Leah Chase: The Queen of Creole Cuisine

This program is the story of how humble beginnings inspired a young girl from Madisonville, La. to become one of the top multi-award-winning chef's in the nation. Along the way, at her Dooky Chase restaurant, she managed to cook for presidents & entertainment personalities, and helped shape the political and civil rights movement in New Orleans.
Narrated by journalist Michelle Miller, Leah Chase-The Queen of Creole Cuisine chronicles the humble beginnings of a young girl from Madisonville, Louisiana and how she became one of the top, multi-award-winning chefs in the nation. For more than 70 years, Edgar "Dooky" Chase, Jr. and Leah Chase worked tirelessly together to uplift their family and their community through their faith and their active involvement in social justice. The couple turned a family sandwich shop in Treme to a famous, fine dining restaurant called Dooky Chase, filled with an impressive collection of Leah's African American art by renowned artists like Jacob Lawrence and Elizabeth Catlett. Weaving together archival photos and interviews with notable New Orleanians - including chef John Folse, the late restaurateur Ella Brennan (Commander's Palace), former First Lady of New Orleans Sybil Morial, Freedom rider Rudy Lombard, and Mayor Mitch Landrieu - the film is a tribute to Leah Chase that celebrates her faith, family and food.