Louisiana Eats

Hosted ByPoppy Tooker

On Louisiana Eats! NOLA food icon Poppy Tooker takes us into Louisiana's wide open fields, deep waters, bustling markets, and busy kitchens. Poppy's people are carrying on the traditions of Louisiana's wholly local but universally celebrated food, from farm to table, and sometimes barroom! Poppy roams the State to find the folks whose inspiration and innovation are taking the abundant wealth of Louisiana's food culture into the future. Let's eat!

The Brennan’s Legacy – Louisiana Eats – It’s New Orleans

Boasting its iconic pink fa ade in the French Quarter, Brennan s Restaurant has been a New Orleans landmark since 1946. On this week s show, we celebrate the venerable establishment, beginning with a conversation with co owner Ralph Brennan. Ralph Brennan had five restaurants in his portfolio when he learned the flagship Royal Street Brennan s was in danger of passing outside of the family. Ralph tells the inside story of the steps he took to ensure that didn t happen, and shares some personal tales of first dates that included champagne fueled carriage rides through the French Quarter. Then, we hear about Brennan s tiniest courtyard residents a bevy of tranquil turtles. Simone Rathe s tricentennial take on these legendary terrapins is now immortalized in a new children s book, A Topsy Turvy History of New Orleans and Ten Tiny Turtles. Next, hospitality tech entrepreneur Damian Mogavero explains the importance of raw data in managing a Brennan s enterprise. Damian has been able to use his dual passions for dining and data to create a system for “new garde restaurateurs,” a story now chronicled in his book, The Underground Culinary Tour. Lastly, we put Damian s system to the test by checking in with one of his New Orleans case studies, the Ralph Brennan Restaurant Group. Executive Vice President Charlee Williamson does the numbers with us. For more of all things Louisiana Eats, be sure to visit us at PoppyTooker.com.