4th annual Food Fight NOLA returns to Lafreniere Park
Tina Howell • March 17, 2025
The highly anticipated 4th Annual Food Fight returns on Thursday, March 27th, at the Carousel Lawn at Lafreniere Park in Metairie. Organized by Yeah You Right Events, this exclusive one-night-only event promises a diverse and exciting mix of exceptional food, cocktails, and live entertainment. This exciting food competition features over 40 restaurants and 30 spirits competing to see who can create the Top New Orleans dishes and cocktails. Local chefs and bartenders will compete in five categories: Top Traditional Dish, Top Creative Dish, Top Vegetarian Dish, Top Classic Cocktail, and Top Creative Cocktail for NOLA Boards trophies.
This all-inclusive event benefits the PLEASE Foundation, a Louisiana non-profit dedicated to breaking the cycle of poverty in New Orleans through education. PLEASE Foundation provides at-risk teens with mentorship, leadership training, and scholarships to attend local college-preparatory high schools.
Food Fight organizer Shane Finkelstein said, “We’ve found that Lafreniere Park is the perfect venue for our events. This year, we have the most diverse lineup of restaurants we’ve ever had, and it’s going to be an unforgettable night.”
Food Fight 2025 ticketing options include:
- $145 VIP
- $115 Early Entry/First Tasting
- $95 General Admission
Early Bird tickets are available online now. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.foodfightnola.com
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The second preseason game is shaping up to be quite the interesting one as there is numerous position battles being waged. These position battles are being fought over depth chart positioning or for the couple of roster spots up for grabs. Here is what I am looking out for in the preseason matchup against the Rams. The battle to be the backup quarterback behind Shough. Entering training camp I didn’t see this becoming a legitimate battle but give credit to Zach Wilson for taking advantage of his opportunities while Spencer Rattler has not done enough to cement himself as the backup thus far. Zach Wilson made some good reads and throws in the previous game showing he can move the offense down the field into scoring position. Moving the offense down the field was something Spencer Rattler was not able to do and will need to in this game if he wants to keep this a competition heading into the final preseason game against the Cowboys. This battle could come down to the wire so buckle up over these next two games. Up next I am keeping an eye on is the WR depth chart battle. With Tyson injured there is a good chance another roster spot opened up for another wide receiver to make the roster. But not only that because of the injury there is increased opportunity for these young wide receiver to make a bigger impact early on in their careers than expected. I’ll be looking to see if they can take advantage of that or if the Saints might have to add a veteran to the mix to bring in some experience. Speaking of experience, it appears as though the experience Charlie Smyth got last year has not translated into consistent results quite yet which leaves the door open Tanner Brown to potentially win the kicking job should Smyth continue to miss on his opportunities. This is a position where it’s been in a flux since Will Lutz was moved the team would greatly benefit from some consistency and reliability after not having for a couple years. However, the experience Martin Emerson Jr and Jayden Price have showed up in a big way in the Jaguars game. I’m looking to see if they can make the same kind of impact in this game as they did in the last because if so I think the Saints would feel a lot better about the cornerback position heading into the season as they probably did heading into training camp. Lastly with the news of Alvin Kamara being out for a few weeks with an injury of his own I’d like to see if any of the other running backs on the roster can standout and make a case for themselves to be RB3. Last week Ty Chandler had the kickoff return which set up Audric Estime for the touchdown so I give them the lead on trying to secure a roster spot as of right now. But there is still time for someone else to make a case over these next two games to widen the competition. Looking at the game in general I’m pretty excited to see how the team looks versus the Rams. The Rams have been a Super Bowl contender for a while and will prove to be a good litmus test for the Saints to see where they are in their preparation for the regular season. It’s one thing to look good against the Jaguars but another if they look good against the Rams.

K
Jackson Courville- Ohio State
He committed on January 12, 2026 (after entering the portal January 2) and is now on Tulane’s 2026 roster as a redshirt junior (#96, 5’10”, 185 lbs) from Centerville, OH (Centerville HS).
Here’s why Courville aligns so well with the Green Wave program:
• Proven Leg Strength and Clutch MAC Production
: In two seasons as Ball State’s starting kicker (2023-24), he went 26-of-34 on field goals (76.5%) and 54-of-56 on extra points. Highlights include a game-winning 52-yard FG as time expired vs. Northern Illinois (2024), his career long, plus multiple makes from 50+ yards. He was automatic inside 40 yards and showed the power and accuracy Tulane needs after the departure of standout Patrick Durkin.
• P4 Experience and Fresh Start
: After battling for the job at Ohio State in 2025 (limited to just 4 XPs in one appearance), he brings valuable Big Ten reps and camp competition experience. Now at Tulane, he’s locked in a competitive spring battle with Cooper Helmke and Zach Marini.
• Immediate Depth and Competition in a Reloading Unit
: Tulane aggressively addressed special teams via the portal after losing Durkin. Courville arrives as a high-upside veteran with two years of eligibility left, ready to compete for the starting job and provide reliable kicking depth right away.
In short, Jackson Courville is a smart, high-character portal pickup who brings proven production, big-leg power, and built-in chemistry with the offense to a position group that needed reinforcements. #RollWave Make sure to follow Patrick Harkness on X

