Anna Blume Posted July 7, 2006 Share Posted July 7, 2006 The first weekend is over, however, the second half of the festival continues this weekend. I'm curious, has anyone braved the crowds and gone down to check out the foods from New Orleans or the other featured cultures? Official Web Site Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather Posted July 8, 2006 Share Posted July 8, 2006 Are there New Orleans food offerings? I thought the NOLA part was music only. Latin Chicago is worth checking out. I was there in February and had the bext Mexican food I've ever had in the US, including LA. Gotta say though that the description of the food offerings is almost invariably better than the execution. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MBK Posted July 8, 2006 Share Posted July 8, 2006 I went on the Fourth of July and wrote about it here (sorry for the shameless self-promo...) We were pleasantly surprised at the lack of crowds! Word on the street is that the real winner among the food at the festival this year is the bison burgers at the Alberta exhibit. Oh, and according to my Mexican-American friend, the offerings at the Cantina Latina were primarily Peruvian food, not Mexican. Gotta say though that the description of the food offerings is almost invariably better than the execution. True this year as well... but still a fun way to spend a free afternoon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrescentFresh Posted July 8, 2006 Share Posted July 8, 2006 I had the bison burger. Not particularly good. Not particularly bad. I think Heather is absolutely on target when she says, "the description of the food offerings is almost invariably better than the execution." No one should go to the Folklife Festival for the food. (Last year being the exception due to Food Culture being one of the themes.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna Blume Posted July 8, 2006 Author Share Posted July 8, 2006 Are there New Orleans food offerings? I thought the NOLA part was music only. You're right. I checked out the site map and New Orleans is not included. Years and years ago I had the best wild rice ever scooped out of a cauldron at the festival. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLK Posted July 8, 2006 Share Posted July 8, 2006 Link to festival food concessions. There's a section dedicated to New Orleans food and a whole lotta corn on the cob apparently. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ilaine Posted July 8, 2006 Share Posted July 8, 2006 Link to festival food concessions. There's a section dedicated to New Orleans food and a whole lotta corn on the cob apparently. The New Orleans food, to put it politely, sucks, at least compared to real New Orleans food. As DC-style soul food (which it really is) it's not bad. I don't know why people here can't make decent collard greens or a decent plate of red beans and rice. I think there's a mystical line at (roughly) Richmond and above that line, we're not really in the South, culturally, geography be damned. On the other hand, they do have Abita Amber on tap, and the "Native American" food tent has Sierra Nevada on tap. I didn't see any beer at the Alberta food tent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrescentFresh Posted July 9, 2006 Share Posted July 9, 2006 The New Orleans food, to put it politely, sucks, at least compared to real New Orleans food.As DC-style soul food (which it really is) it's not bad. I don't know why people here can't make decent collard greens or a decent plate of red beans and rice. I think there's a mystical line at (roughly) Richmond and above that line, we're not really in the South, culturally, geography be damned. On the other hand, they do have Abita Amber on tap, and the "Native American" food tent has Sierra Nevada on tap. I didn't see any beer at the Alberta food tent. Considering the facilities they have available on The Mall (i.e., the lack thereof), they do a halfway decent job of providing food that's at least edible. Naturally, anyone with a kitchen north of Constitution or south of Independence is already at an advantage. (Of course you're collard greens comment seems to reflect poor offerings in the city as a whole and not just at the festival). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
porcupine Posted July 9, 2006 Share Posted July 9, 2006 I don't know why people here can't make decent collard greens or a decent plate of red beans and rice. I think there's a mystical line at (roughly) Richmond and above that line, we're not really in the South, culturally, geography be damned. Hmmm. I've heard of the Grits Line and the Sweet Tea Line, but the Red Beans and Rice Line? Interesting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lackadaisi Posted July 9, 2006 Share Posted July 9, 2006 The turkey leg was really good, but the sweet potato fries were soggy and the Indian taco was bland and pointless. None of the other options looked very good either. I wish I had just gone to the Indian Museum cafe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DCJono Posted July 10, 2006 Share Posted July 10, 2006 Considering the facilities they have available on The Mall (i.e., the lack thereof), they do a halfway decent job of providing food that's at least edible. Naturally, anyone with a kitchen north of Constitution or south of Independence is already at an advantage. (Of course you're collard greens comment seems to reflect poor offerings in the city as a whole and not just at the festival). Most Cajun food (and soul food for that matter) generally just require a big pot and some low heat. These cuisines were born in less-than-stellar kitchen conditions, though I don't think any creators were thinking that some day their food would be on the National Mall. Red beans are all about sitting in the pot all day! Of course, I'm a bit biased since I think the Good Red Beans Line is I-10 Note - I didn't make it to the festival so I can't comment on the quality of any of the food out there. Just being an ass! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LaShanta Posted July 10, 2006 Share Posted July 10, 2006 Since I work within walking distance of the festival, I have been there a few times so far. Here's my take Bison burger - just OK; good rolls through potato bread thing - interesting but totally passable Native American vegetarian taco - very yummy; I may go back for this one today! Native American fry bread - very hot and tasty; like a funnel cake but less greasy and better (get it with powdered sugar!!) Native American rice salad - wierd and bland; don't bother I say that the food is definitely worth a trip if you can make it. Most of those things are not available here, so when else would you be able to try it? Be a little adventurous! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jlock Posted July 10, 2006 Share Posted July 10, 2006 I am just happy that the Folklife Festival at least tries to serve food based upon the themes of its exhibits. 99% of DC's "festivals" serve the same "asian/teriyaki/chicken-on-a-stick" type of dish with an egg roll on the side. I thought the turkey-leg was worth the walk to the Mall, but not too impressed with the rest that I saw. Food is such and important and telling part of any culture - its a shame that this is not more of a focus for this particular festival.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
qwertyy Posted July 12, 2006 Share Posted July 12, 2006 Hmmm. I've heard of the Grits Line and the Sweet Tea Line, but the Red Beans and Rice Line? Interesting.DC: all the charm of the north, all the efficiency of the south. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now