Where to explore cuisine of consequence
The Southern Food and Beverage Museum is a nonprofit dedicated to the understanding and celebration of Southern cuisine. While there exist museums devoted to specific food products—SPAM (in Minnesota), Dr Pepper (in Texas), and mustard (in Wisconsin)—the SoFAB Institute is the only generalized food museum in America.
Founded in 2008, the museum survived its first years housed in the wretched Riverwalk Mall. When the mall was closed and replaced by the Riverwalk Marketplace, SoFAB moved into the former Dryades Street Market in Central City. The museum occupies roughly 12,000 square feet, with about 1800 square feet set aside for temporary exhibits.
Info
Address 1504 Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard, New Orleans, LA 70113, +1 504.569.0405, www.sofabinstitute.org | Hours Thu–Mon 11am–5:30pm| Tip In addition to visiting the food museum you can buy 17th- through 19th-century artifacts at Lucullus (610 Chartres St), an unusual shop specializing in culinary antiques. Check out the silver settings, centuries-old dining tables, hand-blown glasses and fine crystal champagne flutes, and, of course, absinthe paraphernalia.
The Leah Chase Louisiana Gallery features a permanent exhibit focused on the food and traditions of Louisiana. Named after one of New Orleans’ premier Creole chefs, the gallery showcases everything from beignets and crawfish to the evolution of jambalaya from colonial times. The Gallery of the South presents mini exhibits that explore the flavors and cuisines of each Southern state. Individual state signs have been designed and created by New Orleans’ favorite folk artist, Dr. Bob (see p. 58).
Events at SoFAB range from weekly cooking demonstrations to spirit tastings and lively lectures on subjects like the origins of Creole cuisine. SoFAB also incorporates the Museum of the American Cocktail, which celebrates mixology from its origins to the present day, and houses a reference library containing an extensive collection of Southern cookbooks and the menus of iconic restaurants, as well as culinary books of all kinds. After you’re done reading, learning, and hearing about Southern food, you can walk past a curtained wall to actually eat in the museum’s on-site restaurant, Purloo.
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