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Chef Donald Link
Chef Donald Link
Chef Donald Link
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Top Chefs in New Orleans

These chefs are creating some of the best food in the world

People come to New Orleans to eat, and for superb reason. Our game-changing culinary repast is world renowned, informed by three centuries of cultural gastronomy and an army of dedicated chefs and creatives. We have our own Creole cuisine, a legion of mom and pop corner stores that dish irresistible food regularly and a cavalcade of ingenious chefs intent on preserving the classics while others create new traditions. And some are wildly successful doing both.

With more restaurants in the city than ever, the culinary landscape is vibrant and evolving. Many of the city’s chefs (and some mixologists) have earned international accolades, from James Beard Foundation awards to inclusion in best new chef/restaurant line-ups -- because what they serve is just always that good. Here are a few of the top chefs around town, creators of an only-in-New Orleans never-ending feast.

  • There’s a Link between fish and pork in New Orleans and his name is Donald. He has redefined traditional Cajun food at his string on contemporary restaurants. 
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  • Emeril Lagasse’s TV shows, cookbooks and restaurants helped to define New Orleans cuisine for the rest of the world.
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  • Chef Ana Castro brings her Mexican heritage to the table.
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  • Chef Serigne Mbaye offers modern Senegalese cuisine with a Creole twist at his highly acclaimed restaurant, Dakar Nola.
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  • From St. Lucia to New Orleans, this Top Chef alum fell in love with NOLA and the city has fallen right back in love with her and her warm personality and Caribbean-inspired cooking.
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  • Cajun mastermind, Isaac Toups, uses his family roots to inspire him in the kitchen
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  • Turkey and the Wolf’s playful chef has become the face of perhaps the country’s hottest bologna sandwich.
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  • Chef John Harris of Lilette has been a James Beard finalist for "Best Chef South" in 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2012. 
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  • Arriving in New Orleans with no formal culinary training, Justin Devillier decided he would become a chef in one of the most competitive restaurant cities in the world-- and succeeded. 
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  • Frank Brigtsen is still lighting a fire under inventive Creole cooking, just as he did in 1986, the year he opened his iconic Uptown restaurant Brigtsen’s. 
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  • For Alon Shaya, a passion for Middle Eastern food may have started in his native Israel, but it flowered in New Orleans.
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  • Seafood king, Brian Landry, has made himself known in New Orleans.
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  • Find Chef Martha Wiggins at Café Reconcile, mentoring the next generation of young chefs to greatness.
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  • A native to New Orleans, Chef Adolfo fuses the tastes of local seafood and Creole dishes with the flavors of the Latin American food he ate at the family dinner table.
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  • At the helm of Commander’s Palace, find Chef Meg Bickford keeping traditions alive while adding innovative cuisine to the menu.
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  • A rising star in the culinary world, Chef Gulotta owns two hot restaurants in New Orleans: Maypop and MoPho
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  • Now at the Virgin Hotels New Orleans, Chef Alex Harrell brings Southern cooking to the forefront of his delicious cuisine.
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  • Executive Chef at GW Fins, Nelson’s innovative work utilizes the brightest flavors and juxtaposes textures to highlight each variety of seafood in his dishes.
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  • In 2008, Michael opened Coquette –“a culinary playground." Today Coquette is known for internationally inspired, contemporary Southern cuisine created with locally sourced products.
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  • Through quick learning, hard work and dedicated mentorship, Ryan Prewitt rose from the bottom to become a top chef.
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  • Winner of the James Beard Award “Best Chef, South”, Stryjewski is the partner chef and owner at several award-winning New Orleans restaurants.
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  • James Beard Winning chef, Sue Zemanick, made her mark on New Orleans years ago. Her new restaurant, Zasu, is now turning heads.  
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  • Chef Dee Lavigne’s Deelightful Roux School of Cooking is the go-to place for a fun, hands-on culinary experience.
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  • Variety is the spice of life for Susan Spicer. A native of Key West, she is one of New Orleans most recognized and popular chefs, most notably for her classic restaurant, Bayona.
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  • Chef Melissa Martin is a Louisiana native and the owner of Mosquito Supper Club. Her cooking is a love letter to sustainability, coastal Louisiana, and the fishing communities that bring Gulf seafood...
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IN MEMORIAM

Remembering these legendary chefs.
  • An award-winning chef and an inspiration for a Disney princess, Leah Chase spent the last seven decades of her life creating delicious meals at her restaurant, Dooky Chase’s.
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  • His face won’t be forgotten – a visage equally sly and cheerful – and neither will his food, which you can still taste at K-Paul's Louisiana Kitchen. 
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Videos | New Orleans Chefs