"We want to tell a story with New Orleans," said chef John Currence, one of the men behind the phenomenal "'International Influences on New Orleans Cuisine" dinner at the Atlanta Food & Wine Festival. "The story of the special crazy-ass gumbo that is that city." Which means not only the French, Spanish, and modern American elements to the cuisine—but German, Sicilian, African, and Vietnamese as well. Come see the fantastic 6-course meal that these all-star chefs put together in tribute to their beloved city. More

Meals in New Orleans are rarely a one-napkin affair, and the Shrimp Po' Boy ($10) at Domilise'sis no exception. When they serve up your order, the guys at the counter hand over a small stack of paper towelettes, and with a sandwich this chock-full of juicy fried shrimp, fully dressed, you'll need 'em. More

A must-visit for all sandwich lovers passing through New Orleans, Cochon Butcher is Cajun chef Donald Link's artisanal butcher shop/sandwich joint/wine bar, located right next door to the more upscale Cochon. It's a meat lover's dream: Cured hams hang from the rafters, and refrigerator cases are filled with silky terrines and pâtés, as well as—true to the restaurant's name—an entire roasted suckling pig. More

If you're in New Orleans today for Mardi Gras, you're probably not reading this. You're probably hopefully clad in beads, carousing in the streets with a 28-ounce drink in hand. For the rest of us, we can pretend we're there too letting les bons temps rouler. And if we were on those streets, this would be our list of must-eats to hit up before, during, and after all the merrymaking. More

There's almost always a line of people outside Acme Oyster House waiting to have some of the restaurant's famous fresh harvested oysters. In the evenings that line may stretch up Iberville back to Bourbon and further, and the wait can exceed an hour. Sometimes more. There are all sorts of things on the menu, but most people are coming from the oysters. More

Traveling to New Orleans? Take in a primer on Southern food at the Southern Food and Beverage Museum, where you'll find information on everything from boudin to barbecue. More

We set out to document every single po'boy at the Oak Street Po' Boy Festival. The selection was impressive, ranging from traditional po' boys with fried shrimp and cochon de lait (roasted pork), as well as several versions of debris (beef in gravy), and some truly inventive po' boys. Actually, many of these wouldn't even qualify as true po' boys. Bananas foster po' boy? Sashimi po' boy? We can hear the purists grumbling now. But we tried them all anyways. Here are 25 of the best and strangest sandwiches at the festival. More

One of the few places that was a non-negotiable on my list of New Orleans places to visit? Cochon Butcher. Chef Donald Link's artisanal butcher shop/sandwich joint/wine bar is next to Cochon, his homage to all things Cajun, porky, and meaty. My favorite sandwich is the Cochon Muffuletta ($12), a cheffy version of the classic New Orleans sandwich first made in Central Grocery in the French Quarter. More

During my trip to New Orleans I ate so well and continuously that I'm not sure I ever grew hungry in the week I spent in the big easy. Though most of my meals were chock full of oysters, shrimp, and crayfish, no meal in my mind represented the indulgent excess of the city more than Mandina's, a Creole/Italian restaurant in Mid-City that's been family owned and operated since the 1930s. More

In New Orleans, the muffuletta is a sandwich that's made on a round, disc-like sesame bread filled with cured meats, marinated olives, and pickled vegetables. Though you can buy mufffulettas at any number of places in the city, it all began at Central Grocery in the French Quarter, where it came about as a way for Sicilians to combine the separate ingredients of their meal. More