10 Dishes You Need to Try at Festivals Acadiens et Creoles
(KMDL-FM) We've reached October, when we all get to be Cajun, Creole, or some combination of both, as we unite as one family for the world's largest celebration of what makes South Louisiana South Louisiana. We call it Festivals Acadiens et Creoles.
The festival is up and running, and you still have today and tomorrow (Saturday and Sunday) to experience "hundreds of Cajun and Creole voices forming a lively chorus across six stages and tents in Lafayette's Girard Park". I borrowed that descriptive language from the Festival Website. They said it better than I ever could.
Festivals Acadiens has an "s" on the end because this gathering of the good people of Louisiana isn't just one festival; it's several festivals going on at once. There is, of course, music; there are arts and crafts, and for a lot of us it's about the food.
The food is where we want to focus our attention. I can't sing, I can't dance, and even my mom thought my arts and crafts projects from school were ugly, but I can eat. So what should we- I mean, you- expect to find on the menu at Festivals Acadiens?
How Much Does it Cost to Eat at Festivals Acadiens et Creoles?
We crunched some numbers ahead of crunching cracklins and came up with this rough guide to budgeting for food. If you're planning on just a couple of snacks, you're going to spend about $10-$18, depending on your choices.
If you're looking for an entree and a dessert, we calculated an average spend of about $15-$25. If you're looking for two savory dishes and maybe a sweet finish with a dessert or sweet treat, you'll need to plan to spend between $25 and $35.
READ MORE: The (Almost) Complete Guide to Dining in Acadiana
And finally, this is actually all of us; the cost of "grazing" at Festivals Acadiens is between $35 and $50. By "grazing," I mean sampling several dishes with a friend, and since most of us attend the festival with a buddy, spouse, partner, or person who lets us park in their yard, that's about how much money you can expect to spend.
What Are the 10 Must-Try Fan Favorite Foods at Festivals Acadiens et Creoles?
If I could only try one item, I would try the Crawfish Spinach Boat that is offered by Bon Creole Seafood. The cost is $14 according to the festival concessions list. It's exactly what you think it is. But then again, I could be talked into trying the Seafood Nachos also on offer from Bon Creole Seafood. That's a $13 ticket, and the dish is quite shareable. Learn more about Bon Creole Seafood here.
Okay, so that's two of the ten you should try. Moving on now. From Poupart Bakery, an item that always fills up the suggestion box is the Crawfish Pistolettes. They cost $8 and are a wonderful handheld meal of the moment. A lot of previous festival attendees put this at the top of the list. Also from Poupart's is the Shrimp Étouffée in Puff Pastry- yeah, that's served at Festivals Acadiens, and it might sound highfalutin', but it's down-home good. The cost is $8. If you'd like to know more about Poupart's, here's a link.
One of the criteria for festival food to be really good is that it must be portable. Boudin Egg Rolls are portable and good. The folks at Dardar's Black Pot Catering make some really good ones; they serve them with a Cajun-Asian flair. The sweet chili sauce is what kicks it over the edge. The cost of Boudin Egg Rolls: an order of three is $10. Learn more about Dardar's Black Pot Catering here.
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Staying with boudin, how does a Hot Boudin Melt sandwich sound? Five Mile Eatery makes that and sells it for $10. It's portable, it's gooey, and it's boudin-a-riffic. I will also toss in the Boudin Pizza from Rochetto's Pizzeria here. We all love pizza, but pizza with boudin- that's crazy. Okay, that's crazy good. The cost is $10 and might be a great way to ease an out-of-towner into trying boudin. For more on Five Mile Eatery, here's a link. For more on Rochetto's, click here.
If you're a texture kind of eater, in other words, you like a unique mouthfeel with your food, then I would suggest the Fried Fish with Seafood Étouffée from Fezzo's. There is something magical about the crisp coating of the battered fish and the way it melts into a loving relationship with the Étouffée. I don't know how Fezzo's does it, but they're doing that for just $10. You can learn more about Fezzo's here.
Do They Have Desserts and Sweets At Festivals Acadiens et Creoles?
They say there are no stupid questions. "They" are wrong. Yes, we have a myriad of sweet treats, pies, cakes, puddings, what-the-hell-is-that, and a bunch of other incredible dishes that will make you shout "DI BEET US"; it's what Wilford Brimley would want.
Magnolia Pantry has had my attention for dessert ever since I saw this on the Festivals Acadiens Website. The Brown Butter Pecan Pie- yes, you will want to try it, and no, you probably won't want to share it. It's that good. The nutty flavor of the brown butter enhances the magic that makes this pie so special. You'll pay $6 for a slice; you'll buy more than one. For more on Magnolia Pantry, you can click here.
And for my final suggestion of the 10 Dishes you need to try at Festivals Acadiens et Creoles, I am offering the humble Snowball. Okay, it's not so humble when it's served in South Louisiana, and there is nothing humble about the Snowballs that Frenchy's Snowballs sells for just $5. They are cool, flavorful, refreshing, and they will take the edge off any spicy foods and help clear the dust from your throat.
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Gallery Credit: Bruce Mikells