Festival International de Louisiane will be running on all cylinders in downtown Lafayette this weekend. From the special 40th anniversary musical lineup, to an exciting list of vendors offering delicacies like boudin balls, crawfish bowls and beignet fries — Festival weekend is shaping up to be a feast for all the senses.
I never skip beignet fries from Mandez's, a shrimp po-boy from Bon Creole and the crawfish pistolettes from Poupart Bakery — but some Festival moments call for a solid burst of energy, instead of something rich, delicious and nap-inducing (looking at you, Crawfish Mimi Mac bread bowls from Pop's Poboys).
A crawfish mac n' cheese bowl from Pop's Poboys is enjoyed on Saturday, April 30, 2022, as Festival International de Louisiane returns to downtown Lafayette.
STAFF PHOTO BY BRAD BOWIE
There is a new vendor at Festival International this year, a Lafayette restaurant known for healthy dining. Five Mile Eatery opened in the Oil Center in 2022, and the space has been a thriving breakfast and lunch spot ever since, featuring hearty dishes like wild mushroom toast, a burger with an angus beef patty on a house-made sweet potato bun and a pad Thai salad that is an explosion of fresh flavor.
READ MORE: Get to know this Lafayette 'Chef to Watch' and her passion for health-minded dining
Five Mile Eatery will be located at Amazon Music Pavilion de Cuisine during Festival International, alongside a diverse row of local favorites like Cafe Habana City, Destination India and Blu Basil Asian Fusion. Five Mile's Festival menu includes chia pudding cups, a spring salad and a "3 Bean Bowl" — dishes designed to boost the body for a weekend of dancing.
Chef Kelsey Leger said the bean bowl comes with a southern-style coleslaw, fresh cornbread on the side and candied jalapenos. The "Bayou Bahn Mi" from Five Mile's regular menu — it's the one with pork, fermented carrots, cucumbers, gochujang mayo, cilantro and jalapeno on a baguette — will also be served at Festival.
The Bayou Banh Mi from Five Mile Eatery in Lafayette will be available for purchase at Festival International.
PROVIDED PHOTO
"The bean bowl is kind of our sleeper item," Leger said. "It's really high protein, and you've got some fiber in there, so I feel like it's really gonna fuel people for Festival. Beans are really good for a hangover, and the chia pudding is also really good for digesting alcohol and sugars and stuff."
Five Mile Eatery is open 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Saturday, across the street from the Ochsner Lafayette General Medical Center. The fast-paced, health-focused restaurant works for people who want something filling, but also nutritionally dense, in a hurry. Leger plans to stick to that mission at Festival International, offering food that attends to the well-being of festival-goers.
"Chia pudding is made with coconut milk, so it's really hydrating for staying in the sun all day," Leger said. "And it's really pretty, with a white creamy coconut and fresh fruit on top."
Attendees line up at food vendors as Festival International de Louisiane continues on Saturday, April 27, 2024, in downtown Lafayette.
STAFF PHOTO BY BRAD BOWIE
Being a first-time vendor at Festival International is a challenge. Leger said that Five Mile is preparing to sell thousands of barbecue burger sliders, bean bowls and chia cups this week, all in hopes that the weather will hold and they'll have enough salad mix.
"It's like you're setting up a restaurant on-site," she said. "You have to know what you're doing, and the day of, it's all unfamiliar. You've got this skeleton crew. You're training everyone on the spot, and you look out and there's a sea of thousands of people — hot, sweaty and waiting for food.
"It's a different vibe. The crowd's excited. You're outdoors. Everyone's kind of crazy. I love Festival."
In addition to the offerings from Five Mile Eatery, Festival International has partnered with Ochsner Eat Fit to provide approved recommendations that make choosing healthy options easy. Vendors, dishes and nutrition information will be available on the “Eat Fit” app, and the orange “Eat Fit” seal will appear on menu boards next to dishes like street tacos from Taqueria el Mexicano, the Bayou Bahn Mi from Five Mile and Chicken 65 from Destination India.