Wrap your head around this number: The average age of Emeril's staff, the staff of New Orleans' only 2-star Michelin restaurant, is 26.
And at only 22, E.J. Lagasse is the youngest chef to ever lead a 2-star kitchen.
“The amount of floral arrangements I’ve been sent in the past two weeks has been a total tear-jerker,” Lagasse tells WWL. “But what it's really all about is getting people excited about being in New Orleans. And about getting New Orleanians excited about living in New Orleans — as we always are.”
E.J., son of New Orleans culinary legend Emeril Lagasse, explains that the honor of being in Michelin Guide’s inaugural ranking for the American South is far more than an individual accomplishment; it’s a collective celebration of New Orleans food, culture, and its wildly impassioned service industry.
“It’s such an honor to be in the number,” Lagasse says. “I was talking to a friend who said they were watching the (Michelin award) live stream. As New Orleans restaurants were getting called, he said it felt like the Saints winning the Super Bowl.”
“We’re all here to represent the city we love so much," Lagasse continues. "There are so many chefs, restaurateurs, and sommeliers who have put so much into this over the years,”
The dream that began in his father's kitchen eventually turned into a multi-generational aspiration.
“It’s always been the goal of my father, and my goal, to have a white tablecloth restaurant that represents New Orleans,” explains Lagasse. “And to be a restaurant that serves trout amandine and gumbo and things we're so proud of as New Orleanians, and to have it be on that national stage and maybe even a world stage... There are so many fantastic restaurants that have been on that world stage for years. I think of restaurants like Commander's Palace.”
Lagasse explains the journey of how Emeril's managed to evolve and stick closely to its cultural roots to eventually obtain the culinary industry's highest honor.
"To go down the tasting menu route, to go where we've gone, is really where the goal has always been. It took us 35 years to get exactly where we are now. But we're still going to try to push and evolve, and to be here another 35 years," says Lagasse. "I think that's what keeps it fun and exciting, but while still playing with the dishes that are so nostalgic... I mean, BBQ shrimp was my baby food."
Lagasse is quick to point out that, although Emeril's is so closely tied to his father's legacy, he underscores that the 2-star Michelin award would be impossible without the continued effort from the entire staff.
"They're sort of like professional athletes; they’re so disciplined,” says Lagasse. “They do such a fantastic job and we couldn't be more proud of what they’ve been able to do.”
Emeril's has the stars. Now, they must work to keep them.
Not only is E.J. the youngest chef to lead a 2-star Michelin restaurant, but he also won the 2025 MICHELIN Guide American South Young Chef Award. Lagasse explains that his next big challenge is maintaining their status.
“That’s the beautiful thing about Michelin: this is just the first year. Now we’re back in the next cycle. Their anonymous inspectors could be back in here tonight,” explains Lagasse. “It’s an incredibly hard task to maintain stars or Bib Gourmand… But I think if we can just keep doing what we’re doing and focus on refining and focus on quality ingredients, the results come at the end of it.”
Ultimately, Lagasse says that the 34 restaurants that received Michelin recognition are a collective testimony to the unyielding dedication of those who make up the New Orleans service industry.
“People like myself. People at our restaurant. And people at other restaurants around the city: We live, eat, and breathe restaurants and cooking. It's what we do. It’s what we adore," Lagasse explains, and adds that he fully believes his restaurant will continue to build on this upward trajectory.
“If we come in together every day and push and try to be a little bit better than the day we were before, then hopefully, at the end of the year, things can go our way and we can keep them. Or maybe we’ve pushed past the point where we gain additional recognition. But for us, it's trying to be a little bit better than we were the day before.”