I'm Not Impressed With Presidents. I Have

Mom Ran The House, So We Grew Up Portuguese.

Food That's Beautiful To Look At Seems To Taste Better Than Food That Isn't.

Many Of My Staff Have Been With Me For Over 20 Years. I Have A Great Team, And I Make Sure They Feel Respected And Appreciated.

I Guess I Feel That I Was Following My Instincts, And At The Same Time Being Guided By The Best. I Became Totally Intrigued With Louisiana - The People, The Food. It Is A Part Of My Life. Everything That Has Happened For Me Since Moving Here Has Just Been Icing On The Cake.

You Know, In 1975 I Couldn't Get A Job In New York City Because I Was American. The Kitchens Were Predominantly Run By French, Swiss, German, And Basically I Got Laughed At. I Had Education, I Had Experience, But Got Laughed At Because I Was American.