Leah Chase, Legendary Chef of New Orleans’s Dooky Chase’s, Dies at 96 - AFAR
"A family-run Creole restaurant transformed from a modest sandwich shop into the city’s first white-tablecloth dining room for Black patrons, it became a beloved culinary and civic hub known for classic Creole dishes such as jambalaya, shrimp Clemenceau and hearty gumbo. Under Leah Chase’s leadership it welcomed tourists, athletes, musicians and presidents, served civil-rights leaders including Thurgood Marshall and Martin Luther King Jr., and quietly broke segregation laws by seating Black and white customers together while also sending meals to jailed activists. Devastated by Hurricane Katrina, the restaurant was rebuilt by the Chases, and Leah — who worked there into her 90s, greeting guests and supervising the kitchen — emphasized Creole traditions (a blend of Spanish, French and African influences) while rejecting the narrow “soul food” label." - Associated Press (AP), Rebecca Santana
