A Taste of Tales of the Cocktail
We had an epic week of bringing great local food experiences to Tales of the Cocktail. We amped up food offerings for Q Mixers’ Block Party, William Grant and Sons’ Kickoff Party at The Fillmore, and Diageo’s closing party at the Contemporary Arts Center. It was such an honor getting to work on these larger productions, and the impact we got to make for the local chef community was awesome.
With the opportunity to work with Tales of the Cocktail for these events, we were able to ensure the food was provided by a diverse culinary crew: 40% of our chefs were people of color and 70% were women. We only hope to keep growing those numbers in the coming years. No event really showcased our ability to bring together teams of chefs quite like Diageo’s “Jazzfeast,” where each chef got to create a Jazz Fest inspired dish for all guests – learn more about the chefs below:
Dirty Dishes
You may have most recently heard of them as Pressed NOLA within the Greater New Orleans Foundation Building, but we’ve known them all along as the Dirty Dishes Food Truck. The Mac and Cheese was a fan favorite at the Diageo event, perfectly topped with some bread crumbs for texture. We paired ours with some extra Tabasco to give it a little kick.
Afrodisiac
Another duo brought in some Tabasco inspired New Orleans fare – Afrodisiac created a very traditional Red Beans and Rice to the group that would make any guest know exactly what New Orleans is all about.
Capulet Bywater
We’ve gushed plenty about our venue partners, Capulet, and they brought the tastiest, messiest, most true to New Orleans Fried Fish Po Boy to the party complete with housemade mirliton relish. It was more than we could’ve ever dreamed of with Chef Chris frying and dressing these fried fish tenders to perfection.
La Cocinita
La Cocinita went above and beyond for guests, providing chicken street tacos done three ways. The varying flavor profiles were so much fun, people definitely came by their tent multiple times to ensure they tried each type. Our fave - the salsa verde on top of the picado and shredded chicken. We can only dream of having it all over again.
Elysian Seafood
Anything focused on the culture and flavor of New Orleans has to include Elysian Seafood! They created a spicy oyster shooter that delighted all spice-enthusiasts daring to take the Tabasco flavors to the next level.
Diva Dawg
We sing Chef Ericka Lassair’s praises regularly, but the amount of work she put in through Essence and Tales of the Cocktail was nothing short of a heroic feat. Her Crown Royal Bread Pudding is one of our favorite desserts, with amazing flavor and moisture to keep you craving more.
Cafe Du Monde
The globally acclaimed beignet and coffee stand is actually one of our longtime partners, bringing their food truck to many of our late night events. After all who doesn't want a cafe au lait and beignet pick me up?! We extended the party to a small outdoor space, where guests could take their coffee and beignets to go. Talk about an epic foodie goody bag.
Salt and Light Pastry Co.
Ruby Shenk is a master pastry craftswoman in New Orleans. She’s spearheaded the dessert program for some of the most acclaimed restaurants in New Orleans, and her Rumple Minze pot du creme fit the bill for the night. The creamy, soft, indulgent nature of this Pot Du Creme was a great way to complete the tour of “Jazzfeast” eats at the party.
All of the chefs we partner with are tremendously dedicated and passionate about their craft from mac and cheese to pots du creme. We are absolutely thrilled to have hit Tales of the Cocktail with some amazing dishes, and we can’t wait to do it all again next year!