Say More with Carla Pesono

Lisa Mosca is a co-owner of Mosca’s, one of the most iconic Creole-Italian restaurants in the New Orleans area. We sat down with Lisa to explore the remarkable story behind her family’s over 80-year-old restaurant, from her grandparents’ journey from Italy to Chicago and eventually Louisiana, to the generations of hard work, sacrifice, and hospitality that helped turn Mosca’s into a beloved instit...

Ian McNulty is a food critic and journalist from NOLA.com and Where Y’Eat who has spent decades documenting the restaurants, chefs, and culture that make New Orleans one of the greatest food cities in the world. We sat down with Ian to talk about how a guy from Rhode Island became one of the most trusted voices in New Orleans food journalism, what he learned covering the city after Hurricane Katri...

Dickie Brennan is a restaurateur and the founder of Dickie Brennan & Company. We sat down with Dickie to talk about growing up inside one of New Orleans’ most iconic restaurant families, carrying on a legacy that helped shape the city’s food culture, and what it really takes to lead restaurants through decades of change. From Commander’s Palace and Brennan’s to Bourbon House, Palace Café, and...

Sue Zemanick is the chef and owner of Zasu, one of New Orleans’ most acclaimed restaurants and a recent Michelin star recipient. We talk with Sue about her journey from Pennsylvania to New Orleans, working in some of the city’s most iconic kitchens, and what inspired her to open Zasu in Mid-City. She also shares the story behind earning a Michelin star, how the recognition changed the restaurant o...

James Clesi is the owner and chef behind Clesi’s Seafood Restaurant & Catering, known for some of the most talked-about crawfish boils in New Orleans. We sit down with James to talk about how he built his business from the ground up, starting with simple sidewalk pop-ups and turning them into a full-scale restaurant, catering operation, and event space. From his Sicilian roots to growing up ar...

We’re kicking off Season 2 of Say More! Nick Harrison, aka Mr. Professor, is a comedian and influencer who turned a 15-year career in education into a full-blown content empire and now a nationwide tour. We sit down with Nick to unpack how a few TikTok videos during the pandemic turned into millions of followers, brand deals, and the Gen X Takeover Tour that’s selling out shows across the country....

Korey with a K is a viral comedian and content creator from New Orleans whose laid-back, improvisational skits rack up millions of views and keep the internet laughing. We talk with Korey about how he went from casually posting short Instagram videos to building a full-time career rooted in consistency, originality, and staying true to his values. He breaks down his creative process, why he avoids...

Justin Kennedy is the general manager of Parkway Bakery & Tavern, one of the most iconic po’boy shops in New Orleans, whose story is inseparable from the city itself. We dig into Parkway’s roots as a neighborhood bakery founded in 1911, the real history behind the po’boy, and how this corner institution evolved alongside New Orleans’ changing neighborhoods, industries, and culture. Justin brea...

Arkesha Baquet is the co-owner of Li'l Dizzy's Cafe, one of New Orleans’ most iconic Creole restaurants in the Treme. We sit down with Arkesha to talk about what it really meant to step into a multi-generation family legacy during COVID, take over the restaurant after her father-in-law’s retirement, and keep a decades-long tradition alive while finding her own leadership style. We get into...

Shan Samantaray is a co-owner and executive chef at LUFU NOLA, and his path to opening one of New Orleans’ most exciting Indian restaurants was anything but traditional. We sit down with Shan to talk about moving to New Orleans from India, meeting his future business partners by chance, surviving COVID layoffs, and turning pop-ups cooked out of an apartment into a full-scale restaurant rooted in i...

Briggs Barrios is the founder of Super Witch Ice Cream Co., one of New Orleans’ most talked-about small-batch ice cream brands, and his path there was anything but traditional. We sit down with Briggs to unpack how a former stock and commodities trader turned an ice cream obsession into a cult-favorite business built on intention, craft, and consistency. We get into his years of “market research,”...

Toya Boudy is a culinarian, author, and multidisciplinary artist from New Orleans who has turned her life, culture, and grind into food, storytelling, and TV. We sit down with Toya to talk about growing up on the West Bank in a creative, food-loving family, cooking for the neighborhood at 15, navigating teen pregnancy and struggle, and eventually finding her voice through poetry, acting, culinary...

Season 1 Launching December 11th! Say More with Carla Pesono is a bold, unfiltered podcast where food personality Carla Pesono sits down with the most interesting chefs, musicians, artists, and community figures—from New Orleans and beyond. A former TV news anchor turned food creator and media personality, Carla brings her newsroom curiosity and kitchen-table honesty into every conversation. It’s...