Businesses open. Businesses close. But some businesses manage to recover from calamities of biblical proportions. On this week's show, we learn what it takes to rebuild a beloved brand after a long hiatus. We speak with Drew Ramsey, whose family has run Hubig's, makers of New Orleans' favorite hand pies for three generations. Then, we hear from both Vance and Julia Vaucresson about the revival of their third-generation sausage company.

In today’s society, meat often gets a bad rap. But this week, we speak with three people who find great beauty in the art of the butcher, the finger-licking taste of barbecue, and even the usefulness of wild hogs. Chef Matt Moore chats about his latest cookbook, Butcher on the Block. And Pitmaster Ryan Mitchell, son of barbecue legend Ed Mitchell, joins us to discuss the nearly forgotten craft of whole-hog barbecue and his family’s barbecue legacy.

Commander's Palace has been a New Orleans culinary landmark since it first opened in the city's Garden District in 1893. Once Ella Brennan and her family took It over in the 1970s, it became an international sensation, elevating Louisiana cuisine and launching the careers of chefs Paul Prudhomme and Emeril Lagasse. On this week's show, we celebrate 130 years of Commander's Palace by dipping into our archives to bring you Commander's stories past and present. We begin with the restaurant's Executive Chef Meg Bickford, the first female in 127 years to burst through the gender barrier and command the historic kitchen. We also hear from co-proprietors Lally Brennan and Ti Martin, before Dickie Brennan shares his memories of the restaurant's earliest days.

Many chefs spend their entire careers content to run a single restaurant. But others have a different vision – one that encompasses multiple locations or even various kinds of eateries. This week, we take a look at three such New Orleans restaurateurs and find out how they've gone about building their culinary empires.

Fine china and crystal, earthenware and artisan glassware – it doesn’t matter what you have – it can all be transformed into a personal expression of your welcoming hospitality. On this week's show, we speak with some of the nation's finest tableware experts for an education and some inspiration. Guests include Vietri founder Susan Gravely and Antiques Roadshow appraiser Nick Dawes.

Every year, thousands of tourists touch down at New Orleans' Louis Armstrong airport expecting to partake in an unforgettable culinary experience. With no shortage of places to drink and dine, the first question visitors often ask is: "Where do locals go?" On this week's show, we explore neighborhood spots that have a strong local following in the Crescent City. We begin with Morning Call, a coffee and beignet shop with over 150 years of local history. We also visit Juan's Flying Burrito and Pizza Delicious, before sitting down for a cupping — coffee's equivalent to a wine tasting — at French Truck Coffee.

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 learn how chefs Mason Hereford and Serigne Mbaye run their restaurants and meet the trio behind the award-winning Saint Germain in New Orleans.

Each July, Tales of the Cocktail draws tipplers from across the globe to New Orleans for a week-long celebration of cocktails and mixology. On this week's show, we get into the spirit of the event with world-renowned cocktailians who have made a big splash in the cocktail world. We speak with cocktail writers David Wondrich and Robert Simonson about the revival of craft cocktails at the turn of the 21st century and sit down with Bulleit Bourbon founder Tom Bulleit.

New Orleans is a melting pot of cultures, music, and – of course – food. On this week's show, we explore some international flavors found in our own backyard. We begin with Merritt Coscia and Tyler Stuart, who became captivated by the culture and flavors of India when traveling across the subcontinent. The couple's passion for regional Indian cuisine is on display at their restaurant Plume Algiers on New Orleans' Westbank. Merritt and Tyler join us in the studio to talk about their restaurant and the travels that inspired it.We also speak with Abigayle Rhode-Pausina about her new exhibit "A Syrian-Lebanese American Kitchen" now on display at the Southern Food and Beverage Museum, and with Maggie Zhu, author of "Chinese Homestyle."

On this week's show, we look at agriculture and innovation in our state and beyond. We begin with New Orleans' native son Richard McCarthy, founder of the Crescent City Farmers Market and former executive director of Slow Food USA. The activist recently published a book entitled, Kuni: A Japanese Vision and Practice for Urban-Rural Reconnection. Richard shares the revolutionary ideas and practices his co-author Tsuyoshi Sekihara is using to save rural areas that were abandoned in postwar Japan.