Meet the 93-year-old Woman Behind New Orleans' Best Fried Chicken | Eat. Stay. Love.

what is Dooky chase when my grandparents started this place 75 years ago they said this place is dedicated to fun-loving people in our great city we want you to feel welcome enjoy what we have cooked think of it as our home because it is an extension of our home this day you have the opportunity to meet my mom Leah chef Leah mrs. chase I believe chase been in this kitchen about 70 years I guess she say it's time to get out but I still have work to do so here I am you met on a great date on her birthday a 93rd birthday and we are so thankful for that Alba you know you got to be grateful when I tell you I'm the luckiest woman in the world I don't have to tell people it's my birthday they know it I pick up the paper this morning here I'm in the paper I didn't tell the paper it's my birthday the president knows it's my birthday when we see her walk over at 8 o'clock in the morning and she will stay here until 12:00 and after she is the inspiration to everyone on the staff it's good to have people think about you and all you have to do is think about other simple it's so easy to do to me she has so much still she wants to give tonight we have a set menu shrimp it's an Italian salad where we call a yard and pour chicken and fish seasoned right put it over there I get the red bell pepper harsh red pepper and some tumeric put it in put it in put it right in for four come on all that all of it I don't know where I was when they were passing out patients I must have been behind the door somewhere because I don't have any staff works hard to keep that spirit that was started with my grandparents 75 years ago that welcoming spirit that spirit of service mr. poori has been our customer for years in years he said you know I'm going to use this opportunity today to do bonding with my son it's been a while yeah since we did lunch together at me and that's a song this is a tree I'm paying for this of course Oh in Orleans we don't meet unless we eat no gentlemen how are you today are you good good to see you all we are just stalling we are so you came to the right place sorry don't invite us the meeting if you know service and food we're not that's not going to work I'm gonna have red beer okay hot sauce and fried chicken and no one you know Paul it's online I like I like to get drunk and I like the ring okay red means and ready for me and I sighs okay as usual I am paying for that's we are filled with memories if ever the same was true you wish these walls could talk cuz I would love to hear what they have to say I've been coming here since 1945 I don't get excited all the celebrities but when you go home and then you think about it step dad I actually got to meet President Omar anybody who was everybody came through here came through here and I got to meet Oprah Winfrey and Stevie Wonder Jim Brown Willie May Rachel's Thurgood Marshall all of those people into one little tiny place on Orleans Avenue anybody who was somebody who was black right was right here right at digger Chase this was always called the restaurant they never said I'm gonna take your dick you tainted this was the only restaurant what do you say what's the restaurant the restaurant go into the restaurant and that was always a good feeling but they said this is our restaurant because one time it was all they had no other place I always say we change the course of American history on bobba bobba kappa but the Freedom Riders came from this area they left from here they always met here we always had gumbo and fried chicken gentlemen I have your entrees ready just thinking about the beans coming all right chicken the food is what you need to bring people back it's like coming into your home and you've done my famous this is when I first had that dalla tater than that sensing that Fried Chicken I did I thought it was a joke when I started out with me and then it's so know you're gonna get nominated for a best fried chicken i won oh my god y'all can't really be serious I have nobody thinking like this chicken there you go I just do what my mom taught me how to do season it up let it sit there for a couple hours and then I fry it the fried chicken one I was like pretty good that's a pretty good feeling my soul is been satisfied you know I can say it it really easy off the chest yeah hooked it so their office knowing you learned so much about people if you know what they eat this is not a restaurant this is an institution of learning of culture this is an institution of love because what's in that pool there's not the amount of ingredients that goes in the pot there's what comes from the heart sometimes your food you come together you say well that's the same thing we eat maybe we do it a different way but food brings you together it is so important you all into me is the greatness I have never seen the city I could live in other than the world we know how to live we enjoy life you don't just serve food you serve love right out to Katrina when everybody was in trouble and nothing was here and everything was wet there was a little white trailer right across the street and I was a lieutenant governor at the time and I was in and out of here a lot and you know there were two people that were here in that trailer every day making sure that the continuity of freedom would live forever that kind of commitment is what New Orleans is all about the city loves you and we appreciate you so much many things these days are done over like my mother said a bowl of gumbo and she said if everybody would come to her table and just eat her gumbo we would have a peaceful world and everyone would be at peace you

Channel: Bon Appétit

Views: 2,524,822

Rating: 4.9411283 out of 5

Keywords: eat stay love, nola, new orleans, dooky chase, dooky chase new orleans, fried chicken, best fried chicken, best fried chicken new orleans, fried chicken new orleans, old women, old woman, new orleans food, new orleans restaurant, best new orleans, best new orleans restaurant, 93 year old, louisiana fried chicken, new orleans fried chicken, old restaurant, oldest restaurants, fried, chicken, leah chase, leah chase interview, food, bon appetit

Id: Mqk9_TEgsrw

Length: 7min 9sec (429 seconds)

Published: Mon Apr 04 2016

Reddit Comments

[u/markreid504]

I was eating here about five years ago and had the gumbo (of course). When I was leaving, I told the waiter to give my compliments to the chef. He said, "why don't you tell her yourself?" and walked us to the kitchen where she was literally making the next batch of gumbo. We chatted for about 10 minutes, and, as someone from the area, it was like meeting a celebrity. One of the best highlights of my life.

[u/ChampOfTheUniverse]

I think I'm gonna have to travel to New Orleans for sure now just for those red beans and rice alone.

[u/[deleted]]

Why is that mans face blurred?