Where to eat: The food at Fried Chicken Fest is diverse, as are the vendors

Down by the Riverwalk Mall food court there is a stand called Mr. Shrimp's Kitchen. It's known for (you guessed it) shrimp. Meanwhile, Metairie restaurant Ba Chi Canteen has the Vietnamese word for pork belly in its name and on its entire menu.

But this week it's fried chicken that's consuming the creative energy, competitive spirit and logistical planning at both restaurants.

They are two of dozens of food vendors for this year's National Fried Chicken Festival, which returns to New Orleans' lakefront on Saturday and Sunday. They're all out to please the masses and vie for coveted Best of Fest awards and serious bragging rights in a chicken-loving region.

Louisiana's fall calendar is full of food festivals and competitions. But the lineup of vendors here shows how different the National Fried Chicken Festival is.

It is diverse in nature and the result of an organization determined to provide a path to advancement for smaller players.

Cleveland Spears, founder of the festival, calls it fundamental to the event's mission.

Many of the vendors are known for fried chicken – names like Redbird, Bonafried, Chubbie's, Gus's, Chicken's Kitchen, Picnic Provisions & Whiskey. Others only resort to fried chicken for the holidays.

Tellingly, the list is peppered with lesser-known mom-and-pop restaurants, caterers and food trucks that you don't always see at big festivals like this.

The learning curve for new vendors can be steep, so the festival is investing more resources into preparation and support. Another goal is to give all vendors the opportunity to perform well at the festival by providing businesses across the community with a platform to reach a larger portion of that community.

And people come to the Fried Chicken Fest. I applaud fried chicken's broad appeal, spanning gastronomy across the country and around the world, from Korea to the Caribbean and from Mr. Shrimp Kitchen to Vietnamese cuisine at Ba Chi Canteen. All of this is also happening at this year's festival.

Behind it are small food vendors ready to spread their wings.

I'm basically Ian McNulty.