Vance Vaucresson: Vaucresson's Sausage Company (New Orleans, LA)

Vaucresson Sausage has been a true flavor of New Orleans since 1899. Vaucresson's Sausage Company is a third-generation, family-owned business in the 7th Ward of the city, and its current caretakers are Vance Vaucresson and his wife Julie. They're well-known members of the community but especially visible each year during Jazz Fest when patrons que up for their famous, fresh sausage po-boys. Vance is not only keeper of the family recipes, but a steward and ambassador of New Orleans culture as well, and that includes being a jazz singer. Music, food, and community are forever entwined in this city, and the spicy bite of his distinct sausages shows up on restaurant menus, in home kitchens, and at the just opened Vaucresson's Creole Cafè & Deli. It's the next chapter in this family legacy, and just like a good jazz riff, it's all about keeping the notes flowing and making it work through improvisation and perseverance.