Sharing his vast culinary experience from traveling and cooking in places like New York and Paris, Dickie Brennan is fusing two generations of culinary history into one class, sharing the spotlight with daughter Sara, a baker, and son Richard, a butcher, for an ultimate culinary experience -- call it The Butcher, The Baker, The Candlestick Maker! You'll get three Brennans for the price of one with this private, in-person cooking experience for 12. Place your bid today!
Please note: This cooking experience is designed to be in-person in New Orleans for up to 12 people. If you would like to bid on this as a virtual experience, we are eager to accommodate you. Contact erica@nochi.org for additional information.
About Dickie Brennan
A third generation New Orleans restaurateur of the famed Brennan family, Dickie grew up just two blocks from Commander's Palace. In the 1970s and under the tutelage of Chef Paul Prudhomme, Dickie worked with Commander's Palace as they led the American Regional Cuisine movement by introducing the world to Cajun and Creole cooking.
After graduating college Dickie joined Larry Forgione's An American Place in New York City. He later moved to France, where he worked and studied in six different kitchens to gain exposure and broaden his knowledge as a chef. In 1991, Dickie helped open Palace Café and later became Executive Chef then Owner.
With his sister, Lauren Brower, and business partner, Steve Pettus, Dickie went on to open Dickie Brennan's Steakhouse Bourbon House, Tableau and Acorn Café at the Louisiana Children's Museum. Although each restaurant has its own distinct identity and cuisine, each shares the common thread of holding true to Louisiana's culinary history through the use of local ingredients and techniques.
As an ambassador for New Orleans and its unique culture, Dickie remains active in the community and hospitality industry. He is an avid supporter of local farmers and fisherman, and has taken an active role in trying to preserve heirloom varieties of Louisiana produce. Restaurant guests will find the best ingredients from the State, including Gulf seafood, fruit, vegetables and products from artisan producers on the menu.
Dickie's many accolades include:
Gambit's "40 Under 40" (1999)
Young Leadership Council's "Role Models"
New Orleans Junior Achievement's "Business Hall of Fame Laureates" (2009)
Louisiana Travel & Promotion Association's "Restaurateur of the Year 2010"
Culinary Humanitarian by Louisiana Cookin' (2011)
Induction into the Louisiana Restaurant Association's Hall of Fame (2011)
Appointment as a "Kentucky Colonel" by the Governor of Kentucky (2009)
New Orleans Magazine's "Restaurateur of the Year 2013"
New Orleans Council for Community and Justice's Annual Weiss Award (2014)
During his career, he has served as President of the New Orleans Restaurant Association, President of the Louisiana Restaurant Association, Chair of the Downtown Development District and Chair of the New Orleans Tourism and Marketing Corporation, as well as a member of the James Beard Foundation Board of Trustees. He is currently a member of the Board of Directors of the Louisiana Restaurant Association, National Restaurant Association and the National Restaurant Association-Educational Foundation, as well as Secretary of the Louisiana Travel Association and a member of the Edible Schoolyard Task Force.
His passion and expertise have also lead him to be a founding member of the New Orleans Culinary and Hospitality Institute (NOCHI). After many years of witnessing a void within hospitality training in his home city, he set out to make a change. The last five years have been spent working with a talented group of industry veterans to create New Orleans own premier hospitality and culinary school.
