Louisiana Eats Poppy Tooker

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.

On this week's show, we meet inventors and pioneers who have changed the way we eat. We begin with the Bayou State's spiciest new business, Louisiana Pepper Exchange. Founder and CEO Chris White shares the story of the amazing engineering feat he accomplished and how it led to the launch of his company.

Then, we learn about plant breeder Dr. Calvin Lamborn, known as the Father of the Sugar Snap Pea. We speak with his son, Rod Lamborn, who is working hard to preserve his late father's legacy.

Finally, we hear the fascinating story of Leon Godchaux, Louisiana's own titan of the sugar industry in the 19th century. His rags-to-riches tale comes to life in Peter Wolf's book, The Sugar King: Leon Godchaux, A New Orleans Legend, His Creole Slave and His Jewish Roots. Peter, who is Godchaux's great-great-grandson, tells us how this poor, illiterate Jewish immigrant built a business empire with his innovative spirit.

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