The Big Easy Bucket List

Étouffée, jambalaya, po'boys and more: It's time to master Louisiana's culinary lingo.

Head to the Pelican State now for a foodie's dream vacation, where you can stuff yourself silly with spicy Andouille and gorge on authentic gumbo.

Don't wait until Mardi Gras season. Here are four Tasting Table-approved reasons to book your trip to the Gulf state now:

Take a statewide beer crawl. Sip your way through the growing Louisiana Brewery Trail, from the famed Abita Brewing Co. in eastern Louisiana to special pale ales crafted to pair perfectly with Southern seafood at Bayou Teche Brewing.

Eat (seafood) like a local. That is, Creole-style. Head to Steamboat Bill's for a classic crawfish boil, The Boiling Point for traditional rice and pork sausage and Evangeline's Café and Bakery for crawfish pistolettes.

Celebrate po'boys (and a 5,000-egg omelette). Nothing says fall in Louisiana like a giant omelette that can feed a whole army. Get an education on all of Louisiana's staples, from po'boys to pecans, at this fall's crop of food-centric fairs.

Cross authentic beignets off your bucket list. Treat yourself to the Louisiana classics: Gumbo at Prejean's Restaurant, jambalaya at the aptly named Jambalaya Shoppe and, of course, beignets from Café Du Monde.