Soul food isn’t just about the ingredients and the recipe. It’s about a story. It’s about heart, about how that dish touched the cook’s life or how it was passed down. So, naturally, a soul food festival should be full of stories. We braved the heat on Sunday, May 20, to taste a few dishes and get the story behind the food from the vendors at Baton Rouge’s first-ever Soul Food Fest. Here’s what they had to say.
The Big Cheezy
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Known in New Orleans for specialty grilled cheese sandwiches and mac and cheese, The Big Cheezy made its entrance into the Baton Rouge market in February with a food truck in Tigerland. Cheezy partner Jason Harbison says he was almost a lawyer—even made it through law school—before he decided he’d be much happier joining his college roommate’s cheese-focused venture. In law, it takes months and months to make a client happy, he says, but with The Big Cheezy, it only takes a few minutes to make someone’s day. This four-cheese crawfish mac served up in a toasty bread cone took home the prize for best dish at the fest.
AKLI Design & Company
Founder Jasmin Helire started out doing signs and screenprinting with her own brand, but about a year ago, she had the idea to learn to make velvety, tart Italian ice. With the help of her family, the Italian ice side of her business has taken off, and in addition to festivals and events, she pops up at schools to serve ice to kids and at charity events to give a little back the sweetest way she knows how.
Oh Yea!
This newly launched food truck out of New Orleans has been busy popping up all over southern Louisiana, and head cook Merlin Benefelb lives up to the magic of his name with his dishes. His tried-and-true recipe for red beans and rice is passed down from his step-father, and he’s been making it as long as he’s been cooking—and cooking as long as he can remember. He’s out here to put a smile on people’s faces as much as fill their stomachs.
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Little Corn House
After recovering from a heart attack, Dick Steele decided he wanted to do whatever he wanted to do with the rest of his life. He tore out the sides of an old camping trailer and converted it into a massive mobile corn roaster, where he grills whole ears of sweet corn. He guarantees his corn—he personally calls around to find out what farms have the best crops, no matter where in the country they may be, and orders thousands of ears. Based out of Plaquemine, his trailer rolls to festivals all over the state.