Classic Restaurants of New Orleans

A culinary history of some of the Crescent City’s best restaurants through the years, featuring delicious recipes you can make at home.

Every New Orleanian knows Leah Chase’s gumbo, but few realize that the Freedom Fighters gathered and strategized over bowls of that very dish. Or that Parkway’s roast beef po-boy originated in a streetcar conductors’ strike. In a town where Antoine’s Oysters Rockefeller is still served up by the founder’s great-great-grandson, discover the chefs and restaurateurs who kept their gas flames burning through the Great Depression and Hurricane Katrina. Author Alexandra Kennon weaves the classic offerings of Creole grande dames together with contemporary neighborhood staples for a guide through the Crescent City's culinary soul. From Brennan’s Bananas Foster to Galatoire’s Soufflé Potatoes, this collection also features a recipe from each restaurant, allowing readers to replicate iconic New Orleans cuisine at home.

“I tip my toque to Alex Kennon for a captivating walk through New Orleans’ restaurant history—from the owners who preserved these houses of gastronomy to the legendary chefs who managed taste and flavor. As reflected through these pages, the Crescent City feeds the soul like no other place on the globe.” —Chef John D. Folse, Louisiana’s culinary ambassador to the world

“The roux-spattered archives of Antoine’s, Arnaud’s, Parkway Bakery and Tavern, and other heavyweights are crammed with anecdotes, not to mention recipes, but that’s where Kennon’s highly unusual CV comes in. The editor/entertainer sifts through a century and a half of culinary histories to craft a compelling narrative rife with colorful traditions . . . Just as valuable are her expansive conversations with owners, chefs, bartenders, and oyster shuckers alike as they tote weighty reputations and make delicate changes with another century of success in mind.” —Country Roads Magazine

 “Within its pages, Kennon explores what it’s like to be part of the process of creating the thousands of memorable meals that have been served at some of the most beloved (and mostly family-run) restaurants over the decades.” —The Advocate