Today kicks off the annual New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. While musical acts from around the globe snag top billing, it's the food vendors that draw the crowds. Imagine the world's greatest tailgating party with local eats and live zydeco, gospel, jazz, funk, and rock n' roll.

On Sunday, New Orleans chef Donald Link will be dishing out Smothered Andouille and Potato Gnocchi at the Zatarain's Food Heritage Stage at the Fair Grounds.

Chef Link is a South Louisana native who owns three New Orleans restaurants: Herbsaint, Cochon, and Cochon Butcher. We asked him to help us narrow down the top choices both on and off the field.

What to eat at the Jazz Fest:

- Cochon de lait po-boy

- Crawfish pie

- Crawfish filo

- Mango ice (with the vodka you snuck in, not me though)

- Natchitoches meat pies.

Iconic New Orleans dishes and where to find them:

- The muffaletta at Cochon Butcher

- R & O Special (hot roast beef, ham po-boy) at R & O

- Raw oysters on the half at Acme or Casamento's

- Fried catfish po-boy at Guy's Po-Boy

- Red beans and rice at Popeyes (yes Popeyes) or Cypress Knee Cafe at the Audubon Zoo

- Eggplant Tina at Tony Angello's

- Charbroiled oysters at Drago's.

these restaurants

More New Orleans recommendations from local chefs:

- Chef Donald Link's favorite places for cocktails and classic Creole.

- Chef John Besh's picks for gumbo and Sazeracs.

- Chef David Guas' French Quarter praline place.

- Chef Edgar Chase IV's choice for Shrimp Creole, and fried rabbit tenderloin.

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