Louisiana Eats

On this week’s podcast we speak with the proprietor of a local beignet bistro, Bernard Stolberg. His charming little Garden District shop on Magazine Street between harmony and 8th has become quite popular with the locals and tourists alike for its fabulous beignets, and full bar. Usually there is an assortment of businesspeople, college students, and dog lovers soaking up the atmosphere and enjoying those tasty treats. On a rainy afternoon, we sat down with Bernard on the back patio -- that is until the rain ran us inside, to talk about those fabulous beignets and how our sponsor, Gulf Coast Blenders, has aided in his success.

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

On this week's show, we take a journey into the Ice Cream Underground to uncover the magicians taking America's favorite dessert to new heights right here in Louisiana.

We begin with Sam Caruso, who has overcome a host of challenges to find a sweet opportunity with Laozi Ice Cream.

Then, we meet Rahm Haus Ice Cream's Jillian Duran, who draws on her fine pastry-making skills to create batches of ice cream that push the limits of what’s possible. 

Finally, we satiate our sweet tooth with a visit to downtown Covington where we sample a flight of flavors from Hoodoo Ice Cream with co-owners Billy Sussky and George Schenck. 

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

The old adage is that a woman's place is in the kitchen. Despite that well-worn saying, it wasn't until the second half of the 20th century that women began finding their place in the restaurant kitchen. For this week's show, we gather together a powerful group of females who are breaking barriers and setting new standards for excellence in their fields.

We begin with Nina Compton of Compére Lapin and Bywater American Bistro, the first Black female chef to receive the coveted James Beard "Best Chef" nod. She explains what it took to get there and why the Saint Lucia native chooses to call New Orleans home.

Then, we talk with hometown girl Meg Bickford, the first female to ever rise to the executive chef's position at Commander's Palace. There's an awful lot of talent and power in that tiny little frame.

Finally, we meet new restaurateur, Betty Sun of Lotus Bistro, who celebrates powerful women from the menu to the décor of her tiny little sushi spot in New Orleans' Lakeview neighborhood.

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

Just across Lake Pontchartrain, in the quaint little downtown of Covington there’s a charming yellow cottage filled with English tradition and taste. That’s the English Tea Room, established in 2002 by Jan and Tim Lantrip. Guests of the establishment experience one of the finest High Teas to be found anywhere on this side of the pond! When we sat down with Jan and Tim, we knew we were in for a spot of tea – but had no idea of the wealth of knowledge about to be served up with it!

A word to the wise, make reservations before you visit the English Tea Room, as the seats tend to fill quickly. If you’d like to try the experience yourself at home, you can visit the tearoom virtually at englishtearoom.com. Be forewarned, I must admit that since our visit, I have developed a serious taste for Jan’s Scottish Caramel Pueh-er tea. Luckily – they ship, so now it’s delivered regularly to my door.

If you enjoyed this podcast please rate us on your preferred listening platform. 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.

On Thursday, Juneteenth was designated as a federal holiday to commemorate the effective end of slavery in the United States, just days before the June 19 anniversary. This week, to mark the occasion, we revisit our 2016 trip to the Whitney Plantation, the only plantation museum in Louisiana that focuses entirely on the lives of enslaved people.

The Whitney Plantation is one of three surviving Civil War-era sugar plantations located in St. John the Baptist Parish along the Mississippi River. There, we join Director of Research at Whitney Dr. Ibrahima Seck, who gives us a personal tour of the property.

We make our first stop at a restored nineteenth century Baptist church, where we learn about slavery as viewed through the eyes of children. Not far from the church, Dr. Seck brings us to a large monument engraved with names and information about the enslaved individuals who lived at Whitney. We also step into one of the site's 22 cabins and tour the oldest detached kitchen in Louisiana, making our final stop at the big house where the Haydel family lived.

Following our visit to the plantation, we speak with Sybil Haydel Morial—educator, activist and former First Lady of New Orleans—who learned later in life of her family’s connection to the Whitney Plantation. Sybil chronicled her breadth of experience during the civil rights era and the years that followed in her memoir, Witness to Change.

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

One of the most popular forms of literature today is the memoir. These days, folks with barely three decades under their belt are writing their memoirs, but on this week's show, we hear from four wise women who relate a lifetime of memories along with valuable lessons learned in theirs.

We begin with Southern baker and activist Lisa Donovan, whose book, Our Lady of Perpetual Hunger is a raw, honest, and brave telling of a life that will leave you hungry for more. In her memoir, Lisa explores how reclaiming her narrative is not merely an act of ego – but one of solidarity, universality, and inspiration.

Then, we speak with award-winning writer Ann Hood. Her writings explore the human condition, frequently drawing upon her own life experiences, including her journey with grief following a terrible family tragedy. While none of her previously published eight books fall into the food genre, her most recent, Kitchen Yarns, explores her life through what she was eating (and cooking) during the most salient times.

Next, we hear about Elissa Altman’s unique upbringing. In her second memoir Treyf: My Life as an Unorthodox Outlaw, the award-winning author and food blogger explores how tradition, religion, and the forbidden impacted her childhood growing up in Queens, New York.

We end with Mary Giuliani, author of Tiny Hot Dogs. As an awkward kid growing up on Long Island in the 1980s, Mary's dream was to one day become a famous actor – preferably, a cast member on Saturday Night Live. Today, she plays a different kind of role: as caterer to the stars. Famous for her finger food recipes, she regularly works with A-list celebrities in the worlds of fashion, art, and movies. In her book, Mary weaves together a collection of memories from her life while offering a glimpse into the career of a celebrity caterer.

Over the last several years, the dining category of breakfast and brunch have simply exploded

across the nation. On this week's show, we’re looking at the popular weekend ritual in New Orleans and beyond.

We begin with Jennifer Weishaupt, founder and CEO of the Ruby Slipper Restaurant Group. The Ruby Slipper Café has prospered and multiplied in a way that Jennifer and her husband Eric could never have anticipated when they opened their very first Mid City location in 2008. She tells us about her ever-expanding breakfast and brunch empire, now serving hungry diners in locations across five states.

Then, we’re off to Tujague's for an authentic taste of the country’s latest sensation – drag brunch. We go backstage to introduce you to some of the rollicking New Orleans drag queens who are delivering a little pizzazz to go with your eggs Benedict. Debbie with a D, Princess Stephanie, Mistie Bonét, Laveau Contraire, and Cucci Licci give us a glimpse into their lives both in and out of the spotlight.

Finally, we join Chris Jay of Stuffed and Busted on a trip to Marilynn’s Place, a popular casual dining restaurant in Shreveport that specializes in Sunday brunch. The eatery is now celebrating 10 years in business.

The beignet. That simple square of fried dough is undeniably one of the Crescent City’s most famous foods. Few visitors leave town without a ceremonial dusting of powdered sugar that occurs with every beignet bite. Since the mid-nineteenth century, the ubiquitous donut has been sold from French Market stands accompanied by steaming hot cups of café au lait. Twenty-first century chefs and restaurateurs have taken that simple fried dough to new heights, filling them with ingredients both savory and sweet and featuring them on menus far from home.

We kick off this week’s show with Bob Hennessey, co-owner of Morning Call. After a two-year hiatus, the iconic shop is back in Mid-City – serving up beignets and café au lait just like it did 150 years ago.

Next we meet Jaclyn Robinson, of the Mo’Bay Beignet Company. She credits the successful launch of her Alabama business to divine inspiration.

Then, we stop by a warehouse in New Orleans East, where Gulf Coast Blenders works to provide most of the Crescent City's famed beignet locations with a dry mix specially formulated for each customer’s needs – resulting in a light, fluffy beignet that is the standard in this city.

Finally, we make our way to The Vintage, a café that has built its entire concept around beignets in both Baton Rouge and the Big Easy.

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