Bennachin

Bennachin, 1212 Royal St., 504-522-1230
(African, LD)

Fuck yeah, man. This place may have the tastiest vegan food in town, and it's in a quiet part of the French Quarter. For you geography buffs, Bennachin cooks a combo of Gambian and Cameroonian food. Forklift the jama-jama (spinach) into your mouth as fast as it'll go. The plantains would make Jesus hop down from the cross, as would the coconut rice. And each dish comes with a quaint little vaguely football-shaped white roll the same consistency as po-boy bread. I have no idea if this is a Gambian thing, a Cameroonian thing, or a New Orleans thing. The blackeyed-pea fritter po-boy is okay if you're looking for a vegan variation on the famous local sandwich, but it's a bit tasteless compared with the other mighty offerings on the menu. The fritters were sort of like deep-fried grit balls, and together with the bread packed maybe too super starchy of a punch.

If none of this sounds good to you, maybe you need to see a priest. Or you could follow this tip: many of the meat dishes are available vegan-style. I would, and do, order the dishes served with fufu, a sourdough-tasting mound of pounded cassava.

Bennachin also happens to be the perfect way to get your mind off that nasty Jazzfest sunburn. These guys have a stand at the fest at which you can slurp down some jama-jama and plantains while you're getting your jam-band boogie on.