the paddock becomes a music stage (with great sound, by the way). The sprawl can be very overwhelming for first time attendees.
THE SIGHT AT FAIR GROUNDS

I personally know of no other race track that draws a bigger crowd, and is more famous, for events after the meet. Even the neighborhood identifies with the music. Perhaps itʼs fitting, since New Orleans does things a little differently. Here is a quick rundown of my top ten foods for the festival (by Food Area):
Food Area I:
Boudin Balls - This Louisiana treat is made from pork, liver, spices and rice. Traditionally served as a link in a sausage casing, these delights have been rolled into balls and deep-fried. Fantastic, and not something you find in other parts of the country.
Cochon de Lait Po-Boy - Love at First Bite is the appropriately-named purveyor of this addictive sandwich. Literally ʻpig in milk,ʼ this is suckling pig, slow roasted so it has great flavor and is oh so tender, topped with a cabbage slaw (with some Creole mustard in the mix). My daughterʼs day at Jazz Fest is not complete until we devour at least one of these.
Guilʼs Gator with Fried Jalapeños and Onions - This is a great dish for sharing. Fried alligator chunks with lightly breaded onions and jalapeños. Nothing fancy but is it delicious and, again, something you donʼt find everywhere.
Crawfish Sack, Oyster Patties, Crawfish Beignets - Bravo to Pattonʼs Caterers, each dish is worthy of being a fine dining appetizer. Itʼs no surprise that on the festival website, these are the only food items with a picture. The first is a little dough sack containing crawfish and a creamy (not too heavy) sauce. The beignets are denser than the kind at Café du Monde and drizzled with remoulade sauce instead of sugar. The oyster patty is a flaky, layered biscuit with oysters and a sauce I wish they would bottle. Expect a line, wait anyway ... get the combo!
Food Area II:
Spicy Natchitoches Meat Pie - Pronounced, more or less, nack-eh-tish, this is a region in Louisiana famous for meat pies. Mrs. Wheatʼs Foods puts out a fantastic version - best Iʼve had anywhere - and I have started every day at Jazz Fest for more than 20 years with one of these.
MEAT PIE

Pheasant, Quail and Andouille Gumbo - From Prejeanʼs in Lafayette, this gumbo is the darkest, richest, most satisfying I have ever found. The andouille (smoked sausage) lends a bass note to the dish and the pheasant and quail make you feel like youʼre indulging your wild side. I canʼt resist a bowl of this steaming goodness even when it’s sunny and 90 degrees.
Cracklins - The aptly named Fattyʼs Cracklins brings this greasy, crunchy bag of heaven to the Fair Grounds. Essentially fried pig fat, these are really good and bear zero resemblance to those air-puffed atrocities you find in convenience stores. If you can find them hot and fresh, so much the better but either way these are great with a beer. If you donʼt mind grease stains, the bag fits nicely in a pocket for later cravings.
CRACKLIN

Crawfish, Spinach & Zucchini Bisque - The ingredients say it all for me and the sublime magic of this soup is hard to convey with words. Itʼs delicious and one of my favorites I can easily get year-round. Jamilaʼs Café serves this at Jazz Fest and also on Maple Street. by the Universities, along with a full menu of Tunisian dishes.
Crawfish Monica - I fell out of love with this for a while but it sucked me back in a few years ago when a friend offered a taste. Crawfish, cream, a little spice and the brilliant, sauce-holding choice of Fusilli pasta. Enough said.
Heritage Square:
Trout Baquet - A great item that makes me feel like Iʼm eating at a white-tablecloth restaurant with a proper plate and silverware instead of a festival, styrofoam and plastic. A generous helping of crabmeat adds to the allure. You can also get this at Baquetʼs Liʼl Dizzyʼs Café on Esplanade Avenue, straight toward the river from Fair Grounds.
Here is a lagniappe item (a local term for a little something extra, like a bakerʼs dozen). There is little better on a hot day than the Mango Freeze from WWOZ. This local community radio station beams all sorts of magical New Orleans music around the city - and beyond, thanks to internet streaming. They do a good thing for your ears and, for a few days a year, your mouth as well. There are a few stands scattered around the grounds. Donʼt miss it.
By no means is this a complete tour, there are plenty of other choices that will make your mouth happy. Explore and experiment.
I would love to see more of the trackʼs primary purpose displayed during Jazz Fest. Maybe it would inspire a child to ride a stick pony recreating a stretch run from a race seen earlier, as I would imagine any football or baseball fan would do if allowed access to those fields. Take a minute while youʼre festing (and feasting!) to remember youʼre walking where horses would normally give it their all. Maybe stage a little race, if you can find the room. For now, conjuring up images of races in my head will have to suffice. Laissez les bon temps rouler (let the good times roll)!