The Connected Table

10/14/2026

Inside New Orleans Culinary & Hospitality Institute with Gerald Duhon, President/CEO- The Connected Table TV

New Orleans is widely known as a top U.S. dining destination. But did you know that the city is home to an outstanding culinary school? New Orleans Culinary & Hospitality Institute (NOCHI) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that offers 100-day certificate programs in culinary arts and baking arts that cover 25 subjects and 650 hours of practical instruction. NOCHI President/CEO Gerald Duhon discusses programs and initiatives.

10/12/2026

What makes New Orleans hospitality extraordinary?

In New Orleans, hospitality has never been simply about service. It’s in our DNA. It’s an instinct and, for many of us, a way of life.

Inspired by the New York Times Bestseller "Unreasonable Hospitality: The Remarkable Power of Giving People More Than They Expect," Serving Up Unreasonable Hospitality in New Orleans brings together some of the city’s most accomplished hospitality leaders for a candid conversation what exceptional hospitality looks like today.

Organized and presented by , this event promises to inspire engaging conversation and generate important takeaways about how New Orleans continues to set its own standard, and the choices, details and culture that transform excellent service into extraordinary hospitality.

Panelists:

Brandon Groh, General Manager, Emeril’s
Ti Martin, Co-Proprietor, Commander’s Palace
Tim Pacillas, General Manager, Pêche
Dr. Afua “Effie” Richardson, Managing Director/Owner, Dakar NOLA

Moderator: Camille Collins, Collins Global Communications

EVENT DETAILS

📍 Calcasieu - Higgins Room
930 Tchoupitoulas St • New Orleans
🗓️ Monday, October 26, 2026
⏰ 4:30 PM - 6:30 PM

🎟️ General Public: $20
🎟️ Members / Hospitality Industry / Culinary Students: $10
Use discount code Hospitality10 at checkout; limit 1 per person.

This event is OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. All are welcome.
https://www.lesdamesnola.org/shop/p/su-unreasonable-hospitality-102626

Thank you, Community Supporters: Veuve Clicquot and Link Restaurant Group

The Connected Table's Melanie Young is proud to be a member of Les Dames d'Escoffier which is a global organization of women who lead and shape the fine food, beverage, hospitality and associated industries. For more information on becoming a member of the New Orleans chapter and to sign up for this event, visit www.lesdamesnola (dot) org

10/08/2026

10/08/2026

Rethinking Pink: Gastronomic Dark Rosés

When the leaves start to turn color at the onset of autumn, our palettes turn to dusky dark rosé w**es. These are gastronomic rosés with depth and structure that offer ripe red berry and floral notes and pleasant herbal, savory characteristics. Pair with charcuterie and cheese boards, Mediterranean mezze, roast pork, grilled fish and spicy dishes. Melanie and David discuss notable rosé-focused regions in France, Italy and Spain

Just as the leaves start to turn color at the onset of autumn, our ...

10/05/2026

Join Chef Alon Shaya and Culinary Historian June Hersh for the
New Orleans Book Launch of "Memories of a Good Meal: Recipes of Resilience Inspired by Stories of World War II Survival"

Wednesday, October 14, 5:30-7:30, at the Louisiana Memoria Pavilion of the National WWII Museum in New Orleans. Tickets at link below and include a copy of this stunning new book.

"Memories of a Good Meal" grew from Alon Shaya's work with the Rescued Recipes initiative with the United States Holocaust Museum and his deep friendship with Holocaust survivor, Steven Fenves. To date, Rescued Recipes has raised over one million dollars.

This is a book to sit and savor over a cup of tea or coffee. Each story makes you reflect on how one's life can change during war, conflict and persecution. You understand the importance of food as a bond that nourishes both the body and the soul even in the most difficult circumstances.

10/04/2026

Damp days call for warm soup. We stopped in by Pomelo | Thai Boutique Restaurant on Magazine Street for a light late lunch.

This Tom Kha Seafood Soup is in a savory broth of coconut milk, lemongrass and galangal. Just delicious!

Pomelo is a casual woman-owned Thai bistro. Its sister restaurant is Good Catch | Thai Urban Bistro

09/28/2026

A stunning book! What does the memory of a family meal mean to you? For survivors of World War II and the Holocaust, food memories provided an important emotional connection to families lost and traditions preserved.

Award winning chef and restaurateur and culinary historian and author have co-authored "Memories of a Good Meal: Recipes of Resilience Inspired by Stories of World War II Survival." (Harvest/William Morrow)

This book features ten diverse, moving accounts of Holocaust survivors and WWII heroes and cherished food memories. The stories will touch your heart, and the recipes will feed your soul. Examples: twin Jewish girls hidden by a Christian family foraging for food in the forest, a Navajo Code Takler who carries a sachet of corn pollen as a talisman into battle, a housekeeper who rescues a family's recipe book after they have been deported to Auschwitz and returns it to the survivors who were released.

"Memories of a Good Meal" grew from Alon Shaya's work with the Rescued Recipes initiative with the United States Holocaust Museum and his deep friendship with Holocaust survivor, Steven Fenves. To date, Rescued Recipes has raised over one million dollars.

This stunning book is coming hot off the press October 6, and we have a preview on The Connected Table Live podcast this week. We sat down for a conversation with Alon and June to lead up to this book's publication. You can watch or listen to this episode starting Wednesday, September 30, 1pm CST The Connected Table TV on YouTube.

Hardcover and audio book will be available. Sharing a few gorgeous photos from the book taken by Denny Culbert

09/26/2026

The New York Times recently published "36 Hours in New Orleans." We agree to all the recommendations and are thrilled to see our friend at make this list for a casual (and rib-sticking) lunch. Go for lunch early or late. This spot fills up fast. Everything Chef makes is fabulous! Sharing photos from a recent Saturday lunch.

Here is what The New York Times has to say:

After Hurricane Katrina flooded their brick-and-mortar shop, Vaucresson’s Creole Café & Deli reopened in 2022 in its former sausage factory on St. Bernard Avenue — a second life for the 127-year-old family business. Vance Vaucresson, the restaurant’s third-generation proprietor, is recognized as a “tradition bearer” by the Louisiana Folklife Commission for making traditional Creole sausages like andouille and spicy pork chaurice.

Fans of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival may know the name from the popular stand at the city’s springtime event. At the cafe, rich gumbo comes packed with seafood, with a crab leg dangling lusciously from the bowl ($14.95), and the sausage sampler includes crawfish, chicken and spicier Creole varieties ($21)."

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2026/09/24/travel/things-to-do-new-orleans.html

09/22/2026

Fischer & Wieser: How family peach farmers in Texas Hill Country became award-winning specialty food producers- The Connected Table Live September 23

The Fischer & Wieser Farmstead originated in 1928 when German immigrant J.B. Wieser planted a small peach orchard in Fredericksburg, Texas. His son Mark continued caring for the orchard during school breaks. In 1969, Mark founded Fischer & Wieser’s Das Peach Haus to sell the family’s harvested Hill Country peaches and handcrafted preserves. A decade later, Case Fischer, a young dedicated worker, proposed to Mark to expand their jams and jellies offerings – and Specialty Foods was born. Today the family-run company produces over 150 handcrafted specialty products and welcomes visitors to Das Peach Haus for its popular cooking classes and tasting experiences.

Mark Wieser and Case Fischer share their story and discuss the evolution of this family-run business on The Connected Table Live podcast September 23, 2pm EST. Watch live on YouTube and The Connected Table TV. Listen ono your preferred podcast channel.