Louisiana Eats

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 Beyond the Bar initiative, which has introduced physical and mental self-care sessions at the event, along with a focus on low- or no-alcohol products. That's where Lauren Chitwood of Spiritless comes in. She tells us about the development of her alcohol-free line of liquor that is a dead ringer for the real thing when mixed in a cocktail glass. 

At his bar and restaurant, Latitude 29 in New Orleans, tiki revivalist Jeff "Beachbum" Berry serves up much harder stuff – lavishly garnished cocktails with historical significance. We speak with him about the history of tiki bars in the U.S. and their global comeback, which was fueled in no small part by his first book, Beachbum Berry's Grog Log. 

Then, we stop by Wetlands Sake, Louisiana's first sake brewery. That favorite drink of Japan is now being made right off of Tchoupitoulas Street using Louisiana rice.

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

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 her brother Patrick, Dickie Brennan's daughter Sarah and his nephew (Lauren Brennan's son) Geordie Brower, and the cousin who is guaranteed to spice things up, president of Baumer Foods, Inc., Pepper Baumer.

This crew of cousins behaves much more like siblings. They are all very close in age, share much of the same interests, and are now raising a fifth generation – with Sarah, Geordie, and Pepper all adding to that growing number in just the last few months.

We also meet father-son chef duo Gus Martin and Gustar Martin. Gus and Dickie Brennan worked at Commander's Palace when they were both in high school. Gus' mom, Gustar's grandmother, was the first female floor captain there. The Brennans treat their employees like family, which explains a bit about Gus and Gustar's career with them.

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

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 expanded to Lake Pontchartrain’s Northshore when they opened a second waterfront Blue Crab at the Pointe Marina in Slidell.

Visit the Blue Crab by boat or car soon. Both restaurants do have docks for easy mooring and the views are incomparable! For more info visit thebluecrabnola.com or thebluecrabnorthshore.com.

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Big thanks to our sponsor, the St Tammany Parish Tourist Commission. Stay, play, and get away on the Louisiana Northshore! Discover the bounty of the bayou and rich culture from award-winning chefs, soulful mom and pop restaurants, extraordinary bakers, and creative mixologists. Request the FREE Explore the Northshore Visitor Guide today for inspirational stories, custom itineraries, and event information at LouisianaNorthshore.com/Guide 

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

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, were a succession of talented chefs who would go on to gain success in their own endeavors.

On this week's show, we celebrate 50 years of Chez Panisse by digging into our archives to bring you the voices of some of its famous alumni. We begin with Jeremiah Tower, who teamed up with Waters to put Chez Panisse on the map.

We then voyage into the vegetable kingdom with Deborah Madison, and explore Jewish cooking with Joyce Goldstein who both spent formative years in the Chez Panisse kitchen.

Finally, we revisit our conversation with Cal Peternell, who spent 22 years of his life with the Chez Panisse family.

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

The life of a chef is often regarded as glamorous and exciting, but in reality, it’s a hard life – exemplified by long hours and frequent financial challenges. For many, it’s the only life imaginable.

Nathanial Zimet, the ambitious chef behind Boucherie and Bourrée in New Orleans, falls directly into that category. Drawn to the restaurant business at the age of 15, the North Carolina native soon learned it was the only career for him. On this week's show, we sit down with Nathanial to explore what led him from London's Le Cordon Bleu to his purple food truck in New Orleans, where his culinary life here began.

From Hurricane Katrina to a near-fatal shooting in 2011 – the indomitable Nathaniel has risen to the top, again and again.

So has Troy Ball, a charming Southern belle, whose hobby as a moonshiner became a means of helping her family survive. Troy’s memoir, Pure Heart, tells a very personal story of how a bankrupt mother with two profoundly disabled sons found happiness and financial success while becoming the first legal female moonshiner in Southern history.

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

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.

On this week's show, we’re joined by seasoned spice experts who want to shake up the way you think about spices. We begin with Linda Shiue, a doctor and chef who guides her patients to cook healthier meals by harnessing the power of spices. Linda was just starting to spread the word about spices when we first met her in 2016. Now she's back in our studio on the heels of publishing her new book, Spicebox Kitchen: Eat Well and Be Healthy with Globally Inspired, Vegetable-Forward Recipes.

Then, we speak with Lior Lev Sercarz, a chef, spice blender, and owner of La Boîte in New York City. Lior discusses his career's trajectory from sergeant of the Israeli army to spice master, and explains why he believes both home cooks and professional chefs will benefit from delving into spices.

Finally, Natasha MacAller, also known as “The Dancing Chef,” describes her journey from professional ballerina to celebrated chef, a path that led to her 2016 book, Spice Health Heroes.

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

There’s a lot more to a successful wine business than just growing grapes! Monica Bourgeois and Neal Gernon are experts on that topic. The two wine lovers met while working in the New Orleans hospitality industry.They gained retail experience managing bottle shops before transitioning to wholesale wine distribution, making great California vineyard friends along the way.Together, Monica and Neal identified a void in the wine business. They began to imagine a way to combine special blends, artistic and fun packaging and what they call “great juice at reasonable prices” - which is how Vending Machine Wines was born over a decade ago.When these two locals learned that Louisiana’s only premiere winery, Pontchartrain Vineyards was for sale, their ambition grew. Wandering along St. Tammany Parish roads, we spotted the Wild Bush sign and stopped in for a visit. It was such fun we continued the conversation later in our Louisiana Eats studio resulting in this Tammany Taste Quick Bite! While on the Northshore, stop in for a visit at the Wild Bush Tasting Room just off Hwy 1082 in Bush, Louisiana. The tasting room is open Thursday thru Sunday noon till 4 pm. And don’t miss Jazz in the Vines happening annually in both spring and fall.

To learn more about special offerings and events at the vineyard, visit their website wildbushfarmandvineyard.com.

Big thanks to our sponsor, the St Tammany Parish Tourist Commission.Stay, play, and get away on the Louisiana Northshore! Discover the bounty of the bayou and rich culture from award-winning chefs, soulful mom and pop restaurants, extraordinary bakers, and creative mixologists. Request the FREE Explore the Northshore Visitor Guide today for inspirational stories, custom itineraries, and event information at LouisianaNorthshore.com/Guide

This podcast was produced by Blake Longlanais for Poppy Tooker Broadcasting.

New Orleans is well known for its legacy restaurant families. And now, just across the Mississippi River in Gretna, the Mandina clan is poised to claim its own place in our culinary pantheon. On this week's show, we meet three generations of family who have made Tony Mandina’s a Westbank culinary institution.

We begin with the restaurant’s namesake founder and his wife Grace Blanchard Mandina. Having no prior experience in the business, the couple ran the restaurant with help from members of their extended family. Grace shares stories of some pitfalls and laughs in those early days, when the ragtag team found themselves having to make it up as they went along.

The Mandinas’ Sicilian roots make their story a particularly rich and delicious one. We learn about the family's history, which can be traced back to Salaparuta, a town in southwest Sicily. Tony recounts the first time he met his aunts in the Old Country in 1960. Ever since then, the family has maintained a connection to their family across the Atlantic, even forging new relationships with distant cousins, resulting in an import/export business.

Tony and Grace's three daughters began working in their parents' restaurant as children. In 2020, middle daughter Kolette Mandina-Ditta took over the reins of Tony Mandina's, along with her daughter Lindsey Marcel. Both of them join us in the studio to discuss growing up in the restaurant, and Kolette describes what motivated her to write "Tony Mandina’s Kitchen," a new book featuring a collection of family history and recipes.

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