There are some passionate foodies out there who will argue to the last, lingering morsel that New Orleans is the epicurean epicenter of the country. The 20th anniversary of the New Orleans Wine & Food Experience won’t do anything to hurt their case.
Be you a seasoned gastronome, or just a guy who likes to eat well, May 22 through 26 needs to punched into your iPhone.
The festival is dedicated to showcasing local cuisine and the chefs who concoct it – chefs such as August’s John Besh, Galatoire’s Michael Sichel and K-Paul’s Paul Miller. It’s also a potent platform for some of the world’s best wines, the better to wash down all those extraordinary eats.
International wine and food experts from across the globe will descend on Louis Armstrong New Orleans International to smell and taste it all. But the great thing is, you’re invited too. A slew of local hotels are offering great NOWFE packages – food, drink, and accommodations for one price.
There’s nothing wrong with great food and a little bit of revelry. They really do render the world a little bit more civil, and help put things in proper perspective. But the folks who run NOWFE know that their city’s been battered in recent years. Katrina took a terrible toll, shedding a hot, white light on the other New Orleans – a tough town hard-hit by poverty and privation. In an effort to fight hunger, and support culinary education at the same time, 2012 beneficiaries will share 100 percent of the proceeds from the New Orleans Food & Wine Experience. Second Harvest Food Bank of Greater New Orleans and Acadiana get 40 percent, and a number of culinary educational organizations the remaining 60 percent.
That sort of approach to good food and good times helps you leave town with a sweet taste in your mouth.
Story by Jerry Chandler
(Image: New Orleans Wine & Food Experience)
