ROUSES_Fall2023_Magazine

In the fall of 2022, after 17 years, Vaucresson’s Creole Café & Deli opened in its original location on St. Bernard Avenue. In addition to the popular sausage po-boys, the café also serves gumbo and plate lunches. All the sausage varieties are offered by the pound in the deli. Ask Vance and he’ll agree: His number one asset is Julie Frederick Vaucresson, his wife of over two decades. Julie really knows how to “think outside the casing” when it comes to the sausage business. These days she is known as the “Creole Sausage Queen” as she promotes easy ways to cook New Orleans food on local TV. Most recently, Julie ventured into the mustard business. “A couple of years ago I looked at the enormous amount of mustard we purchased annually and thought we should do our own. It would be a perfect complement to our sausage and work as stand alone products as well,” she said. Hiring a food scientist and recipe developer to acquire the basics, Julie tweaked the recipes until she had just what she wanted. Classic Creole Mustard, Louisiana Pecan and Mango are all popular flavors. Classic Creole Mustard is also offered in a spicy version. “For years I’d watch people douse our hot sausage po-boys with hot sauce, so I thought, ‘Why not?’ We’re in New Orleans and we like spice!” Julie hopes to have the mustards jarred for resale soon. “It’s a dream of ours, to one day have the sausages and

mustards all available for sale in Rouses Markets,” Vance smiled. Plans are in the works at Rouses Markets to make that dream a reality soon. The couple’s two children, Vance, Jr. (V.J.) and daughter Hilary, grew up in the family business. This Vaucresson generation has created quite a social media sensation. V.J. is an aspiring rap artist who writes catchy material for the family to record. Hilary is the family filmmaker who edits the funny spots. Even Julie’s mom, Josette Frederick, hilariously gets in on the act, making a cameo appear ance in every video. The Creole culture of the Seventh Ward remains paramount in every aspect of Vaucresson’s business. Today, the café is a bustling community hub “where you can come in, see some of your people, meet new ones and immerse yourself in the neighborhood’s history,” Vance said. On Saturdays, they host “Power Girl Pop Ups,” where Black female entrepreneurs sell their products. “So many people generously allowed us to pop up in their businesses while we were getting our brick and mortar together,” Julie said. “We really want to pay it forward.” New Orleans’ Creole culture is thriving on the corner of St. Bernard and North Roman in the Seventh Ward, with the Vaucresson family as keepers of the flame.

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