It's June in Louisiana, which means the start of summer – and sweltering heat! Fortunately, there's plenty of cultural experiences to enjoy while keeping cool indoors. On this week's show, we learn about three immersive exhibits to explore in the Crescent City.

We begin with the newest, which celebrates the life and art of one the founding fathers of French Impressionism. Claude Monet: The Immersive Experience brings the artist's world to life in downtown New Orleans. Executive producer John Zaller talks to us about the exhibition, and how Monet incorporated food into his artworks.

Then, we visit a place for tourists and locals alike: Vue Orleans. Located at the foot of Canal Street, the multi-million-dollar multimedia experience includes a trip to the 34th floor for a 360-degree view of the city. We speak with Paul Flower, Lawrence Powell, and Jim Cortina – just three among the scores of technicians, architects, artists, and entertainers who made Vue Orleans possible.

Finally, we meet legendary Louisiana director Glen Pitre, who along with his wife Michelle Benoit, created an immersive film experience for the Historic New Orleans Collection's Royal Street campus. "The French Quarter by Night" fills a room with imagery and sound, showcasing over three centuries of the Vieux Carré after nightfall.

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

New Orleans began her love affair with coffee three centuries ago. Any local of a certain age can remember the grown-ups of their childhood spending hours around the kitchen table drinking a strong French roast blended with chicory. This week we sit down with a cup of coffee and some folks who can tell us the story of coffee in New Orleans.

First, Patrick Brennan, of the famous Brennan restaurant clan, talks about leaving the family business to strike out on his own in the artisan coffee market. Patrick tells us about Congregation Coffee, his roasting business and Algiers Point neighborhood coffee shop.

Next, we hear from Suzanne Stone and David Feldman, as we take a deep dive into their book, New Orleans Coffee: A Rich History. They tell the story of coffee in the Crescent City, which came to the forefront in the late 1700s.

Finally, we chat with graphic artist Sharon Dunn Dinkins Dymond, who, in the 1970s, discovered a cache of 19th- and early 20th-century product labels that tell the tale of New Orleans’ early love affair with coffee. She reproduces the beautiful, chromolithographed labels on postcards and ceramic serving ware for her company, Fabled Labels.

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

Summertime is upon us – a time that often means travel, vacation fun, and family reunions. But to many Louisianians, summertime means hunger – and our children are the most vulnerable. When school is in session, breakfast and lunch are provided five days a week, but without extra support in the summer, that equates to missing 40 meals a month. Luckily, here in New Orleans, some big-hearted hospitality industry folks are stepping up to help.

We begin with Amanda Toups of Toups' Meatery. Amanda and her husband, Isaac, first rose to the hunger challenge during the pandemic, when they handed out more than 200 meals a week to hospitality workers and their families in need. Over an 18-month period, the Toups crew delivered over 100,000 meals into the community. This summer, the indomitable duo are back at it again – now feeding food insecure children and families.

Next, we speak with New Orleans newcomer Mark Bucher of the steakhouse Medium Rare. Mark is helping feed our community through his nonprofit, Feed The Fridge, a successful program first developed during the pandemic in Washington, D.C., where Medium Rare originated.

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.

Whether it's the most elegant wedding reception or a simple family birthday party, no celebration is complete without a cake. On this week's show, we explore this delicious dessert in all its glory.

First, we sit down with Charlotte McGehee, the alter ego of Debbie Does Doberge, to find out how she's given the traditional New Orleans doberge cake a 21st century makeover.

Next, James Beard Award–winning author Aleksandra Crapanzano lets us in on the sumptuous secrets of Parisian home bakers found in her book, Gâteau: The Surprising Simplicity of French Cakes.

And finally, the Cake Mix Doctor is in the house. Anne Byrn's book American Cake takes readers back to the origins of baking in America. From birthday cakes to wedding cakes, Anne has the history behind each delicious layer.

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

On this week's Louisiana Eats, we're traveling down south to Argentina! Late last year, host Poppy Tooker made the long trek to Buenos Aires, where she discovered a cosmopolitan city that sometimes felt like Paris and sometimes seemed like Manhattan.

We begin with a tour of the city's San Telmo neighborhood with American expat and food writer Allie Lazar. She takes us for empanadas served up by Don Beto at El Gauchito and to the famous San Telmo market.

Then, we meet celebrity chef Narda Lepes. If you can imagine a food activist in the style of Chez Panisse's Alice Waters, combined with the hungry wanderlust of Anthony Bourdain – there you have Narda Lepes! Indisputably one of the top female chefs in Latin America, she is well known for her cookbooks, award winning long running food and travel TV series, and flagship restaurant, Narda Comedor.

And we sit down at the Bosch Palace with the United States Ambassador to Argentina Marc Stanley for his point of view on the food and life in Argentina.

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.

This week, Louisiana Eats takes you to the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, where there's always an abundance of music, food, and art. We've got you covered on all fronts.

We begin with longtime vendor Greg Arcenaux, whose artisan woodworking is a perennial favorite in Jazz Fest's Louisiana Marketplace. Greg gives us a crash course in what sets his work apart from the rest.

Then, we take you on a mule-drawn ride with the Roman Candy man. On many an afternoon in New Orleans, you'll find Ronnie Kottemann on his 109-year-old cart on the streets of Uptown New Orleans. You can also visit Ronnie and his wagon every Jazz Fest, parked inside the fairgrounds near the Gentilly gate – the same spot he's occupied since the 1970s.

We also have a visit with our own house band, Johnny Sketch and the Dirty Notes, who perform at the festival each year. Members of the ensemble share some of their Jazz Fest gig memories with us, along with the meals they enjoy off and on the stage.

Finally, Steve Armbruster joins us in the studio to tell the tale of how the first Food Heritage Stage came to be and the key role his vintage Volkswagen played in those early years.

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

The days are growing longer, the jasmine is in bloom, and across Louisiana, we're treasuring the gift of spring before heat, humidity, and hurricane season are upon us. On this week's show, Louisiana Eats is celebrating the tasty treats of springtime!

With Derby Day approaching, we're polishing up our silver cups for the perfect drink for this time of year – the Mint Julep. Legendary bartender and raconteur Chris McMillan of Revel Cafe & Bar joins us with a tribute to that sophisticated and refreshing cocktail.

We then move from adult beverages to childhood sweets – specifically ice cream. But not the flavors you'll find in any grocery store. Jillian Duran of Rahm Haus tells us how she uses her fine pastry making skills to create both ice creams and ice cream cakes like nothing you’ve ever seen.

And finally, spring marks the arrival of blueberry harvest season in the South. We travel to Poplarville, Mississippi, where Donald Van De Werken and Jeff Brown of JD Farms are preparing to reap some of the biggest, sweetest, best blueberries in the region.

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

Traditionally, the concept of sustainability referred to making enough money to keep a restaurant, or any business, up and running. In recent years, however, the term has expanded to take into account maintaining the environment that provides the raw materials businesses use. This is especially true for restaurants – businesses that would simply not exist if the supply of meat, fish, and plant-based food were not sustained. On this week's show, we hear from two chefs and a farmer who are doing their part to provide for their customers, while finding ways to live in harmony with the planet.

First up is a field trip to the kitchen of GW Fins, an upscale seafood restaurant in the French Quarter, where we learn about Chef Michael Nelson's innovative work with dry-aging fish. The result is an elevated dish that is denser, more tender, and more flavorful. And customers can’t get enough.

Then, we hear from Will Harris of White Oak Pastures. A pioneer in regenerative farming, Will is the author of A Bold Return to Giving a Damn: One Farm, Six Generations, and the Future of Food.

Finally, we visit Chef Marcus Jacobs at his Mid-City seafood market, Porgy's, where he's on a mission to introduce folks to the treasure trove of lesser-known fish species found right here in the Gulf of Mexico.

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

In many places, the cocktail hour is an honored – even sacred – tradition. And in few places is that more true than New Orleans. On this week's show, we explore the fascinating evolution of cocktail culture in the Big Easy – its past, present and future.

We begin with craft cocktail master Neal Bodenheimer. Neal, who opened Freret Street bar Cure in 2009, traces the city's long love affair with concocted libations in his James Beard-nominated book, Cure: New Orleans Drinks And How To Mix 'Em.

Next, we swing over to Gravier Street to join flavorist Christa Cotton on a tour of her El Guapo factory where she creates her internationally award-winning bitters and much-loved cocktail mixers.

Finally, we sit down with T. Cole Newton, one of New Orleans' premiere bartenders and bar owners. His book, Cocktail Dive Bar, not only shares recipes from his famed Mid-City hangout Twelve Mile Limit, but also imparts plenty of thoughtful wisdom Cole has garnered from over a decade in business.

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