Most of the U.S. has heard of Louisiana’s spicy, ruby red crawfish, tasty boiled shrimp and hearty crab-filled dishes. But Jan Gourley, founder and director of the Louisiana Food and Wine Festival, encourages local, regional and national attendees to bust out of their culinary comfort zones.
“(We’re) opening their eyes to boudin, cracklins, andouille and things that Louisiana is known for,” she says.
The Louisiana Food and Wine Festival aims to prove there’s good cookin’ to be found not only in New Orleans but statewide—and particularly in Acadiana, where the event is staged. Hosted at locations around Lake Charles, the festival Sept. 19-22 returns for its second year with formal six-course dinners, tastings, cooking classes, barbecues and more. Attendees should bring their appetite for three days of tasty events, plus an introductory dinner on Thursday.
“What I try to explain to people is that the Cajun and Creole culture that Louisiana has built its famous cuisine on truly lives in Acadiana and southwest Louisiana,” Gourley says. “(This festival) is more of an authentic Louisiana experience.”
Last year’s inaugural event lured attendees from every parish in Louisiana along with others from Texas, Alabama, Mississippi and even Canada, Gourley says.
“A lot of people had said, ‘It’s going to be a hit-or-miss thing,’” Gourley says. “‘People probably won’t get it because it’s the first year, and it’s a lot different from every other festival.’ But they did. … The objective of creating a culinary destination event, I believe, was achieved.”
Things kick off on Thursday, Sept. 19, with Louisiana’s Celebrity Chefs Wine Dinner. Held at L’Auberge Casino Resort Lake Charles, the meal will feature six courses prepared by acclaimed chefs. Each plate will be expertly paired with a wine.
The festival continues on Friday with master classes taught by celebrity chefs with themes like “The Perfect Wine & Oyster Pairings” and “Southern Inspired Smokey Seafood Mac & Cheese.” That evening, pitmasters will serve up grilled dishes for Fire on the Lake. The Grand Tasting event on Saturday and a lively Jazz Brunch on Sunday close it all out.
“(We hope to) introduce people to new things,” Gourley says. “Especially people that are not from Louisiana that have never heard about what maque choux is. Last year, we had a pitmaster that had an alligator on a spit.”
Louisiana Food & Wine Festival
Sept. 19-22
Locations vary | Lake Charles
louisianafoodandwinefestival.com
This article was originally published in the September 2024 issue of 225 Magazine.