Bringing a food truck into a city know for great food trucks takes a lot of chutzpah, but if one city can pull it off it is definitely New Orleans. Borgnes Executive Chef Brian Landry (l) works in close quarters with Miles Landrem of John Besh’s Restaurant August and Maggie Moore of the Besh Restaurant Group Photo: Ed Lallo/Newsroom Ink
By Ed Lallo/Gulf Seafood News Editor
“Our food truck is a teaser to show the people of Texas how much we love them.” said Mark Romig of th New Orleans Tourism Marketing Corporation. Photo: Ed Lallo/Newsorom Innk
Bringing a food truck into a city known for great food trucks takes a lot of chutzpah, but if one city can pull it off it is definitely New Orleans. Staffed by an award-winning chef, freezers filled with fresh Gulf seafood and surrounded by the party atmosphere the Crescent City is famous for; the Follow Your NOLA food truck recently took up temporary residence on Austin’s Congress Avenue.
“Our food truck is a teaser to show the people of Texas how much we love them. We are traveling Texas for a week, Houston, Austin and Dallas, bringing almost every cultural aspect for which New Orleans is famous. We have great jazz, Mardi Gras Indians, our great chef and the excitement of New Orleans – almost everything except our winning football team,” said Mark Romig, president and CEO of New Orleans Tourism Marketing Corporation, with a smile on his face.
The truck is spending a few hours in each city to remind residents that New Orleans is just a short drive, or even shorter flight, away. According to Romig, “it is fun promoting the City of New Orleans, it is never hard to get people to come with us.”
What they brought is culinary genius of Brian Landry, executive chef of the John Besh seafood Restaurant Borgne, the trumpet music of “B.I.G. Al” Huntley of the Hot 8 Brass Band and the spirit dances and chanting of Mardi Gras Indian Chief Donald Claude of the Blackfoot Hunters.
The trumpet music of “B.I.G. Al” Huntley of the Hot 8 Brass Band filled Austin’s Congress Ave. Photo: Ed Lallo/Newsroom Ink
Chef Landry sees culinary tourism as an important aspect to draw visitors to New Orleans to experience what they can’t find anywhere else in the country.
“We have a much more eclectic restaurant scene than ever before,” said the former Louisiana Seafood Cook-Off winner. “There has been a revival of entrepreneurial spirit in the city since Katrina, especially in the service industry. Just this week we have had two of our city’s chefs at Peche’s and Gautreau’s receive James Beard Awards.”
According to Landry, culinary tourism is a huge play for the city. “Obviously you play to your strengths, and the food and culture of New Orleans is tremendous. When you add the natural bounty you get out of the Gulf waters, it makes it a even more fascinating story because visitors come in droves just for the food.”
Austinites line up for Chef Landry’s creations. culinary tourism as an important aspect to draw visitors to New Orleans to experience what they can’t find anywhere else in the country. Photo: Ed Lallo/Newsroom Ink
Four years ago the Deepwater Horizon oil spill devastated the city’s tourism. “People thought that there was oil floating on Bourbon Street,” explained Romig about the perception crisis. “We had a job and a half to get the word out after the spill that our seafood was safe and as fantastic as ever.”
One of the biggest concerns for the city’s tourism commission was how the spill would affect the restaurants and the livelihoods of the people depending upon the seafood industry. Millions of dollars were spent of messaging that our restaurants were open.
The truck offered Austinite’s a taste of Louisiana seafood gumbo, shrimp pasta and a lettuce and duck salad. Photo: Ed Lallo/Newsroom Ink
“We worked closely with Ewell Smith at the Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing board, a great mind at promoting the good things about the seafood industry,” he explained. “We have made a fantastic comeback, with more than 1300 restaurants in New Orleans, 50% more than before Hurricane Katrina. It says a lot about entrepreneurship, as well as a lot about the importance of culinary tourism.”
In 2013, New Orleans had more than 9.28 million visitors spending 6.47 billion dollars, with 46.8% planning a return visit. Landry sees the new culinary tourist as well educated and demanding, especially on seafood.
“The customer is very much more educated as to where their seafood comes from,” said the executive chef who also did a stint at the iconic Galatoire’s in the French Quarter. “In my restaurant all we promote is Gulf seafood, it is all over the menu. Though pre-meal, through service and through the training of our staff, there is less questioning from the customer, and more messaging from our wait staff that we are only serving wild caught Gulf seafood.”
This was simply fantastic,” said Cameron Lasserre while eating one of the Chef’s preparations. “I have lived in Austin for about 10 years, but before that I lived in Plaquemine in Louisiana.” Photo: Ed Lallo/Newsroom Ink
The truck’s 8-foot compass in the shape of NOLA’s fleur-de-lis drew onlookers for a taste of a Louisiana oyster and shrimp seafood gumbo, shrimp pasta and a lettuce and duck salad. “This was simply fantastic,” said Cameron Lasserre while eating one of the Chef’s preparations. “I have lived in Austin for about 10 years, but before that I lived in Plaquemine in Louisiana.”
“After the oil spill our message was the Gulf seafood was good, clean and ready to be eaten, the people heard that message so many times they expect it to be of the highest quality. Now our message is we are available, we’re open and we have great hotel deals; all we don’t have is you,” said Romig about the Texas tour he would like to repeat on an annual basis.
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