Emeril Lagasse's First Restaurant
In 1989, a young chef with an uncompromising vision decided it was time to open his own restaurant. In an industrial neighborhood with abandoned buildings and no streetlights, Chef Emeril transformed a former warehouse into a ground-breaking restaurant that redefined Creole cuisine.
The fine dining restaurant opened in March 1990 and quickly received national recognition including a five ‘bean’ review in the Times-Picayune in the first few months of opening, followed by many accolades throughout the years including Restaurant of the Year in Esquire, the James Beard Foundation Award for Best Chef South and the coveted Grand Award from Wine Spectator.
A New Chapter Begins
In 2021, Emeril’s son E.J. graduated from Johnson & Wales University, his father’s alma mater. He then honed his skills in renowned kitchens across New York, London, and Stockholm before returning to New Orleans as chef and co-owner, leading the restaurant’s day-to-day operations.
Under E.J.’s guidance, Emeril’s underwent an extensive renovation in 2023 and reopened with a refined menu that honors the restaurant’s rich culinary heritage while reflecting his modern, technique-driven training. Today, Chef E.J. carries forward Emeril’s culinary legacy alongside a talented team dedicated to delivering an elevated dining and hospitality experience rooted in Louisiana culture. The restaurant earned AAA’s Five Diamond designation in 2024 and joined the prestigious international organizations Les Grandes Tables du Monde and Relais & Châteaux. In 2025, Emeril’s was awarded two MICHELIN stars, becoming the only restaurant with the distinction in the American South, and Chef E.J. received Michelin’s Young Chef Award.
E.J. Lagasse – Chef, Co-Owner
Chef E.J. Lagasse
E.J. Lagasse developed a love of food from an early age. As the son of Chef Emeril Lagasse, he grew up in kitchens and around a family table that was central to daily life. Cooking with his father and exploring new culinary experiences shaped his childhood, instilling a deep appreciation for seasonality and nature and inspiring his commitment to culinary artistry.
At 13, E.J. began working in the kitchen at Meril in New Orleans. Throughout high school, he continued working for his father at Emeril’s Coastal in Florida. During summer breaks, he staged at the acclaimed Café Boulud in New York City, gaining invaluable experience under Daniel Boulud. He later spent nearly two years training at Le Bernardin with Eric Ripert. After graduating from Johnson & Wales University, he refined his skills in leading kitchens around the world, including Core by Clare Smyth in London and Frantzén in Stockholm.
In 2022, E.J. returned to New Orleans to lead Emeril’s as chef and co-owner, overseeing the restaurant’s day-to-day operations. Following an extensive renovation, the flagship reopened in 2023 with a refined menu that honors its rich culinary heritage while introducing innovative techniques and modern interpretations of Chef Emeril’s classics. Drawing inspiration from Louisiana’s bounty, Chef E.J. works with dedicated local farmers, fishermen, and producers to create an evolving menu that tells a story through food and nature.
Since becoming chef and co-owner of the Lagasse flagship, Chef E.J. and Emeril’s have earned significant recognitions including membership in Relais & Châteaux and Les Grandes Tables du Monde (2024), AAA Five Diamond designation (2024), a three-star review from The New York Times (October 2025) and two MICHELIN stars and the American South Young Chef Award (November 2025), making E.J. the youngest chef in history to lead a two-MICHELIN-star restaurant.
Beyond the kitchen, Chef E.J. is committed to serving the community. In May 2025, he joined the Emeril Lagasse Foundation Board of Directors, helping advance the family’s legacy of inspiring, mentoring, and empowering young people through community grants, teaching kitchens, hospitality training, and educational and nutritional initiatives. In November 2025, he joined the Board of Trustees of the New Orleans Museum of Art, supporting the museum’s work to preserve, present, and enrich its renowned collection and sculpture garden.
Emeril Lagasse – Owner, Chef
Chef Emeril Lagasse’s passion for food began during his childhood in Fall River, Massachusetts, where he spent time in the kitchen with his mother, Hilda. As a teenager, he worked at a Portuguese bakery and mastered the art of bread and pastry baking. After graduating from high school, he pursued his dream of becoming a chef and earned a degree from Johnson & Wales.
To broaden his culinary perspective, Lagasse traveled to Paris and Lyon, where he refined his skills and studied classical French cuisine. He then returned to the United States and worked in fine-dining restaurants across the Northeast before moving to New Orleans. There, he led the kitchen at Commander’s Palace for eight years and opened his first restaurant, Emeril’s, in 1990.
Today, he is the founder of The Emeril Group, a leading culinary and hospitality company based in New Orleans. The two-MICHELIN star flagship, Emeril’s, anchors a portfolio that currently includes The Wine Bar at Emeril’s and Meril in New Orleans, as well as Delmonico Steakhouse, Emeril’s New Orleans Fish House and Meril in Las Vegas, and Emeril’s Chop House at L’Auberge Baton Rouge. The collection also includes dining experiences at sea on Carnival Cruise Lines.
Chef Emeril is also an award-winning national TV personality who is widely regarded as a pioneer in food television in America. Throughout the years he hosted more than 2,000 shows on the Food Network and served as food correspondent for ABC’s Good Morning America. He also hosted Eat the World, an award-winning Amazon original series, and Emeril Tailgates and Emeril Cooks airing on The Roku Channel.
Throughout the years, Lagasse has received accolades and lifetime awards for his contributions to the American culinary industry including the Distinguished Service Award from Wine Spectator, the Lifetime Achievement Award from Food Network’s South Beach Wine & Food Festival, and the Humanitarian of the Year by the James Beard Foundation for his dedicated efforts to further the culinary arts in America, as well as his philanthropic work. Most recently, he received the prestigious Icon Award during the North America’s 50 Best Restaurants 2026 ceremony in New Orleans.
In 2002, Emeril and his wife Alden established the Emeril Lagasse Foundation to support children’s educational programs that inspire and mentor young people through the culinary arts, nutrition and life skills. To date, the Foundation has awarded nearly 500 grants totaling over $24 million to schools and children’s charities that further its mission. The Emeril Group, Lagasse’s culinary and hospitality company, is based in New Orleans.
