Description

In case you haven't heard, we live to eat in New Orleans. The culture of food is as ingrained in everyday living here as good manners and the word "y'all". The Southern Food and Beverage Museum (SoFaB) is a "living history organization" devoted to this passion of ours' – the cooking and eating; the bounty of regional ingredients in the South; the varied ethnic influences that have contributed to Creole and Cajun cuisine, and more. It is a visual, scholarly tribute to one of our great natural resources: the food and drink of the South.

This one-of-a-kind museum opened in 2008 and has grown into one of the city's finest attractions for locals and visiting foodies. The Southern Food and Beverage Museum keeps an active weekly schedule that includes cooking demonstrations and food-centric lectures, screenings of food documentaries, panel discussions with food scholars and writers, and author book signings and readings. SoFaB also hosts kid-friendly cooking classes and food programs on a regular basis. Although it is not affiliated, the Museum of the American Cocktail is also inside the current location of SoFaB.

SoFaB is the home of several permanent exhibits that examine and celebrate the diverse foodways of Louisiana and the South. "Eating Around the South" is a showcase of regional food from a collection of southern states, including Texas, Arkansas, and Tennessee. "Barbecue Nation" explores one of the South's most beloved culinary traditions in all its variations. The "Louisiana Eats! Laissez Faire – Savoir Faire" exhibit examines the unique and rich food culture of Louisiana. "A Table at Galatoire's" is a collection of tableware and other artifacts and memorabilia from the historic New Orleans restaurant. "Acadian to Cajun" traces the roots of South Louisiana's distinct culture, from the Acadian expulsion from Nova Scotia in the 1750s to the settlement in South Louisiana, and the impact this forced migration had on our unique cuisine.

SoFaB is currently located inside the Riverwalk Marketplace (near the Julia Street entrance), but the popular museum has already outgrown its home and will be moving into the former Dryades Street Market in Central City in 2013.