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Leah Chase

  • In 1941, Emily and Dooky Chase, Sr. opened Dooky Chase Restaurant, a sandwich shop on Orleans Avenue in New Orleans. Under the leadership of their daughter-in-law Leah Chase, the simple shop grew into one of the first African American fine dining restaurants in the country. Today, Leah's legacy lies in the hands of her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Now, that crew, which Leah always referred to as "the grands," are debuting their own TV series, produced locally by WYES-TV and airing on PBS affiliates throughout the country. We sat down with the younger generations at the restaurant during the taping of The Dooky Chase Kitchen: Leah's Legacy. On this week's show, we hear not only those young, ambitious voices, but we've dug into our archives to bring you material that never previously aired from the late, great Leah herself.
  • Twelfth Night 2023 marks 100 years since the birth of the late New Orleans icon, Leah Chase. The culinary legend, who passed away in 2019 at the age of 96, was the undisputed Queen of Creole Cooking and a civil rights activist who changed lives over a bowl of gumbo. On this week's show, we spend the hour honoring Leah's talent, achievements, and lasting legacy.
  • It is an undisputed fact that Louisiana grows some of the best restaurant talent in the nation. On this week's show, we sit down with the best and the brightest of Louisiana's legacy restaurant families. We begin with the next generation running Dooky Chase’s Restaurant in New Orleans. Since the death of Leah Chase in 2019, the crew she always referred to as "the grands" have stepped up to nurture and grow the legacy Leah established with her husband, the late Edgar "Dooky" Chase Jr.And if you live in the Crescent City – you may know a Brennan of your own. The restaurant dynasty that began with patriarch Owen Brennan in 1943 has grown to include a fourth generation. We sit down with the whole Brennan clan for a glimpse of what New Orleans’ culinary future looks like.
  • It’s starting to sink in. The back-to-back deaths of Leah Chase and Dr. John feels like waking up to find that a pair of mountain peaks have vanished from…
  • This week, we mark the passing of New Orleans icon, and our dear friend, Leah Chase, who died Saturday, June 1 at the age of 96. We spend the hour…
  • Susan Larson sits down with Judy Walker to discuss cookbooks, part two of four.Some of the classics come from chefs and food experts:The New Orleans…
  • Join us this week as we celebrate the 95th birthday of a New Orleans icon, our dear friend, Leah Chase. We'll spend the hour honoring Leah's talent and…
  • Before Leah Chase became the culinary luminary of Dooky Chase's Restaurant, she had to start somewhere. Right out of school, Leah took her first…
  • Edgar "Dooky" Chase, Jr., the patriarch of the Chase family who passed away at the end of 2016, helped in making Dooky Chase’s Restaurant the landmark…
  • What turns an ordinary woman into a legend? On this week's Louisiana Eats!, we attempt to answer that question by taking an in-depth look at four…