Addiction, Recovery & Resilience

David Leo Veksler (CC BY 2.0)

From the front of the house to the back, across Louisiana and the entire country, there is a substance abuse problem in bars and restaurants. On this week's show, we speak with Will Arendell, a renowned substance abuse counselor, who demystifies the psychology and physiology of addiction.

We then meet two New Orleanians who have overcome a host of challenges to find success in food. Sam Caruso had struggled with drugs and alcohol for years before forging a new path for himself with Laozi Ice Cream. His French-style custard is a local favorite, which he sells out of the back of Blue Dot Donuts in Mid-City.

For Martha Gilreath, her pop-up bakery Nolita represented a fresh start. In 2022, Martha met Sam in the rooms of recovery. That year, Sam invited Martha to sell king cakes from his Mid-City location. Months later, she was named executive chef at The Chicory House in New Orleans’ Garden District. Martha joined us in the studio to tell us about her journey.