There is a short list of U.S. cities that need no introduction with regard to gastronomic greatness, and New Orleans is one of the top cities on that list.
Tasty traditional items quickly come to mind, including gumbo, po-boys, jambalaya, red beans and rice, beignets and king cakes.
Allowing attendees the opportunity to consume one or more of these—from beignets at the breakfast session to po-boys at lunchtime—and to enjoy the city’s other various culinary experiences, including tours, classes and group dining at new restaurants, will make for one of the most delicious meetings they’ve ever signed up for.
Langlois Culinary Crossroads, a popular cooking school that specializes in teambuilding activities, is a good place to start.
According to Christilisa Gilmore, inside sales/event coordinator at Langlois, the Iron Chef Crepe Cooking Competition is the most popular event for groups.
“The group will learn how to create, flip and fill a crepe, either sweet or savory,” she says. “Then they will dine on a menu that is preselected and prepared by the chefs.”
Among the city’s many tours, the Original Cocktail Walking Tour is based in the French Quarter and hosted by Gray Line Tours.
“It is history with a ‘twist,’” says Adrienne Thomas, spokeswoman for Gray Line.
Thomas says the tour begins with a complimentary cocktail along the river at the Steamboat Natchez, and from there a knowledgeable guide leads groups behind the scenes at some world-renowned restaurants, including Antoine’s, as well as to new establishments, including Batch, a cocktail bar.
The Confederacy of Cruisers culinary bike tour is another edible journey with routes for hearty appetites, including Esplanade Avenue Food Coma and Meatastic Voyage.
“These tours are about eating the way people grew up doing it in New Orleans, not for the finicky and faint-of-heart,” says Sara Ivey, the firm’s manager.
Stops may include Elizabeth’s in the Bywater neighborhood, where groups will taste boudin balls; Parkway Bakery & Tavern in Mid City for a po-boy; and Bennachin in the French Quarter for a taste of Creole food.
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Dominique’s on Magazine is a new restaurant featuring lovely secluded dining rooms upstairs for private group meals.
Wendy deBen Macquet, director of group sales/events at the restaurant, says groups also enjoy a culinary experience that includes a four-course tasting menu with wine pairing and a mixology competition.
The menu might feature specialties such as seared Louisiana shrimp remoulade and grilled island spiced pork chops, and during the mixology contest attendees create a signature cocktail named after the group.
“Twenty-five minutes are allowed to create your cocktail with specific ingredients, including fresh herbs from our on-site garden, seasonal fruit and one type of premium-brand liquor,” deBen Macquet says.
At the upscale Le Foret, which is several years old, private event space is available inside and outside, according to Ryan O’Dwyer, the restaurant’s general manager.
He says contemporary French and Creole dishes here include lobster salad, oven-roasted grouper and soft shell crab crusted in cornmeal, and craft cocktails include the gin-based Cucumber Collins and Death in the Afternoon, which mingles champagne and Kubler Absinthe.
Speaking of the “B” in F&B, attendees might like a visit to NOLA Brewing Company, where tours and tastings can be arranged for groups, according to Doug Crochet, the brewery’s events manager.
“We also use the brewery space for private events, including receptions, dinners, meetings and parties,” he says.
The most popular beers here include Hopitoulas IPA, named after the brewery’s location on Tchoupitoulas Street, and Rebirth Pale Ale. Under a program co-founded by a Rebirth Brass Band member, proceeds from Rebirth Pale Ale go to a foundation that provides underprivileged kids with instruments.
Meanwhile, Victory New Orleans is a new premier craft cocktail lounge and restaurant located downtown. Victory has a VIP space named Secreto (meaning secret in Spanish) that is ideal for small private events.
The menu, according to Daniel Victory, the venue’s owner, features favorites such as crab dip au gratin, gourmet pizza, bacon-wrapped scallops and truffle popcorn.
“Popular for convention goers, we can show a group how to make a Sazarac, hurricane or one of our most popular cocktails,” Victory says. “Everything here is made fresh every day.”
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Jefferson Parish
A recent addition to Jefferson Parish is the Louisiana Oyster Trail, the first public art project designed to promote local oysters.
“Each participating restaurant serves up a Louisiana oyster specialty dish, while on display is a one-of-a-kind, hand-painted, three-foot oyster sculpture,” says Terrie Birkel, spokeswoman for the Jefferson CVB, adding that there are nearly 20 restaurants on the trail and a map is available for interested groups.
At Bayou Barn in Marrero, Tammy Friloux, the venue’s owner and chef, hosts monthly fais-do-dos (Cajun dance parties) and seafood boil parties during which she shares her Cajun heritage.
“Entertaining meeting attendees with teambuilding activities and a unique atmosphere for cooking demos promotes Cajun-style fun,” Birkel says.
Among the area’s newer group-friendly restaurants is Andy’s Bistro in Metairie. It features private group space for meals and receptions and a lengthy menu featuring everything from gumbo and Oysters Sherman to burgers, steaks, and shrimp and grits.
St. Tammany Parish
In Lousiana’s Northshore, the community of Slidell is home to Passionate Platter, which offers groups a garden-to-table experience that allows them to learn about herbs and vegetables before either assisting in meal preparation or viewing a cooking demonstration while dining, according to Tanya Leader, vice president of sales for the St. Tammany Parish Tourist and Convention Commission.
In Covington, Simplee Gourmet also offers hands-on cooking classes for groups, but here the focus is classics such as fresh pasta and French crepes.
Covington is also home to Annadele’s Plantation, a storied retreat for group events featuring French and Creole cuisine.
Leader says Annadele’s has indoor spaces for private group gatherings as well as outdoor gardens for larger events.
Just north of Covington, Pontchartrain Vineyards produces French table-style wines.
“Groups can enjoy a tasting in their Old World tasting room or join them for their music series Jazz’n the Vines during spring and fall under the stars,” Leader says.
St. Tammany Parish is also home to more craft breweries than any other parish in Louisiana, Leader adds, and therefore has a prominent position on the Louisiana Brewery Trail with three top establishments: Abita Brewing Company, Chafunkta Brewing Company and Covington Brewhouse.
The breweries offer tours and tastings for groups.
When Carolyn Blackburn last visited New Orleans, her first stop was Cafe du Monde for coffee and beignets.
