Folks are familiar with New Orleans' home-grown Creole and Cajun cuisines. But the Crescent City is also the perfect place to taste the diverse and vibrant flavors coming out of Latin America. This week, we pay tribute to chefs who are bringing Latin American fare to local tables.

First, we sit down with Ana Castro. In January, Ana was named a semi-finalist for the 2026 James Beard award for Best Chef: South. Ana explains the path she took before she and her sister Lydia opened her much-lauded contemporary Mexican seafood restaurant, Acamaya.

Then, we visit father-son duo Carlos and Will Avelar at their family business, Mawi Tortilleria. Will was a rising star in the culinary world when he and his father decided to join forces to provide fresh, authentic corn tortillas to the community.

Finally, we hear from Carlos Sanchez, owner of Tournesol Café and Bakery, who spends his days in downtown Covington creating the delicious breads and pastries of his native El Salvador.

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