10 November 2023
Wishing Town Bakery Cafe is serving its dragon shrimp dumplings at NOLA Nite Market. | Wishing Town Bakery Cafe
Plus, Bocuse d’Or Americas will be held in New Orleans, cult favorite Cava opens in Metairie, and more news to know
NOLA Nite Market, one of the area’s most exciting, eclectic food festivals, returns for its fifth year on Saturday, November 11 at Bonnabel Boat Launch from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. Initially modeled after the bustling nighttime outdoor markets common in many Asian countries, NOLA Nite Market was founded by Thuy Pham in 2019 and immediately won the hearts and stomachs of the New Orleans area. It’s grown in popularity and profile since, gathering established favorites like Milkfish, Kusina, Bao Mi, LUFU NOLA, and Wishing Town as well as up-and-coming vendors like Xanh NOLA, chef Anh Luu’s newish Vietnamese street food pop-up. The best (and rarest) part? Admission is free, and food costs go entirely to vendors.
New Orleans will host the Bocuse d’Or Americas
New Orleans is set to host two major international culinary competitions in spring 2024, the first time either has been held in the United States. The Americas selections of the Pastry World Cup and the Bocuse d’Or, a long-running, big-deal French culinary competition held every two years, will take place at the New Orleans Convention Center from June 11 to June 13. Up to 12 countries will participate in the Bocuse d’Or Americas competition, with the top five finalists moving on to compete in the grand finale at Sirha Lyon in January 2025. The event, created by French chef Paul Bocuse in 1987, is often thought of as the culinary Olympics.
Bowl lunch cult favorite lands in Metairie
Cult-favorite Mediterranean fast-casual chain Cava has landed in the area, opening late last month in a former Zoës Kitchen in Metairie. The hugely popular chain, which specializes in build-your-own grain bowls centered around toppings like falafel, braised lamb, and harissa honey chicken, has 263 locations worldwide.
Tracey’s is moving
St. Patrick’s Day favorite and raucous Irish Channel sports bar Tracey’s is moving, creating a sports bar-heavy hub at its new location on Magazine Street. The 13-year-old bar opened by Jeffrey Carreras in 2010 is moving to a larger, long-empty space at the corner of Pleasant Street seven blocks away on Magazine Street, a block that’s also home to the Bulldog, Rendezvous Lounge, and Balcony Bar. The ground floor of the new, two-story Tracey’s will will be more restaurant-like with table service, while the second floor will serve as the more familiar sports bar, according to the Times-Picayune/New Orleans Advocate. Carreras plans to open in the new address on December 26.