
Emeril Lagasse's guide to the best gumbo in New Orleans
There are few things that New Orleanians feel more passionately about than their hometown's famous cuisine – unsurprisingly, since the city's historical blend of cultures has given rise to a vast array of destination-worthy dishes.
Beignets, jambalaya, étouffée, po'boys, king cake and muffuletta are just a few of the city's culinary stars; their flavours reflecting its Creole, Cajun, West African and French heritage. But only one iconic NOLA dish has been named the official dish of the state of Louisiana: gumbo.
Gumbo is a thick meat, seafood and vegetable stew whose name derives from ki ngombo, the word for okra in many West African languages. It has French and West African roots, and both Cajuns (an ethnic group of Acadian descent) and Creoles (people of mixed European, African, Caribbean and Native American ancestry) make the dish. The first recorded mention dates to the early 19th Century when it was served at a gubernatorial reception in New Orleans.
There are countless variations of the Louisiana classic and no shortage of opinions on the right way to make it, but gumbo almost always starts with a roux: flour cooked in fat that forms the base of the dish. The other consistent element: the "holy trinity" of onion, celery and green bell pepper, ever-present in Cajun and Creole cuisine. The proteins range from seafood or poultry to ham or beef, veal or game – or a combination thereof. Tomatoes may or not be used depending on the particular preparation, but you'll often find the eponymous okra – a savoury pod-shaped green fruit that gives the stew its unique flavour.
NOLA-based chef Emeril Lagasse – famed for bringing Creole and Cajun cuisine into America's homes via his acclaimed, long-running television series, Emeril Live – has been making and eating gumbo since he moved to New Orleans in 1982. "I eat it five times a week and make it at home, but there is excellent gumbo all over the city," he says. Though he appreciates traditional gumbo – served over rice – Lagasse offers a modern take at his flagship restaurant, Emeril's, which he says has evolved quite a bit since the space first opened in 1990. "It used to be made with seafood," he says, "then we switched to chicken sausage and now it's made with lobster."
It's not just the ingredients in the stew that have changed; the presentation has too. "The gumbo is currently in the form of a hot canape," he says, "that's the perfect concentrated taste of lobster-based gumbo made with a super dark roux." While his son, EJ, is now running the kitchen, Lagasse frequently wanders over to the restaurant to say hello to everyone and fix himself a bowl.
Here are Lagasse's top picks for gumbo in the Big Easy.
1. Best classic Creole gumbo: Commander's Palace
Commander's Palace, a New Orleans institution, has been a landmark in the Garden District since its founding in 1893.
In the 1970s, legendary Louisiana chef Paul Prudhomme helped put the restaurant on the national map for its distinct blend of Cajun and Creole cooking. In 1982, at only 23 years old, Lagasse took over from Prudhomme, continuing a tradition of "haute Creole cuisine", with classics such as garlic bread, turtle soup with sherry and Creole gumbo.
Even though Lagasse left Commander's Palace in 1990, he still cites the gumbo as one of the best in NOLA because the quality of the seafood is so good. Their recipe for the stew starts with a toasty, dark roux and includes crab stock, crabs, shrimp and okra. "Some places add chunks of seafood, but for me, that's something you do at home cause the fish starts getting stringy as it sits," he says.
Website: https://www.commanderspalace.com/Address: 1403 Washington Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70130Phone: +1 504-899-8221Instagram: @commanderspalace
2. Best gumbo for a cause: Café Reconcile
Café Reconcile was founded in 1996 to help local 16-to-24-year-olds with career exploration and job readiness, using the restaurant as a foundation for learning and training.
While most of the hundreds of interns who have been through the 14-week programme go on to work in restaurants, others become nurses, mechanics, technicians and more. What's consistent is that they all learn to cook classic New Orleans fare like red beans and rice, po'boys and gumbo. "Café Reconcile's chicken and sausage gumbo has a rich roux with lots of okra," says Lagasse, "and it always hits the spot." It's a win-win, according to Lagasse. "Your meal helps support the workforce development," he says. "What could be better?"
Website: https://cafereconcile.org/Address: 1631 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd, New Orleans, LA 70113Phone: +1 504-568-1157Instagram: @cafereconcile
3. Best gumbo z'herbes: Dooky Chase Restaurant
Known as the Queen of Creole cuisine, chef Leah Chase was the heart behind legendary Dooky Chase Restaurant, first opened in 1941 by her in-laws and later evolving into a meeting place for excellent food, music and dialogue.
In the upstairs dining room, many influential leaders of the civil rights movement, such as Martin Luther King Jr and the Reverend A L Davis, met to discuss crucial issues affecting the African American community.
Starting in 1973, every year on the Thursday before Easter (Holy Thursday), Chase would cook up to 100 gallons of her special gumbo z'herbes, made with nine types of greens. "They do a traditional style of gumbo," explains Lagasse, "but during Lent it has lots of greens – mostly collards, mustard, turnip greens and okra, and it's finished with gumbo filé." For decades, Chase's Lenten gumbo attracted New Orleanians from all over the city. Chase passed away in 2019 but her grandson, Edgar "Dook" Chase, carries on the gumbo tradition. Some say it is the best in New Orleans.
Website: https://www.dookychaserestaurants.com/Address: 2301 Orleans Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70119Phone: +1 504-821-0600Instagram: @dookychaserestaurant
4. Best seasonal gumbo: Casamento's
Family-owned since 1919, Casamento's on Magazine Street is primarily known for its briny Gulf Coast oysters, which peak during cool autumn and winter months. "Locals love to go there whenever they see the open sign, which is only when the oysters are great," says Lagasse. He enjoys eating the plump oysters alongside their much-loved seafood gumbo, which is replete with shrimp, tomatoes and okra. Other Casamento's must-haves include their oyster stew and sandwiches, made with their signature "pan bread" instead of traditional French bread.
Website: https://casamentosrestaurant.com/Address: 4330 Magazine Street, New Orleans, LA 70115Phone: +1 504-895-9761Instagram: @casamentosrestaurant
5. Best Cajun-style gumbo: Brigtsen's
Chef Frank Brigtsen also started his culinary career as an apprentice under Paul Prudhomme, who helped him and his wife Marna open Brigtsen's in 1986 in NOLA's Riverbend neighbourhood, where he serves classic Cajun-Creole cuisine.
"Frank is an excellent cook," says Lagasse, "and I really like his filé gumbo, which is Cajun-style, meaning it has no tomatoes." Cajun gumbo also doesn't include okra. Instead, Brigtsen thickens the stew with filé powder, a ground spice made from sassafras leaves. "The flavour is kind of like dehydrated greens," explains Lagasse. The other distinction to Brigtsen's gumbo is a little unorthodox: instead of slowly frying the oil and flour for the roux, the recipe starts with heating a pot of oil to 375F, then quickly whisking in the flour. This cuts the cooking time significantly and yields a deep, complex flavour.
Website: https://brigtsens.com/Address: 723 Dante Street, New Orleans, LA 70118Phone: +1 504-861-7610Instagram: @frankbrigtsen
BBC Travel's The SpeciaList is a series of guides to popular and emerging destinations around the world, as seen through the eyes of local experts and tastemakers.
--
For more Travel stories from the BBC, follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Time Out
36 minutes ago
- Time Out
Tokyo is getting a Pokémon theme park in spring 2026
Tokyo is paradise for Pokémon enthusiasts, offering everything from immersive Pokémon Centers to themed cafés serving up pocket-monster-inspired food and drinks. If you're in town this summer, you can even have a sleepover with your favourite Pokémon at Grand Hyatt Tokyo. But the excitement doesn't stop there – Pokémon fans are in for a major treat, as Tokyo is set to welcome its first-ever permanent outdoor Pokémon attraction in spring 2026. PokéPark Kanto will take over an expansive 26,000sqm space at Yomiuriland in the western suburbs and will feature a Pokémon Center, Trainers' Market, Gym, Pokémon Mart, Sedge Town area, and a 'Pokémon Forest' home to over 600 pocket monsters. That last one looks set to be one of the park's highlights. The lush Pokémon Forest will feature a mix of terrains from hilly paths and tall grassy areas to tunnels and rocky trails. Here, you'll be able to observe a wide variety of Pokémon in the wild. Another exciting area is Sedge Town, home to a Pokémon Center, Poké Market, Gym and Trainers' Market, where you can shop for exclusive merchandise. You'll also be able to catch a Disneyland-style Pokémon parade here, along with two other attractions. At the heart of the town, the Primarina Fountain serves as a gathering spot for Pokémon trainers visiting the grounds. The grand opening of PokéPark Kanto is set for spring 2026, with advance ticket sales expected to begin in autumn 2025. We'll keep you posted when tickets become available.


Scottish Sun
an hour ago
- Scottish Sun
Man Utd consider charging fans £4,000 to reserve season tickets at new stadium – with 20,000 seats saved for hospitality
MAN ALIVE Man Utd consider charging fans £4,000 to reserve season tickets at new stadium – with 20,000 seats saved for hospitality Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) MANCHESTER UNITED'S new stadium could include 20,000 'prawn sandwich brigade' seats, with the club's owners planning a huge number of VIP and hospitality areas. United legend Roy Keane once famously took aim at the club's match-going home supporters before a Champions League group stage tie against Dynamo Kiev in 2000 - stating they were too busy eating prawn sandwiches rather than creating an atmosphere inside the Theatre of Dreams. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 Man United fans could pay up to £4k to reserve a season ticket at the new stadium Credit: AFP 2 20,000 seats are set to be reserved for hospitality Credit: Foster + Partners Owners the Glazers and Sir Jim Ratcliffe appear to have ignored the former midfielder's rant by considering plans to dramatically increase corporate capacity, to help cover the cost of the £2billion build. Club chiefs have big plans, including hospitality areas on both sides of the halfway line and even pitch side. United are also considering selling long-term season ticket contracts, which could involve paying around £4,000 to secure a season ticket for 15 years or more - the FA uses a similar idea to enable England fans to secure season tickets for a number of years at a time. Officials are also considering bringing in a 'premium season ticket model' that would involve fans paying an additional sum on top of standard season ticket prices, to receive benefits such as a better chance of securing away tickets and access to concert tickets. The plans were revealed after United recently invited supporters to take part in discussions about the proposed 100,000-seater super ground they are planning to build near their current home. Club chiefs are also considering an American-style matchday experience, including 360-degree screen bars, a large number of smaller merchandise outlets instead of a single megastore, plus food and drink stalls. They are also looking into plans to allow fans freedom to move around the concourse to meet family and pals before matches. United also told fans that 2031/32 remains the target for the stadium opening. SUN VEGAS WELCOME OFFER: GET £50 BONUS WHEN YOU JOIN The club is expected to launch a large survey next month to hear fans' views. A source said the club wanted to gauge reactions from fans on a range of early ideas and themes which included different price points for tickets and other products. One fan criticised the forum, details of which were leaked online, describing them as a 'sad reality of what's to coming'. More to follow... THIS IS A DEVELOPING STORY.. The Sun is your go to destination for the best football, boxing and MMA news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures and must-see us on Facebook at and follow us from our main Twitter account at @TheSunFootball.


Daily Mirror
4 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
'I'm a British expat and one Spanish shop is much better than most UK supermarkets'
Carolina Cornell, originally from Taunton, Somerset, adores Mercadona and prefers it to most supermarket brands in the UK, such as Tesco and Sainsbury's and Asda A British expat has raved over a Spanish shop that is "far superior to most supermarkets in the UK". Carolina Cornell, who originally comes from Taunton, Somerset, reviewed her local Mercadona supermarket and gave her top tips for what to buy while on holiday. She first visited the booze section where they have a "great selection of different wines". Carolina, who has lived on Spain's Costa del Sol for 11 years, noted her preference for "semi-sweet white wine" and showed off a bottle of La Distinguida for just £2.30 (€2.65). Her favourite bottle of Árabe comes in at just over £3.47 (€4). The 33-year-old woman then reviewed Mercadona's crisps section, recommending a home-brand packet of nachos that is best accompanied with a tub of guacamole. Next up, she showed off the soft drinks section, highlighting a new cherry juice for just £0.95 (€1.10) and carton of coconut water for just £2.25 (€2.60). Carolina then visited the skincare aisle where Mercadona has "so many amazing items at really good prices". She also waxed lyrical over their gluten-free products and range of herbal teas. In a follow-up video titled 'Mercadona faves part 2', Carolina recommended the supermarket chain's tinned clam and tuna products. She then showed their packaged lemon chicken pieces "which are great in the air fryer". Carolina also visited the cheese and ready-made meals aisles, which included lasagne and meatballs. She said: "If you like fresh fish, they also have a big fresh fish counter. This frozen wild salmon is super well priced, I always buy this." She also visited the supermarket's "best selection of ice creams" and recommended her favourite products from the huge freezer. She shared the videos on her TikTok page with the message: "If you're anything like me, I just love a browse in different supermarkets and seeing what other people more so if it's on holiday!" But Carolina said the prices have definitely gone up in recent years, especially the last 12 months. She added: "However, the quality and freshness of the products are far superior to most supermarkets in the UK. A lot is grown and sourced locally in Spain so you can really tell it's fresh." Online users flocked to the comments of Carolina's TikTok video. One local said: "Great store!" They added: "Love this video, saved!" Another TikTok user remarked: "Love this, you look like you have so much more choice than I have in my local French supermarket, and so much cheaper!" Afurther social media fan asked: "Have you tried the new Summer pasta with lemon?" Another added: "Mercadona products are always high quality and never change, very reliable."