Inspiration in New Orleans: new breed of chef shakes up old traditions

Nation's Restaurant News, July 27, 1987 by Paul Frumkin

Jonte--who had previously worked in the kitchen at Comander's Palace--said he also looks for ideas further afield than southern Louisiana and points to Mexican, Thai, and Chinese influences in some of the dishes offered. In one recipe he prepares a Mexican mole sauce thickened with pumpkin seeds; in another, he dips soft-shell crabs in rice flour before deep-frying.

Still, the evolution of New Orleans cooking is progressing gradually, most said. "People have such a hard time coming around from the old classics,' Braddock observed.

Brennan concurred, adding: "I'd love to see more restaurants do this. Many restaurants are doing the same dishes they've done for years.'

Photo: Chef Susan Spicer, left, and managing director Bonnie Leigh in the Bistro at the Maison de Ville hotel.