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Moveable feasts

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For most people, tailgating is a way to pass the time sipping cold beer, munching on grilled food and visiting with friends until the game begins—fun, but not worth too much effort.

But some people elevate tailgating to an art form. With patience, honed cooking skills and the right tools, these parking-lot gourmet chefs put on feasts of flavors sometimes more memorable than the game itself.

225 sent professional chef and food photographer David Gallent to look for tailgating gourmets at LSU and Southern.

PHOTO GALLERY
Moveable feasts

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This month, Gallent takes a glimpse at some of the men and women who think nothing of spending hundreds of dollars and countless hours assembling scrumptious meals right in LSU’s parking lots.

Gallent knows a little something about cooking good food. He received his formal training at the Culinary Institute of America and has worked in the food media business for several years. Today, he teaches classes on the art and science of gumbo cooking.

“Opening a box of frozen hamburgers and putting them on a grill—that’s getting by,” Gallent says. “Some of these guys have been out there since Friday night doing nothing but cooking and drinking and loving every minute of it. You look for people who are inspired by the environment, inspired by the love of the excitement and who are trying to create traditions for their little ones.”