Feast at the Fest – It’s not just music that draws the crowd to New Orleans Jazz Fest each year–it’s also the promise of delectable and unusual treats served up by local restaurants and chefs in lieu of the usual festival food.

It’s not just music that draws the crowd to New Orleans Jazz Fest each year–it’s also the promise of delectable and unusual treats served up by local restaurants and chefs in lieu of the usual festival food. With all this goodness crammed together in tiny booths, one next to the other all across the fairgrounds, you’ll definitely have trouble deciding what to try first–especially as you watch fellow festival-goers pass by clutching bowls of etouffee or hot crawfish bread. From soft shell crab poboys to fresh sushi, chicken livers with pepper jelly to handmade gelato, Jazz Fest food runs the gamut of New Orleans’ incredible culinary influences. Scroll down to read this week’s Spatula Diaries, and find out more about your Jazz Fest dining options, or click here for a photo gallery of Jazz Fest fare.