Ella Brennan Award Winners

New Orleans chefs Susan Spicer and Frank Brigtsen are both culinary icons. They are also back-to-back recipients of the coveted Ella Brennan Lifetime Achievement Award, presented each year by the New Orleans Wine & Food Experience: Frank was recognized in 2022; Susan received the 2023 award last week at a gala celebration at The Four Seasons Hotel.

On this week's show, we sit down with both honorees – who each have culinary careers spanning over 40 years – to learn about their successes and the challenges they overcame to become the legends they are today.

We begin with Chef Susan Spicer. Back in 1998, The New York Times named Susan the “Quiet Star of New Orleans.” 25 years later, she remains one of the city’s most celebrated culinary figures, showcasing her talents at the helm of such restaurants as Bayona and Rosedale. Susan reflects on a career of accomplishments.

And how do you create a life's legacy? If you've ever had a bite of Chef Frank Brigtsen's authentic Creole cooking, you've tasted it. From 1978 through the early ’80s, Chef Frank earned his culinary stripes in the kitchens of Commander's Palace and K-Paul's, working under the watchful eye of Paul Prudhomme. Building on those years of apprenticeship, in 1986, he opened Brigtsen's Restaurant to local and national critical acclaim. The legendary New Orleans chef looks back at his 50-year career in hospitality.