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When I ask you to think of Creole food, images of pink crawfish meat bubbling in stews and andouille-heavy gumbos may be the first thought to come to mind. But if you were to ask Fabrice Armand, he might point towards Haiti's “kreyol" food or how mofongo and tostones found in Puerto Rico are just a part of the “criollo” cuisine. You see, Armand has become something of a student of the cuisine, exploring its influences found in Africa, the Caribbean and Latin and South America as he curates the immersive Creole Food Festival. For its seventh year, the food festival, in conjunction with Time Out Market New York, Dumbo, will take root in Brooklyn for the very first time. We spoke with Armand about his early interest in the culinary field, the breadth of Creole cuisine and what to expect for the festival's first arrival in Brooklyn.
You have a strong background in marketing, from working at the ACLU to owning your own businesses. So when did food come into the mix?
Fabrice J. Armand: I've always loved culinary. I grew up in a family where women were traditionally trained cooks. But when I was vice president [of business development & marketing] at G Caribbean Magazine, I actually went to Haiti to cover the Haiti Food & Spirits Festival. That's when I met all my contacts in terms of chefs, including Gregory Gourdet and chef Digby Stridiron. I found out, through that experience, that a lot of chefs of color have to work five times as hard to get notoriety and recognition. That's when my business partner and I, Elkhair Balla, decided to actually create a food festival.
Why was it important to cover the wide range of Creole culture across the diaspora?
FA: Normally, when people think of Creole, they just think of Haiti and New Orleans. It is completely far from the truth. When you think of Creole, "kreyol," "kriol," "criollo"—these are all culinary traditions that connect Africa, the Caribbean, Latin America, South America, and the South of the U.S., even Asia, to a certain extent. We did research for two years before actually even creating the festival, and we discovered that Creole food really connects all of the diaspora.
What types of cuisines have you featured thus far?
FA: We have featured chefs from Senegal, Nigeria, Hawaii, Colombia, Venezuela, Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. Also important for us is to include the South; the South has a very rich Creole tradition. When you think about Charleston, South Carolina, that's Gullah Geechee. Obviously, everybody knows New Orleans, but Atlanta as well.
Were there any cuisines that were unfamiliar to you?
FA: Belize and Honduras have Creole food, but they call it garifuna. We really discovered that the palates in terms of traditions are very similar to those in the Caribbean and Latin America.
Creole Food Festival has since popped up outside of New York, including Washington D.C. and Miami. How did that come to be?
FA: We try to go to cities that have a strong, diverse population that reflects the festival. We are looking forward to entering Boston, and we were invited to Oakland and L.A. In addition to that, we were invited internationally to Kigali, Rwanda, in addition to Martinique and Guadalupe
For its seventh year, Creole Food Festival is coming to Brooklyn for the first time. What prompted the move?
FA: People have been asking us to come to Brooklyn since our third year. We just did not have the right partnership and the right venue. So when Andrew Denno, the general manager of Time Out Market, wanted to actually host a Creole Food Festival in conjunction with the market, it just made sense. Time Out Market celebrates diversity in culinary, and we celebrate [it] as well. Because of the partnership with Time Out Market and the invitation by Andrew Denno, we are hosting the Creole Food Festival under the Brooklyn Bridge on September 27 at the Emily Robin Plaza.
Speaking of, the grand tasting on September 27 is the most anticipated event of the festival. What people can expect?
FA: We have 12 chefs that are confirmed, not even including the restaurants that are participating. Our chefs are award-winning, celebrity and talented chefs. For example, Kelvin Fernandez was named "Best Chef in America" in 2016, 2017 and 2018 by Forbes. He's a "Cutthroat Kitchen" champion and he beat Bobby Flay. Chef Ronnie Laurice, who is the only Caribbean chef to have a restaurant on The Champs-Élysées in Paris, is flying in for it.
The grand tasting also includes a special album release performance by Grammy-nominated artist Stacy Barthe & Friends. How did that come to be?
FA: Stacy is an artist that I've actually always loved and always celebrated. She has written hits for Beyonce, Rihanna, Nipsey Hussle and Katy Perry. Besides being an incredible writer, she's an incredible vocalist. She's gonna be coming out with her new album.
New to the festival this year is the community component. Can you tell us more about that?
Anybody can have access to the plaza. So even if you don't buy a ticket, you will still be able to listen to the DJs and live music—you'll still be able to partake. You might get a little bit hungry by smelling all the great aromas, but at the same time, it is still open for the people.
What do you want people to take away from the weekend?
FA: One of the things that we're celebrating with the Creole Food Festival is diversity and inclusion. All these chefs are sons and daughters of immigrants. Creole Food Festival is a representation of the creativity and talent of immigrants that exist in the United States.
The Creole Food Festival will be held from September 26 to September 27. The grand tasting will be held on Saturday, September 27. Purchase your tickets here.