Louisiana Eats

In 1941, Emily and Dooky Chase Sr. opened Dooky Chase Restaurant, a barroom and sandwich shop on Orleans Avenue in New Orleans. Five years later, a young girl from Madisonville, Louisiana married Emily and Dooky's son, big band leader Edgar "Dooky" Chase Jr. Under Leah's leadership, that simple shop grew into one of the first African-American fine dining restaurants in the country – the place where Leah Chase established herself as the "Queen of Creole Cuisine."

Since her passing in 2019, Leah's legacy lies in the hands of her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. On this week's show, Louisiana Eats sits down members of the fourth and fifth generations – the crew Leah always referred to as "the grands" – to reflect on their family’s history and share what they’re up to today.

We speak with her grandchildren Tracie Haydel Griffin, who runs the front of the house; bar manager Eve Marie Haydel; and Edgar "Dooky" Chase IV, who oversees the restaurant's kitchen. Also joining us is Dooky Chase's newest chef, Leah's great-granddaughter Zoe Chase.

We not only hear those young, ambitious voices, but we bring you material that we have never previously aired from our archives, featuring the late, great Leah Chase herself.

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

On this week's show, we virtually wander the hollers and ridges of Appalachia and beyond, uncovering a wild pantry surrounding us.

We begin with chef, musician, and writer Susi Gott Séguret, whose passion for her native Appalachia is only matched by her love of food. Born and raised in western North Carolina, Susi spent 20 years in Europe, spreading Appalachian music and tastes while honing her culinary chops at world-famous institutions like the Cordon Bleu. Today, Susi leads foraging expeditions in the Blue Ridge Mountains and teaches others how to blend the elegance of French cuisine with the simplicity of mountain ingredients. She's also written books that explore her experiences with foraging and Appalachian foodways, including Cooking with Truffles and Appalachian Appetite: Recipes from the Heart of America.

Then, we get a more in-depth look at the life of a forager by bringing you a favorite interview from the Louisiana Eats archives. We meet Danlyn Brennan, whose lifelong passion for wild craft is complicated by a desire to keep her methods and locations hidden. We also get a visit from Dr. Erika Siegel who offers some tips on how to deal with an upset stomach.

Finally, we speak with author Ronni Lundy, author of the James Beard Award-winning book, Victuals: An Appalachian Journey. Ronni breaks down through some of the myths surrounding the isolated region.

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

Forget the myth! No matter what month it is – whether it's spelled with an "R" or not – there is nothing quite like a Louisiana oyster. On this week's show, we do a deep dive on that beautiful bivalve that has been embedded in our state's culture and economy for centuries.

First, we hear from fifth-generation oysterman, Al Sunseri. If you've ever enjoyed an oyster in New Orleans, then odds are good that it came from Al's family business, P&J Oyster Company. Al recounts the history of the oyster processor and distributor that has fed the city its favorite shellfish since 1876.

Then, we stop into a French Quarter antique shop to learn about a Victorian-era invention designed to serve up oysters in style. Mark McBride of Moss Antiques tells us about oyster plates – luxurious dishware which today are highly sought-after collector's items.

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

On March 27th, New Orleans lost a beloved member of our culinary community. Alfred Singleton, executive chef and co-owner of the landmark French-Creole restaurant Café Sbisa, passed away at the age of 46.

Hailing from the Lower 9th Ward, Alfred was a true local success story. Having a passion for food, but receiving no formal training, Alfred got his education in commercial kitchens while rising quickly through the ranks of his native city's culinary scene. At the age of 36, he joined forces with Craig Napoli to become executive chef and co-owner of Café Sbisa – the same place where he had worked as a prep cook 20 years earlier.

Established in 1899, Café Sbisa is the third oldest fine-dining establishment in the French Quarter – one that was in a perpetual state of limbo after Hurricane Katrina. Alfred successfully returned it to its former glory, and for the next ten years, fostered a warm atmosphere there, ensuring every guest felt welcomed and was well fed.

Alfred also understood that Café Sbisa was a rare gem in his hometown: one of the few fine-dining restaurants led by a Black chef. Taking this distinction as a mandate to lead, Alfred actively embraced his role as a mentor to emerging culinary talent.

Louisiana Eats was fortunate enough to have a long, in-depth conversation with the late chef back in 2016, shortly after he took the role of executive chef and co-owner of Café Sbisa. On this week's show, we bring you an extended version of that interview, as Chef Alfred reflects on his career, his management style, and how his faith and family propelled him forward.

Then, we revisit our 2011 tribute to French Quarter cooking legend who was known as "King of Red Beans": Clarence "Buster" Holmes. British jazz drummer Barry Martyn and Chef Susan Spicer both share memories of their friend and mentor.

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

On this week's show, we meet inventors and pioneers who have changed the

way we eat. We begin with Louisiana Pepper Exchange's founder and CEO Chris

White. We also learn about Dr. Calvin Lamborn, known as the Father of the

Sugar Snap Pea, and Leon Godchaux, Louisiana's own titan of the sugar

industry in the 19th century

What makes a food distinctly American? This week, Louisiana Eats explores

that topic by serving a heaping helping of Americana – in decidedly

Southern-sized portions. We sit down with native son, Burke Bischoff, whose

paperback Po'Boy, tells the story of the classic New Orleans poor boy

sandwich. We also speak with anthropologist Ty Matejowsky, author of

Smothered and Covered: Waffle House and the Southern Imaginary.

The stock market crash of 1929 marked the end of the Roaring Twenties and the beginning of the Great Depression. Fortunes were lost, unemployment skyrocketed, and food was often scarce. This week, we take a look at some of the ingenuity and heroics that kept people fed.

First, we hear from Lance Zaal, the newest owner of the historic Lalaurie Mansion, perhaps best known as the most haunted house in New Orleans' French Quarter. But Lance has uncovered a little-known part of the site's history. Before the turn of the 20th century and through the Great Depression, it was owned by William Warrington, a philanthropist who turned the building into a community center that fed and housed those in need. Equipped with photos and documents he's dug up, Lance paints for us a very different picture of 1140 Royal Street.

During those lean years of the Depression, struggling households would often save costs by limiting their food budgets. Food writer Anne Byrn explains how mayonnaise became an essential home staple. Along the way, we also learn about some of the recipes folks used to stretch their meals and ingredients as much as possible.

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

From soybeans grown in our northern parishes to shrimp caught off our southern shores, Louisiana is truly the most delicious state in the union. But due to a growing list of obstacles such as climate change, tariffs, and the proliferation of cheap, imported goods, times are tough right now for our farmers and fishermen. Which is why it's more important than ever to get behind the delicious ingredients that come from our state. On this week's show, we celebrate food cultivated right here in Louisiana.

We begin with Jady Regard, owner and "Chief Nut Officer" of Cane River Pecan Company. What started out as a small pecan shop in downtown Natchitoches has grown into a nationwide resource for pecan gifts of all kinds. Jady tells us about the family business and his effort to make the pecan America's national nut.

Next, we visit visit Chef Marcus Jacobs at Porgy's, a dock-to-plate seafood market in Mid-City New Orleans. Marcus and his partners are on a mission to bring awareness and change to the struggling Louisiana seafood industry by only sourcing locally. That also includes introducing locals to the treasure trove of lesser-known fish species caught in the Gulf of Mexico.

Finally, 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.

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

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.

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

March 19th might be just another day in other parts of the United States, but here in New Orleans, it's a day when revelers take to the streets in honor of the Feast of St. Joseph. The tradition of food altars dedicated to Jesus' foster father came to the Crescent City in the late 1800s with immigrants from Sicily, where Joseph is the patron saint. What was called Mi-Carême (or Mid-Lent by the Creoles) was a day when fasting was suspended and festivities abounded. On this week's show, we explore the holiday and join in on the celebration.

Tony Marino's family were faithful followers of St. Joseph, and today, he keeps the tradition alive at his Bourbon Street home in New Orleans' French Quarter. We sit down with Tony to hear what it takes to pull off his annual street party, complete with altars and a life-sized statue of St. Joseph.

Then, Arthur Brocato, third generation of Angelo Brocato's Ice Cream and Confectionary, joins us to share his family's history and explain the special role Brocato's has played in the St. Joseph's Day celebration. Founded in the French Quarter in 1905, the gelateria and pasticceria continues those traditions today on Carrollton Avenue in Mid-City.

Finally, historian Laura Guccione joins us to reveal what she's discovered about the fancy dress balls that were once part of the St. Joseph tradition and to explain the mystical tie between the feast day and the Mardi Gras Indians.

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