Food is culture. It’s memory and identity. But turning tradition into innovation takes more than a good recipe. It takes creativity, grit, and a deep understanding of what people crave.

Yvette Bonanno knows that well. She grew up in the Baton Rouge restaurant scene and that early exposure sparked a lifelong love for food. Today, she’s combining that experience with cutting-edge food production as the founder of Crave-a-Ball, a Baton Rouge-based company turning classic Louisiana dishes into hand-held, deep-fried, ready-to-serve balls.

Yvette’s aiming to build Crave-a-ball into the next great Louisiana food brand.

Yvette Bonanno is a trained chef who worked her way through the Baton Rouge restaurant landscape then founded Crave-a-Ball, a specialty boudin ball business that’s booming

In business, longevity is no accident. It’s the result of resilience, reinvention, and often, a strong sense of purpose passed from one generation to the next.

Darren Pizzolato grew up in the heart of a legacy: Tony’s Seafood. Darren was born into the business—literally—and has never worked anywhere else. Over the years, he and his family expanded Tony’s Seafood into one of the largest seafood markets in the region, known for its live catfish, award-winning boiled crawfish.

Darren Pizzolato has never worked anywhere but his family’s business, Tony’s Seafood, and he’ll be there till catfish are extinct or Hell freezes over, whichever comes first

Darren’s family was also a driving force behind the launch of Louisiana Fish Fry, a brand that went on to become a national staple before the family sold it in 2018. Today, he’s helping shape the next chapter of that legacy in collaboration with Yvette’s company Crave-a-ball.

Food has always been more than just fuel here — it’s a connector, a tradition, and a way to bring people together. And once a tradition is started, it’s easy to follow along and stick with it.

From Tony’s Seafood, a Baton Rouge staple that has kept the community coming back for decades, to Crave-a-ball, a new venture that is pushing the boundaries of boudin ball flavors, both companies are continuing the legacy of their families while adding to decades-old recipes.

Oscar Tickle (center) demonstrates alternative uses for Yvette Bonanno’s boudin balls while Darren Pizzolato takes a break from Tony’s Seafood to enjoy the chicken at Mansurs On The Boulevard

Out to Lunch is recorded live over lunch at Mansurs on the Boulevard. Photos by Ian Ledo and Miranda Albarez.