[Rail Paul]

Nice article by Brett Anderson about the Best New Chef in America award for Gautreau's restaurant. In the 20 years the regional award has been issued, only Trio (formerly of the Chicago area) has as many citations.

This time it is Sue Zemanick, the 27-year-old chef who took over Gautreau's kitchen just prior to Katrina and stayed on during its lengthy rebuilding.

According to a review of Food & Wine's online Best New Chefs archive, Zemanick is the 14th chef to earn the honor while working in a New Orleans restaurant. A magazine spokesperson said that Trio, the now-shuttered Evanston, Ill., restaurant that counts acclaimed chef Grant Achatz among its alumni, is the only other restaurant to have produced as many Best New Chefs as Gautreau's.

It is a significant accomplishment for such a tiny restaurant, if only for the attention that traditionally accompanies a Best New Chef anointment.

Gautreau in NoLa

Site

(504) 899-7397
1728 Soniat St.
New Orleans, LA 70115

[Squeat Mungry]

Thanks for the article, Paul. I love visiting New Orleans, not least because of the many fine restaurants. It's hard for me to believe I've never made it to Gautreau's. I also wasn't aware that my favorite NO chef, Susan Spicer, was an alumna. I'm planning a trip to NO this fall, and Gautreau's is going to the top of the list.

[hollywood]

FWIW, I ate at Gautreau's many years ago. I have no memory of what I ate (it was good), but it was far from the best meal I had on that trip or others. I like the setting though.