The George Rodrigue Foundation鈥檚 Aioli Dinner Supper Club at the Cabildo was more than a meal 鈥 it was a feast for the senses, a step back in time and a tribute to art, history and community.
The event was one in a long series of "multi-course culinary experiences" that pop up around the state to pay聽tribute to Rodrigue's 1971 landscape painting titled "The Aioli Dinner."
The George Rodrigue Foundation鈥檚 Aioli Dinner Supper Club on May 29, 2025, at the Cabildo was more than a meal 鈥 it was a feast for the senses, a step back in time, and a tribute to art, history and community.
The painting was Rodrigue鈥檚 first to feature people 鈥 specifically, members of the Creole Gourmet Societies. In their heyday between 1890 and 1920, the men gathered for elaborate six-hour meals at homes in and around New Iberia, Rodrigue鈥檚 hometown.
On a personal level, I have a soft spot for Rodrigue.
I had the chance to be with him on many occasions during his years in Lafayette. In fact, I was with him on Sept. 15, 2005, in the chaos after Katrina, when he signed the original "We Will Rise Again," the blue dog underwater, which he used as a fundraiser for the Red Cross. The print has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for charity.聽
Some guests at the George Rodrigue Foundation鈥檚 Aioli Dinner Supper Club on May 29, 2025, at the Cabildo in New Orleans, pose around a table in a gallery to commemorate Rodrigue's painting, "The Aioli Dinner."
On that day, he said to me, "The dog's head is not under water. His body is, but his head isn't. He's reaching out for hope."
I couldn't help but think about what he would say 20 years later as we approach the Katrina anniversary.
The event at the Cabildo was timed to coincide with the exhibit, "Rodrigue: Before the Blue Dog," which is open through Sept 28. The whole evening at the Cabildo was a blend of looking back and looking forward.
Guests at the George Rodrigue Foundation鈥檚 Aioli Dinner Supper Club on May 29, 2025, at the Cabildo enjoyed the chance to explore "Rodrigue: Before the Blue Dog," which is open through Sept 28.聽
Before dinner in the Cabildo's second-floor front gallery, we were invited to enjoy the Rodrigue and other exhibits. As much as I enjoyed the dinner, I appreciated the time spent in the galleries even more.
Seeing Rodrigue鈥檚 work always brings back memories,聽but being in the place where so much of history unfolded made Louisiana's sweeping story feel so accessible. In that quiet hour, I connected dots I hadn鈥檛 before 鈥 and felt what I always hope to in a Louisiana museum: a deeper sense of belonging in this complicated, beautiful state.
The dinner took place at a table, seated for 88 people, that ran the length of the Cabildo's second-floor front gallery 鈥 a room that has seen its share of history. For example, 5 feet from where I sat, I could read a sign that read, "Lafayette stood here."
"Lafayette stood here." In the center of the front gallery on the second floor at the Cabildo, a sign commemorates where Lafayette stood in 1825.
I sat there, juxtaposing my surroundings with the scrumptious menu of corn and crab bisque, shrimp remoulade salad, an incredible grilled pork chop with tasso Marchand de vin and Creole cream cheesecake with Louisiana strawberries for dessert, prepared by chef Matt Diunizio.聽
In Rodrigue's painting, the dinner's inspiration, all of the people are wearing black and white, and in keeping with that spirit, guests to the events are asked to wear black, white or a combination thereof.
I felt brave and chose to wear a white cotton dress. I made it without spilling anything until my last bite of dessert, when a Louisiana strawberry found its mark, dribbling down my dress, grazing the hem before hitting the floor.聽
Guests at the George Rodrigue Foundation鈥檚 Aioli Dinner Supper Club on May 29, 2025, at the Cabildo enjoyed the chance to explore聽"Rodrigue: Before the Blue Dog," which is open through Sept 28.聽
As I bent to pick up the wayward berry from the floor, I couldn鈥檛 help but think about the contrast 鈥 a simple accident in a room that had seen so many monumental moments.
For centuries, the building has hosted events that changed the course of the country. In 1803, the Louisiana Purchase transfer ceremonies were held there, sealing the deal that more than doubled the size of the United States. In 1825, the Marquis de Lafayette visited New Orleans and stayed at the Cabildo.
The massive structure on Jackson Square was built between 1795 and 1799 during the city鈥檚 Spanish rule. The architect Gilberto Guillemard designed it and its neighbors, the St. Louis Cathedral and the Presbyt猫re.
The George Rodrigue Foundation鈥檚 Aioli Dinner Supper Club on May 29, 2025, at the Cabildo was more than a meal 鈥 it was a feast for the senses, a step back in time, and a tribute to art, history and community.
The Cabildo was the heart of New Orleans' city government for decades. Then, it became home to the Louisiana Supreme Court where in 1892, it was the site of the ruling that set the stage for Plessy vs. Ferguson, one of the most pivotal and painful chapters in American civil rights history.
That鈥檚 the magic of Louisiana 鈥 and of Rodrigue.聽They invite you in with beauty and flavor, then surprise you with depth.
As the evening wound down and I stepped out onto Jackson Square, I kept thinking about Rodrigue鈥檚 words: 鈥淭he dog鈥檚 head is not under water. He鈥檚 reaching out for hope.鈥 That line has stayed with me for years, and somehow, it felt right for the night.
Events like this don鈥檛 just honor an artist or a moment in history. They invite us to slow down and connect聽鈥 to get to know the people across the table, to see ourselves in the stories on the walls and even in small, sweet accidents 鈥 like a strawberry on a white cotton dress.
In a place as layered and complicated as Louisiana, that sense of belonging is, itself, a kind of hope.
Admission to the Cabildo is $11 for adults, $9 for Seniors, active military/students and free for children 6 and under.聽The is scheduled for Oct. 9, 2025 at the 乱伦社区 Museum of Art in Baton Rouge.聽Chef John Folse & Company will prepare the dinner. For tickets or more information, go to聽.
