Sunday Night Highlight: NOLA Ranked #2 in USA for Food & Drink

New Orleans is the country’s No. 2 city for food and drink, according to Food & Wine’s annual Global Tastemakers Awards. New Orleans was well represented in the magazine’s annual awards, with six restaurants, bars and hotels making the cut. The city’s dining scene was singled out for “seamlessly bridging the old and the new.”  The profile of New Orleans highlighted Dooky Chase, Brigtsen’s, Dakar NOLA, Wild South, and the upcoming Acamaya.

Food & Wine has more than 180 food and travel journalists nominate their favorite restaurants, bars, bakeries, markets, cities, hotels, airports, airlines, and cruises. Then, an “expert panel of judges” vote on the best culinary experiences from around the world and rank the winners.  New York City took the #1 spot.

The ranking comes a week after Dakar NOLA, Saffron and Jewel of the South of New Orleans received James Beard Award nominations, which the organization whittled down from its larger list of semifinalists. Winners will be announced in June.  Further, food, drink – and music – were all highlighted this weekend at a record-setting French Quarter Festival.  The festival generates about $310 million for the local economy, putting it third behind Mardi Gras and the Super Bowl in terms of economic impact.  Over 350,000 visitors traveled to New Orleans for the French Quarter Festival.

You can read more about the Food & Wine ranking here.