Author Night at Hubbell Library: Chelsea Brasted

New Orleans Food Story

Chelsea Brasted explores New Orleans food history and reveals that chefs, bartenders, makers, and markets are not only shaping the city’s future but challenging the old guard in new ways.

Practically everyone knows New Orleans food. Even the folks who have visited only briefly have standout memories of great meals and perfect hospitality. Much of that modern reputation has been driven by Cajun and Creole cuisine, and local chefs and restaurants like Commander’s Palace and Lil’ Dizzy’s Cafe have created a tasty foundation for a new chapter in New Orleans eating.

That’s because just like any Southern city in the US, there’s so much more to New Orleans’s story. Though the city has been a place for diverse eating since its founding, for the first time in its history, the cuisines in kitchens like Dakar NOLA, Acamaya, and Queen Trini Lisa are getting some time in the spotlight, and it’s making for particularly rich—and delicious—eating.

In New Orleans Food Story, author Chelsea Brasted explores the food history of the city you think you know and reveals that chefs, bartenders, makers, and markets are not only shaping the city’s future but challenging the old guard in new ways, too.

Chelsea Brasted has written about southeast Louisiana for more than a decade and has lived here her entire life. Her career began at the Times-Picayune as an arts and entertainment reporter, and her work has since appeared in the New York Times, National Geographic, the Wall Street Journal, Bon Appétit, and Southern Living. A New Orleans native, she’s convinced there’s nowhere better to eat, drink, and work.

Sponsored by Friends of Hubbell Library.

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