An interview incorporated into a feature article, this piece announces the opening of a new museum with commentary from the founder. 

Southern Food and Beverage Museum Article

(Begin excerpt …)

The first thing in a rookie visitor’s mind when it comes to New Orleans is Mardi Gras. This decadent, rowdy celebration, they believe, is the heart of all that is the CrescentCity; masks and beads are the primary psychologicalassociations. However, after the first night of debauchery and first pangs of hunger, they come to realize that there is a much more important lifeblood pumping through the veins of this city – an obsessive oral fixation.

Which is not to say that Mardi Gras and all the joy and gaiety it brings means nothing, or that it has no correlation to our love of all things tastable; it’s just a simple fact that the food and beverage of Louisiana is the real vehicle of pleasure to our hedonistic natures.

Although acknowledged, the importance of the food and drink of this region has nonetheless been pushed down in prominence below other attractions for centuries. Taken for granted, its history has not been highlighted or preserved with as much care as other facets of Southern identity. A group of people felt that this needed to change- it was time for our food to be enjoyed outside of the moment, celebrated as part of our regional foundation.

From this basis, non-profit organization The Southern Food and Beverage Museum was founded, led by president Elizabeth Williams since 2004.

When questioned about the part cuisine played in shaping our city, she responded that “in New Orleans, it’s absolutely crucial; after Katrina, the opening of new restaurants and the way people welcomed them was an important part of banding together.” Further support comes from the fact that SoFAB, active through the post-K “food diaspora,” received
e-mails aplenty from displaced New Orleanians mourning their dismal out-of-area meals.

Unfortunately, these letters still come, since a great many favorites remain on partial hiatus from their traditional offerings … part of why SoFAB’s Menu Project is so important. The way Liz Williams sees it, it’s “something [they’ve] done as part of a mission to gather information for the future … preserving today for tomorrow.” Menus, Williams believes, can tell a story of a time …

(…End excerpt)

Read on! Click this link for the PDF.