Du Jour: Roadfood Festival kicks off

America’s byways are full of inspired, under-the-radar bites, and the fourth annual New Orleans Roadfood Festival pays them homage. Held March 24-25 in the French Market, the festival showcases plenty of Louisiana roadfood along with sweet and savory tastes from the country’s far corners. Last year’s booths included Arizona tamales, boudin ball grilled cheese sandwiches, dry-rub ribs and mint juleps. The festival kicks off on March 23 with a special event at the Royal Sonesta Hotel that features celebrated names in food including Roadfood.com’s Jane and Michael Stern, The Splendid Table’s Lynne Rossetto Kasper, and Poppy Tooker, enduring New Orleans food preservationist and host of Louisiana Eats! “We are excited that this year’s kickoff party will feature so much incredible talent,” says event coordinator Dottie Belletto. The event takes place from 6:30 to 9 p.m. in the hotel’s Grand Ballroom and features live music, Roadfood’s annual Blue Plate Award and a real-time taping of WWNO’s Louisiana Eats! in which Tooker will chat with the Sterns, Kasper and notable chefs including New Orleans’ Frank Brigtsen. Louisiana Eats! is broadcast every Saturday at 3 p.m. on WRKF-FM in Baton Rouge. Click here to read more.