Drag Brunch Returns to the Commons at Tulane

On March 11,Tulane Dining by Sodexo at Tulane University again served food, fun, and glamorous performance during its annual Drag Brunch held at the Commons.

The Saturday morning event featured mocktails, complimentary springtime succulents from local female, black-owned business, Crazy Plant Bae, and musical acts by four New Orleans drag queens: Debbie with a 'D', AYAA, Laveau Contraire, and Cucci Licci.

"As a Tulane graduate, getting to come back and share my art on campus is particularly rewarding,” said Debbie with a D. “Drag Brunch in the Commons is such a fun lighthearted event, and the students always bring so much energy that it has become one of my all-time favorite shows to put on.”

Special guest Poppy Tooker, a New Orleans culinarian, cookbook author, and activist, served as emcee.

Recipes from Tooker’s cookbook entitled Drag Queen Brunch were featured by Tulane Dining for the brunch, including Boudin Burritos, Shrimp and Grits, and Banana Fosters Pain Perdu. Three of the queens who performed at the brunch are showcased in the book. Tooker held a book signing after the show during The New Orleans Book Festival at Tulane that day.

As a culinary activist, Tooker has been instrumental in reviving endangered local foods, such as Creole cream cheese and rice calas (click for recipes). Tooker’s NPR-affiliated radio show and podcast “Louisiana Eats!” carries her message state-wide and beyond. She has been featured alongside celebrities like Bobby Flay, Andrew Zimmern, Jeff Corwin, Mo Rocca, and Wynton Marsalis.

“We love to run the Tulane Drag Brunch event because it allows us to be inclusive and create a safe space for all,” said Marketing Coordinator Raven West. “We don't just serve the students; we serve everyone who comes into the dining hall and events like these allow us as Tulane Dining to create memories around food.”