Louisiana Eats

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 coffee and beignet shop with over 150 years of local history. Co-owner Bob Hennessey talks with us about the beloved café that opens early and closes late on the edge of Mid-City.

Then, we visit local institution Juan's Flying Burrito. A quarter century ago, founder Warren Chapoton saw a lot of fine-dining restaurants and funky dives in New Orleans, but nothing in between. He and co-owner Jay Morris explain how their "punk rock burrito shop" got off the ground and expanded across the city.

We also make our way over to popular Bywater restaurant Pizza Delicious – a place regulars call Pizza D. Co-owner Michael Friedman talks with us about the hot spot, which he opened in 2015 with Greg Augarten.

Finally, we join Geoffrey Meeker, owner of French Truck Coffee. It took only one cup of coffee from San Francisco to inspire him to become a New Orleans coffee purveyor. Now, Geoffrey and his team are at the vanguard of what is often characterized as the "third wave" coffee movement.

For more of all things Louisiana Eats, be sure to visit us at PoppyTooker.com.

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 ingredients into sublime dishes. With the emergence of each eatery he has opened since his first successful venture, Turkey and the Wolf, Mason has also broken new ground in his approach to management and restaurant culture.

Then, Chef Serigne Mbaye discusses his approach to operating his fine dining establishment, Dakar NOLA. Serigne is among a growing number of chefs here and around the country who are finding that serving a seasonal tasting menu translates to a better experience for both the restaurant's guests and staff.

And when it comes to rethinking everything, Saint Germain has got it going on. After years of working in the industry, co-chefs Blake Aguillard and Trey Smith and general manager Drew Delaughter set out to run a restaurant their way. The trio offers a 10-course tasting menu to a small number of diners at a time in their renovated shotgun house.

Finally, we travel across the Causeway to meet Anna Watkins and Amanda Birdsong, the dynamic duo currently causing a stir in downtown Covington at Cured on Columbia.

For more of all things Louisiana Eats, be sure to visit us at PoppyTooker.com.

Each July, Tales of the Cocktail draws tipplers from across the globe to New Orleans for a week-long celebration of cocktails and mixology. On this week's show, we get into the spirit of the event with world-renowned cocktailians who have made a big splash in the cocktail world.

At the turn of the 21st century, bartenders began to discover the old ways of mixing drinks and the craft cocktail revolution was ignited. David Wondrich was at the center of that movement. David tells us about those early days and his accidental debut as a cocktail writer.

Then, Robert Simonson, called "our man in the liquor-soaked trenches," by the New York Times, discusses the role New Orleans has played in the decline and revival of craft cocktails. He also tells us about his acclaimed book, The Old-Fashioned, which is devoted exclusively to the lore and legacy of an iconic drink.

Finally, we speak with a man who's got whiskey in his blood: Bulleit Bourbon founder Tom Bulleit. He explains what propelled him to bite the bullet and pursue a full-time career in whiskey.

For more of all things Louisiana Eats, be sure to visit us at PoppyTooker.com.

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.

New Orleans is a melting pot of cultures, music, and – of course – food. On this week's show, we explore some international flavors found in our own backyard. We begin with Merritt Coscia and Tyler Stuart of Plume Algiers. Although neither of the American-born-and-bred pair have any Indian heritage in their backgrounds, they became captivated by the culture and flavors of India when traveling across the subcontinent. The couple's passion for regional Indian cuisine is on display at their restaurant Plume Algiers on New Orleans' Westbank. Merritt and Tyler join us in the studio to talk about their restaurant and the travels that inspired it.

Passion is certainly the driver behind Abigayle Rhode-Pausina's work. The New Orleans native has taken her cultural exploration to Lebanon and beyond, but has most recently concentrated her efforts on the Lebanese and Syrian families who have called the Crescent City home for generations. We sit down with Abigayle to discuss her new exhibit at the Southern Food and Beverage Museum called "A Syrian-Lebanese American Kitchen."

Finally, Chinese food continues to be a favorite both locally and across America. In her food blog, Omnivore's Cookbook, Maggie Zhu writes about modern Chinese cooking, Asian-inspired dishes, and classic recipes designed for the Western home chef. For her first cookbook, "Chinese Homestyle," Maggie narrows her focus to plant-based dishes. She speaks with us about the book and shares some tips that are as simple as they are delicious.

For more of all things Louisiana Eats, be sure to visit us at PoppyTooker.com.

On this week's show, we look at agriculture and innovation in our state and beyond. We begin with New Orleans' native son Richard McCarthy, founder of the Crescent City Farmers Market and former executive director of Slow Food USA. The activist recently published a book entitled, Kuni: A Japanese Vision and Practice for Urban-Rural Reconnection. Richard shares the revolutionary ideas and practices his co-author Tsuyoshi Sekihara is using to save rural areas that were abandoned in postwar Japan.

Then, we get an up close look at Louisiana's rice production with expert Steve Linscombe. Steve currently serves as director of the Rice Foundation, but for most of his career, he was instrumental in innovating Louisiana’s rice varieties and cultivation.

Finally, we learn about Nourish Louisiana, a state-funded food purchase program that buys food from local farmers from socially disadvantaged backgrounds and feeds communities that need it most. We speak with two of the program's partners: Natalie Jayroe of Second Harvest Food Bank and Margee Green of Sprout NOLA.

For more of all things Louisiana Eats, be sure to visit us at PoppyTooker.com.

New Orleanians have always loved to cook and to share what they've made with others. So it makes sense that as soon as there was television, there was a Crescent City chef on the screen spreading the good news of New Orleans food. The first was an African American cooking star named Lena Richard, who made her TV debut on WDSU-TV in 1949. Fast forward to today, and it’s tough to tune in to any cooking show and not see a familiar face. This week, three local chefs walk us through the fun and the frenzy of their television encounters.

We begin with Mason Hereford of Turkey and the Wolf and Molly's Rise and Shine, who talks about his experience in the lauded Iron Chef competition as well as his popular appearance on Late Night with Seth Meyers. More recently, Mason took part in another media adventure and host Poppy Tooker went along for the ride.

Next, chef and YouTube star Toya Boudy explains the strategies she used when making her rounds on cooking competition shows. Toya talks about her life and mission, which she talks about in her first cookbook, Cooking for the Culture: Recipes and Stories from the Streets of New Orleans to the Table.

Finally, Chef Kevin Belton tells of his journey from a child growing up in New Orleans to cooking show host on PBS affiliate WYES and WWL-TV.

For more of all things Louisiana Eats, be sure to visit us at PoppyTooker.com.

From beignets to poor boys, gumbo to jambalaya, and crawfish to boudin, Louisiana’s cuisine is as eclectic as it is delectable. On this week’s show, we explore our state’s rich food culture, based on centuries of Creole and Cajun traditions.

We begin with New Orleans native and Southern Food & Beverage Museum founder Liz Williams. She spent many years researching her award-winning book New Orleans: A Food Biography, which would go on to be selected for the One Book One New Orleans program during the city’s tricentennial year. Liz explores the roles history, geography, and economics played in shaping the Crescent City’s distinct culinary identity.

Then, we take a close-up look at Louisiana’s most emblematic foods with author Maggie Heyn Richardson, author of Hungry for Louisiana. Maggie tells us about red boudin and why it's in danger of disappearing from our state.

Finally, we stir our appetite for roux, rice, and gumbo with The Essential Louisiana Cookbook author Stanley Dry.

For more of all things Louisiana Eats, be sure to visit us at PoppyTooker.com.

In her book, To Boldly Grow, author Tamar Haspel uses the term "first-hand food" to describe anything you get with your own two hands – meals we grow, fish, hunt, or even forage. According to the Washington Post food columnist, growing and sourcing your own food just makes it taste better. On this week's show, we get our hands dirty and meet some people who have a passion for the great outdoors.

Before Tamar shares her wisdom with us, we learn what the buzz is about at New Orleans' Audubon Zoo. While more exotic creatures may be what draw the crowds, both native and European honey bees can be found bumbling around the zoo's grounds. Curator Dominique Fleitas gives us a tour of the Pollinator Garden and shows us the hives she helps maintain in the Louisiana Swamp Exhibit.

We also tell you about the strange history of hippos in Louisiana and meet Danlyn Brennan, who has spent her life foraging wild edibles. Her passion for wild craft is clear yet complicated by a desire to keep her methods and locations hidden.

For more of all things Louisiana Eats, be sure to visit us at PoppyTooker.com.

On Columbia Street in the heart of downtown Covington, you'll find Cured. on Columbia – a culinary venture that doesn’t fall neatly into a traditional category. It's part coffee house and part pub, with a changing menu that includes everything from sandwiches and soups to cheese and charcuterie boards. It's perhaps better defined by its vibe. Cured. on Columbia is a sunny, lively space that embraces guests as they are and gives them a place to kick up their heels and hang out – anytime from morning coffee to cocktails after work.

Co-owners Amanda Birdsong and Anna Watkins joined us in their back garden to talk about their community-based business – a place some locals have described as "Covington's living room."

For more of all things Louisiana Eats, be sure to visit us at PoppyTooker.com.