Louisiana Eats

St. Tammany Taste Quick Bites: Roots Plants & Coffee

Want some plants to go with that coffee? On a sunny corner of Olde Town Slidell, Roots Plants and Coffee is keeping the Northshore caffeinated along with views of some tropical greenery. Located in a former antique mall, the cozy café is filled with vintage furniture, warm vibes, and those unique plants available for purchase. On a busy weekday morning, Louisiana Eats stopped by Roots Plants and Coffee to share a cup of java with owner Bryisha Lyons.

The Creole African Connection

Historically, when people consider the roots of classic Creole food, the French are given most of the credit. But lately there has been increasing focus on the African hand that stirred those pots. New Orleans has been blessed in recent years with an influx of young African chefs and restaurateurs who have been busy shedding new light on where our food really came from. On this week's show, we honor those ancestors with the help of New Orleans’ new African culinary guard. From Addis NOLA, we...

The Creole African Connection

Historically, when people consider the roots of classic Creole food, the French are given most of the credit. But lately there has been increasing focus on the African hand that stirred those pots. New Orleans has been blessed in recent years with an influx of young African chefs and restaurateurs who have been busy shedding new light on where our food really came from. On this week's show, we honor those ancestors with the help of New Orleans’ new African culinary guard. From Addis NOLA, we...

Altars, Beans & Cuccidati

March 19th might be just another day in other parts of the United States, but here in New Orleans it's a day when revelers take to the streets in honor of the Feast of St. Joseph. The tradition of food altars dedicated to Jesus' foster father came to the Crescent City in the late 1800s with immigrants from Sicily, where Joseph is the patron saint. What was called Mi-Carême (or Mid-Lent by the Creoles) was a day when fasting was suspended and festivities abounded. On this week's show, we explo...

Altars, Beans & Cuccidati

March 19th might be just another day in other parts of the United States, but here in New Orleans it's a day when revelers take to the streets in honor of the Feast of St. Joseph. The tradition of food altars dedicated to Jesus' foster father came to the Crescent City in the late 1800s with immigrants from Sicily, where Joseph is the patron saint. What was called Mi-Carême (or Mid-Lent by the Creoles) was a day when fasting was suspended and festivities abounded. On this week's show, we explo...

Finding Cultural Identity At The Table

On this week's show, we explore the ways culture and identity can collide at the table. We begin the hour with a conversation with Andrea Wang, author of the award-winning picture book, Watercress. With illustrations by Jason Chin, Andrea's book is an autobiographical tale of a child of Chinese immigrants discovering and connecting with her heritage. Then, we speak with New Orleanian Christina Quackenbush of the Filipino food pop-up Milkfish. Christina was born in the Philippines and raised ...

100 Years Of Camellia Beans

Ask any New Orleanian what they eat on Mondays, and you'll likely get the same reply: "red beans and rice." For 100 years now, that humble bean has been practically synonymous with Camellia Brand. Lucius Hayward founded Camellia in the Crescent City in 1923, naming the company for his wife's favorite flower. Over the last century, generations of New Orleanians have showered much love and devotion on that dried kidney bean, but as you'll learn on this week’s show, it has been far from a one-si...

...And More King Cake

On this week's show, we continue our exploration of all things king cake. Throughout Carnival season, local bakers are hard at work creating their own spin on the treat – one that can make or break their year. When Steve Himelfarb and his wife Becky Retz opened Cake Café, they set out to develop their own signature cake – a delicious combo of apple and goat cheese that has outlasted the bakery itself. We catch up with Steve at the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts (NOCCA) where his king ca...

Carnival Means King Cake

From Twelfth Night though Mardi Gras Day, king cake becomes somewhat of a local obsession here in Louisiana. And over the last few years, it seems like the Carnival treat is simply on steroids! Across the state, bakers have expanded the design from the original brioche dough ring decorated with purple, green, and gold sugar to create cakes featuring every kind of filling – both sweet and savory. No one knows more about king cake than Matt Haines, author of "The Big Book of King Cake." Matt u...

Recipes Lost And Found

A recipe can be more than a guide to making food. On this week's show, we meet culinary detectives who are using recipes to unlock the past. We begin with the inspiring story of humanity preserved through recipes from the time of the Holocaust. Chef Alon Shaya joins us to share the story of a family cookbook he encountered while visiting the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and how it led to a collaboration and friendship with Steven Fenves, a man who survived the horrors of that time....

Recipes Lost And Found

A recipe can be more than a guide to making food. On this week's show, we meet culinary detectives who are using recipes to unlock the past. We begin with the inspiring story of humanity preserved through recipes from the time of the Holocaust. Chef Alon Shaya joins us to share the story of a family cookbook he encountered while visiting the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and how it led to a collaboration and friendship with Steven Fenves, a man who survived the horrors of that time....

The Culinarily Curious

To write a cookbook, a good author will go to great lengths to perfect a recipe or understand a cuisine. On this week's show, we meet four food writers who are driven by a deep culinary curiosity. You may know Melissa Clark from her weekly column in the New York Times food section or from one of her 45-odd published cookbooks. We join Melissa in the studio to discuss the art of recipe-making to find out what led the prolific author to a life in food. We also speak with Vicky Bennison, the cr...

The Culinarily Curious

To write a cookbook, a good author will go to great lengths to perfect a recipe or understand a cuisine. On this week's show, we meet four food writers who are driven by a deep culinary curiosity. You may know Melissa Clark from her weekly column in the New York Times food section or from one of her 45-odd published cookbooks. We join Melissa in the studio to discuss the art of recipe-making to find out what led the prolific author to a life in food. We also speak with Vicky Bennison, the cr...

Ella Brennan Award Winners

New Orleans chefs Susan Spicer and Frank Brigtsen are both culinary icons. They are also back-to-back recipients of the coveted Ella Brennan Lifetime Achievement Award, presented each year by the New Orleans Wine & Food Experience: Frank was recognized in 2022; Susan received the 2023 award last week at a gala celebration at The Four Seasons Hotel. On this week's show, we sit down with both honorees – who each have culinary careers spanning over 40 years – to learn about their successes and ...

Ella Brennan Award Winners

New Orleans chefs Susan Spicer and Frank Brigtsen are both culinary icons. They are also back-to-back recipients of the coveted Ella Brennan Lifetime Achievement Award, presented each year by the New Orleans Wine & Food Experience: Frank was recognized in 2022; Susan received the 2023 award last week at a gala celebration at The Four Seasons Hotel. On this week's show, we sit down with both honorees – who each have culinary careers spanning over 40 years – to learn about their successes and ...

Leah Chase: A Centennial Celebration

Twelfth Night 2023 marks 100 years since the birth of the late New Orleans icon, Leah Chase. The culinary legend, who passed away in 2019 at the age of 96, was the undisputed Queen of Creole cooking and a civil rights activist who changed lives over a bowl of gumbo. On this week's show, we spend the hour honoring Leah's talent, achievements, and lasting legacy. We begin with one of our favorite Louisiana Eats moments: a special day we spent with Leah eleven years ago, when then-Mayor Mitch L...

Louisiana Eats! 2022 Year In Review

This week, we look back at some memorable highlights from 2022 and remember those we've lost. We begin with our 2011 conversation with Tennessee Williams scholar Dr. Kenneth Holditch, who died in December. A professor at the University of New Orleans, Dr. Holditch helped establish festivals honoring Williams' life here and in two other cities. Dr. Holditch shares stories of the Pulitzer-winning playwright, whom he counted among his many friends. Then, we take you back to Jackson Square, wher...

The Chase And Brennan Family Legacies

It is an undisputed fact that Louisiana grows some of the best restaurant talent in the nation. On this week's show, we sit down with the best and the brightest of Louisiana's legacy restaurant families. We begin with the next generation running Dooky Chase's Restaurant in New Orleans. Since the death of Leah Chase in 2019, the crew she always referred to as "the grands" have stepped up to nurture and grow the legacy Leah established with her husband, the late Edgar "Dooky" Chase Jr. We spea...

A Very Merry Zero-Proof Holiday

It's the time of year for celebrations, and on this week's show, we're bringing the party – but without the booze! Our zero-proof holiday begins with a visit to Dream House Lounge in New Orleans. There, Dr. David Wallace serves up drinks that use adaptogens like kava or reishi mushrooms instead of alcohol. Aside from its delicious drinks and energizing oxygen bar, Dream House is a place where David encourages what he calls "soul-care" – a place for guests to nurture good spiritual and mental ...

The Apothecary Around The Corner

Alcohol in almost any form is one of the oldest medicines known to man. On this week's show, we explore the world of high proof healing. We start with Camper English, author of Doctors and Distillers: The Remarkable Medicinal History of Beer, Wine, Spirits, and Cocktails. Camper covers everything from mystic botanicals and their monastic apothecary origins to the unusual relationship between syphilis and root beer. The conversation continues with Noah Rothbaum, who expounds on curatives that...

The Apothecary Around The Corner

Alcohol in almost any form is one of the oldest medicines known to man. On this week's show, we explore the world of high proof healing. We start with Camper English, author of Doctors and Distillers: The Remarkable Medicinal History of Beer, Wine, Spirits, and Cocktails. Camper covers everything from mystic botanicals and their monastic apothecary origins to the unusual relationship between syphilis and root beer. The conversation continues with Noah Rothbaum, who expounds on curatives that...

Warming Hearts and Homes

Whether it's newly built or has been in your family for generations, your home is your refuge and sanctuary. It's where you nurture your family and where friends come to call. On this week's show, we have lots of friends who have come a-calling with advice on how to make your home the spot where everyone wants to be.  We begin with Beau Ciolino and Matt Armato. You may know them from their wildly popular lifestyle blog, Probably This. With a love of DIY projects, the couple has spent years t...

Turkey Time On Louisiana Eats!

On this week's show, we gather around the table to delve into Thanksgiving stories and recipes. We begin with Chef Kevin Belton. The public television host shares childhood memories of his mother, Sarah Thomas Belton who took Thanksgiving hospitality to a whole new level.  Next, we visit with Sara Roahen, author of Gumbo Tales, who endeavored to make the late, great Paul Prudhomme's legendary turducken recipe in her home kitchen. We also hear the origin story of Spinach Madeleine from its...

Tastemaking Legends

On this week's show, we explore the lives of New Orleans tastemaking legends and meet the next generation who are following in their footsteps. We begin with Al Copeland Jr., who recently memorialized his famous Popeyes-founding father in a book entitled Secrets of a Tastemaker. Written by Chris Rose, Kit Wohl, and the Copeland family, the book shares Al's life story – from his humble beginnings and through its highs and lows. And do you remember chef Warren Leruth? He's the chef who invente...

Northshore Road Trip

On this week's show, we’re trekking across the Causeway once again to explore the culinary scene in St. Tammany Parish. We begin at Backwater Farmstead in the rural town of Bush, Louisiana. There, Ross McKnight and his family make foie gras, a luxury food they hope to make more accessible in our state. After we tour the farm, we head over Olde Town Slidell to meet Jeremy and Alyssa Reilly of Restaurant Cote and the Maple Room. These high school sweethearts have carved out a very special place...

Northshore Road Trip

On this week's show, we’re trekking across the Causeway once again to explore the culinary scene in St. Tammany Parish. We begin at Backwater Farmstead in the rural town of Bush, Louisiana. There, Ross McKnight and his family make foie gras, a luxury food they hope to make more accessible in our state. After we tour the farm, we head over Olde Town Slidell to meet Jeremy and Alyssa Reilly of Restaurant Cote and the Maple Room. These high school sweethearts have carved out a very special plac...

Conjuring Crescent City Spirits

This year, Americans are expected to spend upwards of 3.4 billion dollars to decorate their homes for Halloween. But here in New Orleans, we don’t have to decorate – we're just plain old spooky already! On this year's Halloween edition of Louisiana Eats, we go Garden District ghost hunting with Kristen Dugas before we welcome nationally renowned psychic Cari Roy – along with ghost-busting, equipment-toting Misti Gaither – into Poppy's Canal Boulevard home. The house was built for Angelina Pr...

St. Tammany Taste Quick Bites: Abita Brew Pub

The story of Abita Beer, Louisiana's first craft brewery, all began in the sleepy little town of Abita Springs. In 1986, the Blossman family ventured into the business at a downtown Abita Springs location — a 100-seat brew pub, which they completely outgrew by 1994. Today, Abita Brew Pub is owned and operated by the second generation of the Essaied family who continue to serve delicious American fare in a comfortable, casual atmosphere right on the Abita Springs Trailhead. Every November, th...

Considering Creole, Keeping The Culture

Do you have a favorite hot spot where your family has gathered for generations? Is it still there? Sadly, when it comes to Black-owned bars and lounges, many have been disappearing from local landscapes – often without fanfare or mention. New Orleans native L. Kasimu Harris has watched with dismay as many of these vital Black establishments have closed their doors in recent years. Since 2018, he has been documenting those that remain, capturing photos and oral histories as part of his ongoing...

Considering Creole, Keeping The Culture

Do you have a favorite hot spot where your family has gathered for generations? Is it still there? Sadly, when it comes to Black-owned bars and lounges, many have been disappearing from local landscapes – often without fanfare or mention. New Orleans native L. Kasimu Harris has watched with dismay as many of these vital Black establishments have closed their doors in recent years. Since 2018, he has been documenting those that remain, capturing photos and oral histories as part of his ongoing...

Quick Bites: Al Copeland Jr. Secrets Of A Tastemaker

Love that chicken from Popeyes! If you love Louisiana food, it’s a safe bet that you’re a Popeyes lover too. The company that has grown to over 3,000 stores stretching from one end of the globe to the other, all started right here in New Orleans. Today, Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen includes locations in more than 30 countries. You’ll find that chicken in London, Sri Lanka, the Philippines – there’s over a dozen Popeyes in Jamaica for goodness sake! But none of that would be possible if it weren...

Three Louisiana Chefs

On this week's show, we visit with three Louisiana chefs who have compiled many accolades and awards in restaurants across the South. First, we hear from James Beard Award-winning chef John Currence, whose upbringing in New Orleans has informed his illustrious restaurant career based in Oxford, Mississippi. John describes the through-lines of his craft, which includes a strong sense of place and a healthy dose of humility. Then, we stop by Pêche Seafood Grill in New Orleans' Warehouse Distr...

St. Tammany Taste Quick Bites: Backwater Foie Gras

Foie gras – that’s French for fat liver. This celebrated luxury food is found mostly in high-end restaurants where even a small amount is quite costly. Traditionally, foie gras production has centered in the Aquitaine region of France where for hundreds of years ducks and geese have been carefully fattened in order to produce the large, ivory-colored lobes. Force-feeding is usually mentioned in conjunction with foie gras production, but the truth is wild birds in nature annually gorge themsel...

Where Are You From?

Where are you from? While what we eat may reveal our origins, it can also reflect our life's travels from one home to another. Chef Anh Luu was born in New Orleans to parents who emigrated to the United States from Vietnam. She discovered her love of restaurants at the age of 15 when she first began working the line. When Katrina blew Anh and her family to Portland, Oregon, she became a pioneer of Viet-Cajun cuisine – an amalgamation of her Vietnamese and Louisiana heritage. She's now back in...

Where Are You From?

Where are you from? While what we eat may reveal our origins, it can also reflect our life's travels from one home to another. Chef Anh Luu was born in New Orleans to parents who emigrated to the United States from Vietnam. She discovered her love of restaurants at the age of 15 when she first began working the line. When Katrina blew Anh and her family to Portland, Oregon, she became a pioneer of Viet-Cajun cuisine – an amalgamation of her Vietnamese and Louisiana heritage. She's now back in...

Family Style Food Love

What does family mean to you? For the folks on this week's show, when it comes to food, family means everything. NOCCA Culinary Arts student and Chopped Junior champion Retiba Hagazzi is a perfect example of that. The bright, ambitious teenager learned how to love people through food from her father, Khalid. They share that love with the world every time their food truck, Sittoo's Kitchen pulls up. They join us in the studio to share their story. Jarred Zeringue of Wayne Jacob's Smokehouse p...

Family Style Food Love

What does family mean to you? For the folks on this week's show, when it comes to food, family means everything. NOCCA Culinary Arts student and Chopped Junior champion Retiba Hagazzi is a perfect example of that. The bright, ambitious teenager learned how to love people through food from her father, Khalid. They share that love with the world every time their food truck, Sittoo's Kitchen pulls up. They join us in the studio to share their story. Jarred Zeringue of Wayne Jacob's Smokehouse p...

Legends And Legacy

How do you create a life's legacy? If you've ever had a bite of Chef Frank Brigtsen's authentic Creole cooking, you've tasted it. From 1978 through the early ’80s, Chef Frank earned his culinary stripes in the kitchens of Commander's Palace and K-Paul's, working under the watchful eye of Paul Prudhomme. Building on those years of apprenticeship, in 1986, he opened Brigtsen's Restaurant to local and national critical acclaim. The legendary New Orleans chef joins us to look back at his 50-year ...

Behind The Rolling Pin

Backyard To Table

On this week's show, we explore backyards, balconies, and rooftops where folks are cultivating their own food. We begin with Big Okra. That’s the name that gardener Jack Sweeney has given to his over 15-foot okra plant towering over his New Orleans backyard. We visit Jack and the Okra Stalk on site – but what made it grow so tall? Was it the seeds that spawned this Guinness World Records-worthy plant? We hear from the man who gave him those seeds: Jack's dad Neil, a Baton Rouge attorney who k...

Backyard To Table

On this week's show, we explore backyards, balconies, and rooftops where folks are cultivating their own food. We begin with Big Okra. That’s the name that gardener Jack Sweeney has given to his over 15-foot okra plant towering over his New Orleans backyard. We visit Jack and the Okra Stalk on site – but what made it grow so tall? Was it the seeds that spawned this Guinness World Records-worthy plant? We hear from the man who gave him those seeds: Jack's dad Neil, a Baton Rouge attorney who k...

Southern Food From Four Sides

According to Matthew Raiford, when it comes to American haute cuisine, one need look no further than the South. On this week's show, we explore the possibilities of Southern cuisine with celebrated authors and chefs – beginning with Matthew Raiford. The self-described CheFarmer is spreading the good word of his Gullah Geechee heritage through a new book, Bress 'n' Nyam. Then, culinary superstar Sean Brock joins us to discuss his award-winning tome, "South." In the book, Sean breaks down the ...

Siblings, Spouses, & Snoballs

Peanut butter and jelly. Onions, bell peppers, and celery. The food world is filled with dynamic duos and terrific trios. On this week's show, we meet spouses, siblings, and close friends whose bonds have been deeped by their love of food, drink, and music. We begin with the popular New Orleans pop-up Chance in Hell Snoballs where owners Kitten N' Lou craft all their flavors with local ingredients and combinations you may have never heard of before. When they're not making snoballs, the marr...

Sicilian Stories, New Orleans Style

St. Tammany Taste Quick Bites: Jeremy & Allysa Reilly of Restaurant Cote and the Maple Room

St. Tammany Parish is filled with family owned and family focused businesses, which exactly describes Restaurant Cote and the Maple Room in Olde Towne Slidell. Chef Jeremy Reilly and his wife Allysa opened their family business almost ten years ago and while growing the restaurant, grew their own family as well, adding two children to the Reilly family mix. Chef Jeremy’s food has deep roots in traditional French cuisine with distinctively Louisiana accents. The Maple Room and Restaurant Cote ...

Cookbooks: A Deep Sea Dive

In today's fast-paced world, where virtually every recipe can be conjured up by doing a quick search online, do cookbooks really matter? After hearing this week's show, we think you'll join us in a resounding yes. Cookbooks teach us techniques and introduce us to new ingredients and cultures. They expand our palates and remind us of old-fashioned ways of doing things – ways that can evoke memories of our long-lost loved ones. On this week's show, we meet Mason Hereford of Turkey and the Wolf ...

Spirited & Spiritless Drinks

Tales of the Cocktail is back! After a two-year hiatus, one which was held virtually, what is arguably the biggest alcohol event in the world will take place again this year during the last week of July. In honor of the 20th anniversary of one of the wettest events to ever hit New Orleans, on this week's show, we explore all things alcohol and non-alcohol.  In recent years, Tales has become increasingly conscious of the need for balance in a life behind the bar – the inspiration for their Be...

Being Brennan

When it comes to sharing our authentic food culture, there is no family as influential over time as the Brennans of New Orleans. Almost 80 years ago, Owen Brennan got the party started at the Old Absinthe House. Since that time, the family has grown and prospered, giving us all a wonderful time along the way. On this week's show, we sit down for the first time with the fourth generation of one of America's premier food families. We hear from Ralph Brennan's kids Kathryn Brennan McLeod and he...

St. Tammany Taste Quick Bites: Nick Asprodites of The Blue Crab Restaurant

Nick Asprodites didn’t originally intend to open one restaurant much less two. When he spotted an empty Lakeshore Drive lot for sale, his first thought was to build a fuel dock there, but once he ran the numbers, he realized he’d need the support of a food and beverage operation to make it viable. When the Blue Crab Restaurant and Oyster Bar opened in 2013, Nick revived the tradition of lakefront seafood dining to the West End. In 2021, the now well-seasoned restaurateur and his family expand...

50 Years of Chez Panisse

In August 1971, a food revolution was quietly launched in California with the opening of a small Berkeley bistro called Chez Panisse. At a time when pre-packaged fast food was all the rage in the U.S., Chez Panisse created dishes using locally sourced meats and farm-to-table produce. The fabled restaurant became an incubator for the Slow Food movement and sparked a change in attitudes toward food across America. At the helm, was founder and food revolutionary Alice Waters. And in the kitchen...