NEW ORLEANS - The fire, the sizzle and the spices.
"Everyone wants the uniqueness of local cuisine," Jeffery Heard Sr., executive chef of Heard Dat Kitchen, said.
Heard let us watch and our mouths water as they made their specialty dish called the "Bourbon Street Love."
"It's our signature dish. It's a traditional dish. It's our Cajun friend chicken. It sits on bacon macaroni. It's finished with Creole and crawfish basil creme sauce," Heard said.
Heard's been at his Central City location on Felicity and Magnolia for three years, when he heard Black Restaurant Week decided they were launching in New Orleans, he couldn't resist being a part of it.
"We have a great Haitian background, French background, Cajun Creole. So, it's so many different cultures that's here in New Orleans. You have all these beautiful ingredients to work with," Heard said.
Over in Gentilly, the grill is hot at Sassafras Creole Kitchen.
"We have stuffed catfish. We'll also smothered okra. And of course we're home of the stuffed bell pepper!" co-owner Corey Duckworth said.
Duckworth says with Essence Fest and the 4th of July this week, showcasing the unique blend of African American cuisine in America's biggest food city, couldn't come at a better time.
"When you talk about cuisine, we are the definition of New Orleans cuisine," Duckworth said.
Black Restaurant Week started in Houston, Texas by Warren Luckett, Falayn Ferrell and Derek Robinson in 2016. Luckett said they wanted to introduce culinary cuisine to the public that showcases the impact of African American culture, while honoring entrepreneurship and Black-owned businesses.
"We started in Houston, but we said if we're going to continue to grow this thing, we have to go to New Orleans. So much of the Texas food culture is from our cousins right here in New Orleans, so, we are so ecstatic to highlight the roots of the culture down here in the south," Warren Luckett said.
Honoring the legacy of African American contributions in America, while also treating locals and visitors to a part of what New Orleans food is all about.
"We're here to want people to go home and when clientele and neighbors ask them, 'How was New Orleans?' The first thing we want them to be able to say is about the great meals they were able to have," Heard said.