Hosting New Orleans’ Jazz Fest

May 07, 2013

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Category:A-Game, Food, Music

By now you may know that I’ve covered A LOT of music festivals (see previous post Music Festival Femme Fatale) so I know the best of the fests, and New Orleans Jazz Fest is one of them. Being that NOLA is the birthplace of jazz, its musical heritage and legacy is unparalleled, and this festival celebrates just that. Everything from jazz to Afro-Caribbean to zydeco can be heard, and everything from alligator po’boys to crawfish Monica to andouille jambalaya can be eaten…and you know I visited all 70 food booths…let’s just say by the end I had to be rolled on outta the New Orleans Fair Grounds.

I hosted the televised broadcast of the festival conducting interviews and giving background on a plethora of performers. Fleetwood Mac, The Black Keys, and Trombone Shorty were my personal favorites. Bread pudding is also my personal favorite which is why I just had to consume it at every meal.

: Feeling festive on Cinco De Mayo at Jazz Fest #TequilaAndTurtleSoup

: With The Grammy Museum’s Executive Director, music expert Bob Santelli

: Beaming that Hall & Oates are about to take the stage

: Bob Santelli and I interviewing New Orleans’ most recent royalty, Trombone Shorty

: With Trombone Shorty, the man who single-handedly made the trombone of rockstar status #BornToHorn

The New Orleans dessert game is in a league of its own…and so is my appetite for Southern sweets.

: The Double Chocolate Bread Pudding (a rich dark and semisweet chocolate bread pudding with white and dark chocolate ganache and chocolate almond bark) at Red Fish Grill is the best I’ve ever had. Ever.

: Brendan’s Bread Pudding (with vanilla bean icecream and hot buttered pecan sauce) at Chef John Besh’ Lüke Restaurant

: White Chocolate Bread Pudding (The original- White Chocolate baked inside bread pudding, smothered with a warm white chocolate ganache) at the Palace Cafe is a dense dish of deliciousness

: Coconut Custard Bread Pudding (Coconut milk and moist flaked coconut lightly flavor this rich custard base bread pudding, drenched in a hazlenut and coco cream anglaise and sprinkled with toasted almonds) at Deanie’s was a lovely layered love-fest

: As if the bread pudding at Deanie’s weren’t enough, I also ordered The Gold Brick Sundae: “Three scoops of Haagen-Dazs ice cream covered in Elmer’s gold brick chocolate and placed on top of our rich, made from scratch brownie, garnished with whipped cream and cherries. This one is made to share.” Share? I did no such thing.

: PJ’s Coffee is my MUST java joint in NOLA. They’ve been brewing cold-drip iced coffee for 30 years and offer unique N’awlins flavors like English Toffee and Southern Pecan

Thank you New Orleans. You are one of my favorite cities on the planet, but now I’m heading from New Orleans to New York where I need to begin a detox. I think taking a bite of the big apple is a great start. Sorry, I just couldn’t resist the pun; clearly willpower is not my strong suit 😉