Louisiana Eats

From New Orleans to Shreveport, Lafayette to Baton Rouge, Louisiana residents know one thing for sure: we have some good Louisiana eats! And we are loyal when it comes to those eats and everything that goes along with them. We want the waiter in our favorite century-plus-old restaurant to be the same person who waited on us in childhood. And we expect our classics – from the red beans in the pot t...

For foodies and food lovers, eating is more than just a daily necessity – it's an all-consuming passion. While this can be mostly a good thing, the long term effects of food obsession can have their drawbacks. Nationally prominent comedian and actor Dan Ahdoot knows these downsides all too well. In his debut memoir, Undercooked: How I Let Food Become My Life Navigator and How Maybe That's a Dumb W...

December is upon us, and we're making merry this festive season by discovering new mixed drinks and getting the stories behind some iconic cocktails. First, we learn about Dick Bradsell, the late, great British bartender who invented several modern cocktail classics – most notably the Espresso Martini. His daughter Bea Bradsell joins us in the studio to talk about her father's legacy in hospitalit...

The elves are busy in Santa's workshop at this time of year! So as we head into the big holiday gift-giving time, Louisiana Eats is talking with some home-grown, Louisiana elves for delicious inspiration. First, we hear from Jady Regard, CNO (Chief Nut Officer) and second-generation proprietor of Cane River Pecan Company. He tells us how the past half-century has seen his family's enterprise grow...

In our increasingly fast-paced world, traditional foods and foodways often have trouble competing with speed and convenience. But never fear. All over the planet there are people working to save the superior flavor, nutrition, and cultural significance of heritage foods. On this week's show, we introduce you to some of our greatest heritage food warriors. We begin with Sarah Lohman, author of Enda...

Japan may once have seemed like a world away, but the most delicious elements of Japanese food and drink culture have become increasingly embedded in our American psyche. On this week's show, we celebrate the complexity and craftsmanship of Japanese drinking culture. We begin with Christopher Pellegrini, longtime homebrewer, Honkaku Spirits founder, and author of The Shochu Handbook. Originally fr...

Who taught you how to cook? Perhaps it was a favorite family member or Julia Child on public television. Maybe you devour cookbooks on the weekend just for fun. The education of a professional chef can be just varied – be it a formal degree or on-the-job training. On this week's show, we explore culinary learning. We begin at one of Louisiana's educational treasures, the New Orleans Center for Cre...

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 t...

As we creep closer to October 31, Louisiana Eats is getting into the spooky spirit with our annual Halloween episode. This year, we've cooked up some pretty delicious and unsettling tales for you! We begin with culinary historian Sarah Lohman who travels back in time to share the earliest food traditions surrounding death. Sarah tells us stories of the funeral fare that gives a whole new meaning t...

The way we eat and talk about food is linked to our individual and collective identities. On this week's show, we look at the origins of some of our favorite foods and common misconceptions about them. We begin with journalist and food historian Lolis Eric Elie who discusses his journey to uncover the true origins of New Orleans' Creole food, along with the often-overlooked African contributions....

Less than an hour's drive from New Orleans' French Quarter, Baton Rouge, and Mississippi's Gulf Coast is Lake Pontchartrain's Northshore. The charming towns of Madisonville, Mandeville, and Abita Springs are filled with hospitality and delicious dining opportunities. On this week's show, we cross the Causeway to visit our Northshore neighbors. We begin at the Covington Farmers Market, which is wid...

For more than twenty years, Torre and David Solazzo have crafted an idyllic small-town life while bringing big, new flavors to Covington diners – first, at their fine-dining establishment, Del Porto Ristorante, and more recently at their gastropub, The Greyhound. David and Torre are both professionally trained chefs whose romance began in 1999, when they worked side-by-side on the line at Tra Vign...

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 fi...

There's a mouthful of memories in every family – especially if your family is in the food biz! On this week's show, we hear from New Orleanians whose parents and grandparents gave them a passion for food and a love for their community. We begin with writer and philanthropist Randy Fertel, whose 2011 memoir, The Gorilla Man and the Empress of Steak, tells the story of his larger-than-life parents....

Businesses open. Businesses close. But some businesses manage to recover from calamities of biblical proportions. On this week's show, we learn what it takes to rebuild a beloved brand after a long hiatus. First, we hear from Drew Ramsey, whose family has run Hubig's, makers of New Orleans' favorite hand pies for three generations. At least they did, until a fire destroyed their factory in 2012. B...

In today’s society, meat often gets a bad rap. But this week, we speak with three people who find great beauty in the art of the butcher, the finger-licking taste of barbecue, and even the usefulness of wild hogs. First, Chef Matt Moore chats about his latest cookbook, Butcher on the Block, which is chock full of over 125 recipes for grilling and barbecue. The volume also offers a butchering prime...

Every Saturday morning, the Covington Farmers Market delivers a delicious dose of family fun in the heart of the city’s downtown. Farmers, chefs, musicians, and foodies come together to celebrate the bounty that is Louisiana food. Widely considered to be one of the best markets in the state, it is also one of the oldest. Founded in the mid-1990s, long before the farm-to-table craze began, the mark...

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 in January at a gala celebration at The Four Seasons Hotel. On this week's show, we sit down with both honor...

Commander's Palace has been a New Orleans culinary landmark since it first opened in the city's Garden District in 1893. Once Ella Brennan and her family took It over in the 1970s, it became an international sensation, elevating Louisiana cuisine and launching the careers of chefs Paul Prudhomme and Emeril Lagasse. On this week's show, we celebrate 130 years of Commander's Palace by dipping into o...

Many chefs spend their entire careers content to run a single restaurant. But others have a different vision – one that encompasses multiple locations or even various kinds of eateries. This week, we take a look at three such New Orleans restaurateurs and find out how they've gone about building their culinary empires. We begin with Chef Aaron Burgau, who opened his first restaurant, Patois, in 20...

Barely thirty minutes northeast of New Orleans, you'll find a thriving, world class culinary scene in Slidell, Louisiana. For over 20 years now, Duffy Ramirez has paved the fine dining path at Palmettos on the Bayou. Beginning with a century-old homestead, Duffy expanded and grew his restaurant from the original 40 seats to today's capacity for up to 400 without ever losing the intimate feel of Pa...

Fine china and crystal, earthenware and artisan glassware – it doesn’t matter what you have – it can all be transformed into a personal expression of your welcoming hospitality. On this week's show, we speak with some of the nation's finest tableware experts for an education and some inspiration. First, we chat with Susan Gravely, founder of Vietri, the lifestyle company that has brightened Americ...

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 syphi...

Every year, thousands of tourists touch down at New Orleans' Louis Armstrong airport expecting to partake in an unforgettable culinary experience. With no shortage of places to drink and dine, the first question visitors often ask is: "Where do locals go?" On this week's show, we explore neighborhood spots that have a strong local following in the Crescent City. We begin with Morning Call, a coffe...

The restaurant landscape in America is rapidly changing. The pandemic gave a lot of people time to rethink, retool, and redo the way the industry works. On this week's show, we speak with young chefs and restaurateurs who are changing the rules and reshaping culinary culture. We begin with Chef Mason Hereford, who has earned a reputation for his creative approach to dining, transforming everyday i...