Susan Spicer | Je Suis Lá | Ya Gotta Eat #12

Susan Spicer helped shape modern New Orleans cuisine without ever chasing the spotlight.Born in Key West and raised in New Orleans after spending part of her childhood in the Netherlands, Susan built a career defined by curiosity, discipline, and fearless creativity. From learning classic French technique at Louis XVI and staging in Paris in the early 1980s to opening legendary restaurants like Bayona, Herbsaint, Mondo, Spice Inc., and Rosedale, she became one of the most respected chefs in America while helping redefine what New Orleans food could be.In Episode 12 of Ya Gotta Eat, Robert St. John and Drew Wooton sit down with Susan over breakfast at Toast in New Orleans to talk about her journey through the restaurant world, opening Bayona in the French Quarter, building restaurants from the ground up, traveling the world through food, and the evolution of New Orleans cuisine. Along the way, they discuss French technique, Indonesian influences, music, work ethic, and why hospitality always comes first.From staging in Paris with no backup plan to becoming one of the most influential chefs in New Orleans history, Susan’s story is one of passion, resilience, and creativity.Food brings people together. Stories keep us together.As always: if we eat there, go eat there. Tip big. Support the places we visit.Pull up a chair — Episode 12 starts now. Because… Ya Gotta Eat!New episodes drop every four weeks.Subscribe and join us at the table.FOLLOW SUSAN SPICERhttps://www.instagram.com/spicer.susan/https://www.facebook.com/ChefSusanSpicer/FOLLOW USInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/yagottaeatshowFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/yagottaeatshowTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@yagottaeatshowBusiness Inquiries: [email protected]▶️ Last Episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukx1EOBPg7A🎙️ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3vyLYdyS0Q4omwaNcqVCrI🍎 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ya-gotta-eat/id1856003639❤️ iHeart: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-ya-gotta-eat-315833688CHAPTERS0:00 – Intro3:42 – Why Susan Chose Toast6:28 – Growing Up Between Key West, Holland & New Orleans10:15 – Falling in Love with New Orleans Music & Food15:02 – Learning to Cook from Her Mother19:40 – Discovering French Cuisine24:18 – Cooking in Paris & Taking the Leap31:08 – Opening Savoir Faire & Bistro at Maison de Ville36:22 – Bayona, Recognition & Early Success42:15 – Traveling the World Through Food47:08 – The Story Behind Rosedale52:10 – Mentorship, Leadership & Restaurant Culture56:45 – Favorite New Orleans Restaurants1:01:34 – Music, The Warehouse & New Orleans Culture1:07:22 – The Dish That Reminds Her of Home1:10:05 – Outro#neworleans #foodculture #podcast