On this week's show, we take a close look at superstar chefs to learn what it takes to reach the top.

We begin with Chef Tory McPhail of Commander’s Palace. Through determination and dedication to his craft, Tory has secured his place in the Commander’s Palace family, as well as the restaurant’s chef legacy. Tory discusses his career and relationship with the late Chef Jamie Shannon.

Then, we visit with Chef Alfred Singleton, who co-owns the historic Cafe Sbisa in New Orleans’s French Quarter. Born and raised in the lower Ninth Ward, Alfred spent nights and weekends at his family’s poor boy shop peeling potatoes and shrimp. He shares with us how he went from dishwasher to business owner, working his way up the ranks at some of the Crescent City’s best restaurants.

And Jeremiah Tower talks about his groundbreaking tenure at Chez Panisse in the 1970s, as well as the remarkable, international path his career has taken since those days. Jeremiah’s life has been immortalized by an impassioned 2017 documentary called Jeremiah Tower: The Last Magnificent, produced by the late Anthony Bourdain.

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

Tory McPhail, Commander's Palace, Jamie Shannon, Alfred Singleton, Cafe Sbisa, Jeremiah Tower, Chez Panisse, Louisiana Eats, Poppy Tooker, Anthony Bourdain,

Louisiana Eats!, food, culture, cocktails, beer, Peche, Ryan Prewitt, Uruguay, seafood, live fire, Brian Landry, cold smoking, Mabry House, Chris Jay, French Quarter Drinking Companion, recipes, Milkfish Ceviche

It’s Carnival time on Louisiana Eats! On this week’s show, we take to the streets with a distinctive krewe of food lovers.

We begin with author and songwriter Johnette Downing, who’s also known as “the pied piper of Louisiana music traditions.” Johnette shares her latest album, Swamp Romp, which, among other things, seeks to answer the eternal question, Who put the baby in the king cake?

Next, writer Sally Asher and illustrator Melissa Vandiver introduce us to The Mermaids of New Orleans, who choose one day of the year to mingle with those of us who live above water—Mardi Gras Day, of course!

Jean LaFleur II also joins us to talk about the Courir de Mardi Gras, a ritual that takes place in rural Creole and Cajun parishes.

Then, Chris Jay illuminates the robust Carnival culture of North Louisiana, where there’s no shortage of parades, king cakes, and daiquiris.

Finally, we visit Will Samuels at the King Cake Hub in New Orleans, an enormous mansion-style funeral home that carries king cakes from across the region. 

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

Johnette Downing, Swamp Romp,Sally Asher, Melissa Vandiver, Mermaids of New Orleans, John Lafleur II, Chris Jay, Louisiana Eats, Poppy Tooker

On this week’s show, we’re sharing untold stories of lives spent in service. We begin with a tour of the Kemper Williams Residence at the Historic New Orleans Collection with decorative arts curator Lydia Blackmore, who conducted exhaustive research on the individuals who worked for the Williams family.

Next, we revisit our interview with the late historian Michael Mizell Nelson. In 2010, Michael took us on a streetcar ride for a history lesson about the streetcar strikes of 1929 and their connection to the advent of the poor boy sandwich.

Then, Adrian Miller discusses the African American men and women who fed our First Families, from George Washington to Barack Obama.

Finally, we hear from the great Dr. Rudy Lombard, who passed away in 2014 after a lifetime of civil rights activism. Rudy’s vision for change was spurred in part by his personal experience as the child of the housekeeper and cook at the Uptown residence of prominent New Orleanians.

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

Kenner-Williams Residence, Historic New Orleans Collection, Lydia Blackmore, Michael Mizell-Nelson, Adrian Miller, Dr. Rudy Lombard, Louisiana Eats, Poppy Tooker,

Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, and we’re in the mood for love on this week’s episode! In this hour, we meet two culinary couples who are making a mark on the New Orleans restaurant scene. 

We begin with Chef Susan Spicer and Chip Martinson. Back in 1998, The New York Times named Susan the “Quiet Star of New Orleans.” Over twenty years later, Susan remains one of the city’s most celebrated culinary figures, showcasing her talents at the helm of such restaurants as Bayona, Mondo, and Rosedale. We sit down with Susan to hear her reflections on a career of accomplishments.

Although Susan’s husband, Chip Martinson, pledged long ago to leave the restaurant industry,  it was in a restaurant that he found his true calling. What started with building some tables for Susan’s Lakeview restaurant, Mondo, sprung into a full-fledged furniture business, facetiously named Monkey-Wid-A-Fez. 

Then, we meet another chef couple—Slade Rushing and Allison Vines-Rushing. The two chefs were not expecting to find love over 16 years ago in the kitchen at Gerard’s, but there was an instant attraction and love found a way as their culinary careers evolved.

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

Susan Spicer, Chip Martinson, Monkey-Wid-A-Fez, Slade Rushing, Allison Vines-Rushing, Mondo, Gerard's, Louisiana Eats, Poppy Tooker

On this week’s show, we look at New Orleans history through the lens of the city’s material culture. 

We begin at the Historic New Orleans Collection, which has played host to an annual gathering of antiques experts, collectors, and aficionados  for over a decade. We speak to Philippe Halbert, who presented original research at the Antiques Forum centered on the material culture of the French Atlantic world. 

Next, we meet Jim Bruseth and Toni Turner, who reveal a surprising turn of events that preceded the city's official founding. Evidently, if the French explorer La Salle hadn't blundered in his attempt to form a colony here, we would have been celebrating our 300th birthday 30 years ago.

And we'll spend some time with French furniture whisperer, Christophe Pourny, who evangelizes the gospel and history of dining room furniture in his new book, The Furniture Bible.

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