NEW ORLEANS - Katrina left a number of restaurant industry heroes in her wake. There were the chefs who rushed back as soon as possible to dish out food such as John Besh, Scott Boswell, Bob Iacovonne, Paul Prudhomme and Donald Link.
And there were big restaurant companies that didn’t panic, like the various Brennan families, who kept employees on their payrolls for several weeks after the storm.
But mere mention of two of the city’s highest-profile exports - Emeril Lagasse and Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse - still draws venom from New Orleanians who feel scorned and abandoned.
The Ruth’s Chris chain, which laid its roots in New Orleans in 1965, moved its headquarters to Florida within a week after the storm. Its original Broad Street location, behind which founder Ruth Fertel lived until she died in 2002, is closed for good.
For superchef Emeril Lagasse, meanwhile, Katrina’s aftermath was also anything but happy, happy, happy. The most famous TV chef in the world - and most certainly Louisiana’s best-known citizen - was criticized for quickly firing employees at his New Orleans corporate office.
He was also taken to task in a commentary titled “Where’s Emeril?” by Times-Picayune restaurant writer Brett Anderson for failing to even visit the city where he owns three restaurants until months after the storm. The Bam! chef told Anderson that he was preoccupied with a national book tour for his 11th cookbook.
Emeril Lagasse on January 14th, 2007 at 3:16 pm
I dont think you can really criticize him for not going there immediately. Ok he owns a couple restaurants. Katrina didnt need a celeb but people helping people.