Southern Food and Beverage Museum facts for kids
| Established | 2004 |
|---|---|
| Location | 1504 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA 70113 |
| Type | Food museum |
The Southern Food and Beverage Museum (often called SoFAB) is a special museum in New Orleans, Louisiana. Its main goal is to explore the amazing history of food and drinks from the American South. The museum's exhibits show everything about Southern food. This includes cultural traditions, basic recipes, and how food brings communities together.
Contents
Discover the Museum's History
How the Museum Started
The Southern Food and Beverage Museum began in 2004. It was founded by Matt Konigsmark, Gina Warner, and Elizabeth Williams. Elizabeth Williams was the first president and is now the founder. Today, Constance Jackson is the President and CEO.
The museum started with a small exhibit. This exhibit focused on the history of drinks in New Orleans. With help from co-founder Elizabeth Pearce and other food lovers, more exhibits were added.
Growing and Moving to a New Home
After Hurricane Katrina, many restaurants in New Orleans needed help. Elizabeth Pearce created an exhibit called "Restaurant Restorative." It showed how restaurants were rebuilt after the storm. This exhibit was even featured at the James Beard Foundation Awards in 2006.
Soon, the museum needed a bigger space. They wanted to cover food and drinks from the entire South, not just New Orleans. In 2008, the museum found a home in the Riverwalk Marketplace. This shopping mall is right on the Mississippi River in New Orleans.
On September 1, 2011, SoFAB announced it would move again. This time, it moved to a much larger building. The new location is on O. C. Haley Boulevard in historic Central City, New Orleans. The new museum opened on September 29, 2014.
What You Can Find at the Museum Today
The current museum is a big place! It has many cool features:
- A special center for new food ideas.
- An exhibit for every Southern state.
- A "Gumbo Garden" (gumbo is a famous Southern dish!).
- A gallery with signs about culinary heritage.
- The Museum of the American Cocktail.
- An absinthe gallery.
- A space for temporary exhibits that change over time.
In May 2011, Saveur magazine named SoFAB one of the top five food museums.
Explore Exhibits and Programs
The Southern Food and Beverage Museum has many interesting exhibits. They all focus on food and drinks.
Leah Chase Louisiana Gallery
This is a permanent gallery that celebrates Louisiana's food and traditions. It is named after Leah Chase, a famous New Orleans chef. The exhibit is called "Louisiana Eats! Laissez Faire – Savoir Fare." It covers everything from sweet beignets to harvesting crawfish. It also shows how jambalaya recipes have changed over time.
Bruning's Bar
This old bar is from the 1830s. It was saved from Bruning's Restaurant after Hurricane Katrina. Bruning's was the third oldest restaurant in New Orleans. The museum is working to restore the bar. Sometimes, it is even used as a bar during special events!
Cooking School Partnership
SoFAB works with the Deelightful Roux School of Cooking. This cooking school is actually inside the museum! It is part of the Paul McIlhenny Culinary Entrepreneurship Program. This program helps people learn about starting food businesses.
Fun Events for Everyone
The Southern Food and Beverage Museum often hosts events on weekends. These events are a great way to learn and have fun.
Demonstrations and Workshops
You can see cooking demonstrations. Experts show how to make different Southern dishes. There are also workshops where you can learn new skills. For example, you might learn about making certain drinks.
Kids' Culinary Camps
The museum also has special cooking camps for kids! These camps teach children how to cook. They also help kids learn to appreciate different foods. Teachers can even find lesson plans to use in their classrooms. These plans help teach history and culture through food.
Related Museums and Research
The Museum of the American Cocktail
Did you know there's another museum inside SoFAB? The Museum of the American Cocktail is housed here. It tells the long history of cocktails in America. It also shares how these drinks have impacted society and culture.
SoFAB's Culinary Library and Archive
In late 2013, SoFAB opened a special library. It's called the SoFAB Research Center. This library is now located at Nunez Community College in Chalmette, Louisiana. It's open to everyone!
The library has over 40,000 books. These include cookbooks, magazines, and books about food history. You can also find books on food politics, nutrition, and farming.
The center also has a growing collection of old documents. These are great for people who study food and drink culture. The library has information about food from all over the world, not just the American South.
Images for kids
-
Oretha Castle Haley Blvd, Central City, New Orleans, May 2016 - 09
-
Canning demonstration at the Southern Food & Beverage Museum in 2010
