Poppy Tooker

Cuba and New Orleans are tied together in many ways, from our Creole flavors to our laid back attitude – but maybe most of all, in our music. Back in December of 2015, Louisiana Eats host Poppy Tooker had the opportunity to join the Preservation Hall Jazz Band on their landmark visit to Cuba for the Havana Jazz Festival. Over the course of a week there, Poppy took excursions into the countryside to learn about tobacco production and the art of cigar making, dined in delicious paladares, and toured markets and organic farms.

The humble little honey bee is one of the most important players in our ecosystem. On this week’s show, we circle the globe in pursuit of a honey of a tale. We begin right here in our own backyard at the Audubon Zoo. While more exotic creatures may be what draw the crowds, both native and European honey bees can be found bumbling around the zoo's grounds. Curator Dominique Fleitas gives us a tour of the Pollinator Garden and shows us the hives she helps maintain in the Louisiana Swamp Exhibit.

On this week’s show, we speak with three James Beard Award-winners to explore the history and culture of African American cooking and learn how African flavors are inspiring new dishes today.

Whether your dietary concerns are based on weight loss, muscle gain, or heart health, there's so much information and professional advice out there that it's hard to know who to believe or what to eat. On this week's show, we hear from the experts on everything from the current diet du jour, keto, to omega-3 supplements.

On this week's show, we meet some people who are working hard to make your weekend brunch an unforgettable experience. We begin with Jennifer Weishaupt, founder and CEO of the Ruby Slipper Restaurant Group. The Ruby Slipper Café has prospered and multiplied in a way that Jennifer and her husband Eric could never have anticipated when they opened their very first Mid City location in 2008. She tells us about her ever-expanding breakfast and brunch empire, now serving hungry diners in locations across four states.

On this week's show, we visit the Historic New Orleans Collection’s new expansion at 520 Royal Street, the first to house the city’s only continuing exhibit about our most famous neighborhood, the French Quarter.

On this week's show, we look back on bygone New Orleans businesses that "ain't dere no more," but continue to hold a place in the city’s collective heart. We begin with Bryan Batt and Katy Danos, authors of Pontchartrain Beach: A Family Affair. Founded by Bryan’s grandfather Harry Batt in 1928, the amusement park was a summer destination for 55 years.

Change is constant, but that doesn’t make it easy. On this week's show, we meet some individuals who have transformed their lives or business.

On this week's show, we look at family businesses that have been finding success through five generations. We begin with Swiss Confectionery, a New Orleans bakeshop that’s been in operation for almost a century. Their custom-made delicacies are fixtures at New Orleans weddings, birthdays, and other celebrations.

Every July, thousands of visitors from all over the world beat a path to steamy New Orleans for the annual Tales of the Cocktail. As Tales kicks off its 17th year, we look at how the organization evolved recently under new leadership and has a whole new mission.