Meg Bickford

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.

Although the kitchen has always been the woman’s domain at home, it’s been a long struggle for the ladies who cook to rise to the top of their ranks…