2026 Food Fête

Registration $35 per person HNOC Members: September 22 General public: September 29 Join us for the official tasting event of HNOC’s 2026 Food Forum: Gumbo! Hosted at 520 Royal Street and featuring an open bar, this is your chance to sample Creole and Cajun gumbos featuring seafood, chicken and sausage, and vegetarian options, served alongside classic sides. Admission to the Food Fête and Food Forum require separate tickets. Registration opens to HNOC members on September 22 and to the general public on September 29. After the 2026 Food Forum concludes, join us for a festive Food Fête, where guests can continue the conversation while tasting a variety of local gumbos and an open bar including white wine, champagne, and a signature cocktail. Featured vendors include Mr. B’s, Napoleon House, Li'l Dizzy’s, and Magic Seasoning Blends serving the late Chef Paul Prudhomme’s famous gumbo. Bringing people together around the table, the Food Fête offers a flavorful celebration of the ingredients, traditions, and shared stories that makes gumbo Louisiana’s most iconic dish. Mr. B’s Bistro is one of the brightest stars in the New Orleans restaurant scene, nestled in the heart of the French Quarter at the corner of Royal and Iberville Streets. Cindy Brennan and her famous restaurant family opened Mr. B’s in 1979, and it has become a true fixture of the Quarter ever since, famous for deftly cooked regional specialties in a casual setting. Mr. B’s will showcase one of their signature dishes, Gumbo Ya Ya, a spicy chicken and andouille gumbo with a rich, dark roux. Wayne Baquet Sr. opened Li’l Dizzy’s Cafe in 2005 on the corner of Esplanade Avenue and North Robertson Street, not too far from where the Chicken Coop once stood—the restaurant where his father Eddie Baquet got his start. Li’l Dizzy’s Cafe is currently owned and operated by Wayne Baquet Jr. and his wife Arkesha. They will be serving their signature gumbo filled with ham, shrimp, house-made sausage, rice, and potato salad. The late chef Paul Prudhomme once said, “There must be as many kinds of gumbo as there are families in south Louisiana! Maybe more, because each one has its own recipe.” Elegant and just a little fancy, Magic Seasoning Blends will bring one of Prudhomme’s favorite meals to our Fête table: his chicken and andouille smoked sausage gumbo. The century-old Napoleon House is a French Quarter icon, exuding the patina, charm, and authenticity of living history. Ralph Brennan, whose family is a longstanding institution in New Orleans hospitality, accepted stewardship of Napoleon House from the Impastato family in 2015 and has provided guests with the restaurant’s famous warm welcome ever since. Attendees will enjoy Napoleon House's signature chicken and andouille gumbo and seafood gumbo. The 2026 Food Forum is presented by Chef Paul Prudhomme’s Magic Seasoning Blends. HNOC’s diverse archive shows how restaurants preserve history and heritage through their menus. You won’t find a spiked dessert classier—and more fun—than this recipe for wine jelly from Lafcadio Hearn’s 1885 cookbook, La Cruisine Creole. Ephemera from the HNOC Restaurant Menu Collection highlights the historic role of corner stores in New Orleans history. It’s the oldest continuously operating restaurant in the United States, and its archive at HNOC tells the story of a family business and its place in New Orleans history. edited by Patricia Brady Schmit Subscribe to Our Newsletter