7 April 2023
Dishes from Dakar NOLA. | Randy Schmidt/Eater NOLA
Plus, Rahm Haus sets an end date, Bayou Saint Cake and Big Freedia land a cover, and Compère Lapin dinner parties at home
For the third year in a row, Dakar NOLA’s Serigne Mbaye will host a Juneteenth celebration showcasing a handful of local chefs he admires. Called Afro Freedom/Afro Feast, this year it’s a one-day event taking place at Grow Dat Youth Farm in City Party, and there’s a wealth of talent in the lineup of guest chefs participating: Charly Pierre of Fritai, Martha Wiggins of Cafe Reconcile, Indigo Martin of Indigo Soul Cuisine, Ndeye “Queen” Ndir of Ndindy African Cuisine, Prince Lobo of Addis NOLA. Mbaye himself is fresh off a James Beard Award nomination for emerging chef — it’s the first year he’s made it to the finalist round after being named as a semifinalist in 2022.
The dinners are themed around the “beauty of the land and the food it produces while paying homage to our ancestors who toiled the very soil upon which we celebrate,” and Mbaye says the communal meals will be mostly cooked over live fire. It takes place on June 18 from 3 to 7 p.m. and tickets ($165) are on sale now.
Rahm Haus prepares for the end with last few menu drops
There are just four more weeks to load up on the mind-bending flavors from Rahm Haus, the artisan ice cream pop-up-turned-shop that has taken New Orleans by storm over the last few years. A new menu drops today, April 7, followed by three more Friday menus — the last release will be on Friday, April 28. Founder Jillian Duran, who announced last month she is taking a “hard pause” on the business while she pursues other endeavors, says to check the website for an updated inventory of available pints through these last few weeks.
Bayou Saint Cake and Big Freedia land cover of the Bitter Southerner
Another pandemic-born dessert pop-up that took New Orleans by storm, Bayou Saint Cake, is celebrating a regional win: Founder Bronwen Wyatt was tapped to make a pink birthday cake with “rainbow flower vibes and squiggles” to be held by New Orleans icon Big Freedia for the 10th-anniversary issue of the Bitter Southerner, a print and web magazine that’s grown in popularity over the years for telling stories of modern life in the American South. The issue is available via a one-time purchase from the Bitter Southerner or by becoming a member.
Two NOLA restaurants help launch upscale meal delivery company
For the month of April, New Orleans chef Nina Compton’s award-winning food from Compère Lapin can be enjoyed via multi-course dinners delivered to your home, courtesy of Moveable Feast. The company is featuring a different acclaimed restaurant every month; another top New Orleans restaurant is lined up for December, Jewel of the South. Among the dishes on the menu from Compère pickled shrimp with avocado and taro; a whole jerk chicken; and Caribbean Cow Heel soup with smoked bone marrow.
Where to find Easter bar crawls, adult egg hunts this weekend
The Times-Picayune/New Orleans Advocate has rounded up several Easter parades and events taking place this weekend, including a Marginy bar crawl, NOLA Bunarchy: It starts at 6 p.m. on Saturday, April 8, beginning at Luna Libre and hitting Saturn Bar, the Artisan Bar, and St. Roch Tavern. There’s also an adult Easter egg hunt taking place at Faubourg Brewing on Saturday (tickets benefit a local arts therapy organization), and of course, brunch.