Emeril Lagasse is the American chef and restaurateur best known for his New Orleans restaurant Emeril’s, the 1990s Food Network shows Emeril Live and Essence of Emeril, and his catchphrase BAM. Born 15 October 1959 in Fall River, Massachusetts, Lagasse trained at Johnson & Wales University in Rhode Island before joining the Brennan family Commander’s Palace in New Orleans in 1982, where he served as executive chef from 1983 to 1990. He opened his own restaurant Emeril’s in the Warehouse District of New Orleans in 1990.
Emeril’s New Orleans is ranked number 5 in the United States by Food & Wine in their 2026 restaurant list, and is recognised for a refined tasting-menu programme now led by Chef Patron E.J. Lagasse, Emeril son. The Lagasse restaurant group operates Emeril’s, Meril, Emeril’s Brasserie (formerly Table) at Harrah’s Casino, Emeril’s Table at the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, and Emeril’s Coastal Italian in Miramar Beach, Florida. The modern Portuguese concept 34 Restaurant & Bar closed in January 2026 due to rising operating costs.
TL;DR
- American chef born 15 October 1959 in Fall River, Massachusetts
- Executive chef at Commander’s Palace in New Orleans 1983-1990
- Opened Emeril’s in the Warehouse District of New Orleans in 1990
- Emeril’s New Orleans ranked #5 in the US by Food & Wine 2026; tasting menu now led by his son E.J. Lagasse
- Food Network pioneer; host of Emeril Live (1997-2007) and Essence of Emeril (1993-2007)
Emeril Lagasse key facts
| Born | 15 October 1959, Fall River, Massachusetts, USA |
| Nationality | American (Portuguese and French-Canadian heritage) |
| Flagship restaurant | Emeril’s, Warehouse District, New Orleans (opened 1990) |
| 2026 status | Emeril’s New Orleans ranked #5 in the US (Food & Wine); tasting menu led by Chef Patron E.J. Lagasse |
| Training | Johnson & Wales University (honorary doctorate); classical French apprenticeships in Paris and Lyon |
| Previous role | Executive chef of Commander’s Palace, New Orleans (1983-1990) |
| Television | Emeril Live (1997-2007); Essence of Emeril (1993-2007); multiple Food Network specials; current content production |
Early life and training of Emeril Lagasse
Lagasse was born Emeril John Lagassé III on 15 October 1959 in Fall River, Massachusetts, to Hilda Medeiros (of Portuguese descent) and Emeril John Lagassé Jr. (of French-Canadian descent). He grew up in a working-class mill town with a large Portuguese-American community, and the Portuguese home cooking of his mother kitchen shaped his later interest in Iberian food, later expressed in the 34 Restaurant & Bar concept that ran until its January 2026 closure.
At age 10 Lagasse took his first paid job at a Portuguese bakery in Fall River, starting on bread and pastries. He turned down a music scholarship for a percussion programme in order to enrol at Johnson & Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island, where he trained in the culinary arts programme. After graduation he worked in Paris and Lyon to complete classical French apprenticeships, then returned to the United States to work through kitchens in New York City and New England.
In 1982 Lagasse joined the Brennan family Commander’s Palace, the historic Garden District restaurant in New Orleans. The Brennans had run Commander’s Palace since 1974 and Ella Brennan was looking for a young chef capable of leading the kitchen after Paul Prudhomme departure. Lagasse was named executive chef in 1983 at age 23 and led the Commander’s kitchen for seven years, earning James Beard Award recognition and establishing himself as one of the most important young New Orleans chefs of the 1980s.
Emeril Lagasse career timeline
- 15 October 1959: Born in Fall River, Massachusetts
- 1969: First paid job at a Portuguese bakery in Fall River
- Mid-1970s: Enrols at Johnson & Wales University in Providence
- Late 1970s: Apprenticeships in Paris and Lyon; kitchens in New York City
- 1982: Joins Commander’s Palace in New Orleans
- 1983-1990: Executive chef of Commander’s Palace
- 1990: Opens Emeril’s in the Warehouse District of New Orleans
- 1991: James Beard Foundation Best Chef: Southeast
- 1993: Essence of Emeril debuts on Food Network, among the network first original shows
- 1997: Emeril Live debuts on Food Network with a live studio audience format; runs through 2007
- Late 1990s-2000s: Emeril’s Homebase company expands across New Orleans, Las Vegas, Orlando, Miami
- 2008: James Beard Humanitarian of the Year
- 2013: Emeril’s 10,000th show on Food Network
- 2019: Emeril’s Coastal Italian opens in Miramar Beach, Florida
- 2022: Emeril’s New Orleans reimagined with tasting-menu format
- 2023: E.J. Lagasse formally named Chef Patron of Emeril’s New Orleans
- January 2026: 34 Restaurant & Bar closes due to rising operating costs
- 2026: Emeril’s New Orleans ranked #5 in the United States by Food & Wine
Emeril Lagasse signature style: New Orleans Creole and Cajun reimagined
Lagasse defining cooking style is New New Orleans, a term he and the food press used from the late 1980s to describe a generation of New Orleans cooking that built on Creole and Cajun foundations but applied classical French technique and contemporary American sourcing to them. At Commander’s Palace and at Emeril’s he worked with gumbo, étouffée, barbecued shrimp, seafood, blackened fish and andouille sausage, but treated them with the precision and refinement of a classical kitchen rather than as casual comfort food.
The second defining element was the Food Network television period from 1993 to 2007. Essence of Emeril (1993) and especially Emeril Live (1997) established a live-audience competitive-energy format that reshaped American food television. The catchphrase BAM, the seasoning blend Essence of Emeril, the studio band, and the direct-to-audience cooking style created a high-energy alternative to the instructional food programming that had previously dominated American kitchens on television. Food Network attributed much of its 1990s growth to the popularity of Emeril Live.
The third pillar today is the 2022-onwards tasting-menu reinvention of Emeril’s New Orleans under Chef Patron E.J. Lagasse. The restaurant now runs a refined tasting-menu programme that applies modern fine-dining technique to the New Orleans Creole and Cajun vocabulary, and the Food & Wine 2026 #5-in-the-US ranking marks its return to the top tier of American fine dining. The generational handover to E.J. is one of the clearest chef-father-to-chef-son transitions in American fine dining and parallels, in a different register, the long-form restaurant succession models seen across classical French kitchens.
Notable dishes and Emeril Lagasse cookbooks
Several Lagasse dishes have become reference points in New Orleans fine dining. The Emeril’s barbecued shrimp with rosemary biscuits is a signature since 1990, adapted from a classical Louisiana recipe but served with a rosemary-scented butter sauce that became the Emeril’s house version. Banana cream pie with banana crunch has closed the dessert menu for more than three decades. Andouille-crusted redfish, crispy trout with bacon, barbecued oysters, and the Louisiana crab cakes with Creole mustard sauce are long-running menu signatures. The Essence of Emeril seasoning blend, first sold through the Food Network period, has become a kitchen pantry item across the United States. Lagasse has published more than a dozen cookbooks including Emeril’s New New Orleans Cooking (1993), Louisiana Real & Rustic (1996), and Farm to Fork (2010).
Emeril Lagasse awards and recognition
- 1991: James Beard Foundation Best Chef: Southeast
- 1993: Essence of Emeril launches on Food Network
- 1997: Emeril Live launches with live studio audience format
- 2008: James Beard Foundation Humanitarian of the Year
- 2013: Emeril’s 10,000th show on Food Network
- Multiple New York Times bestselling cookbooks
- Honorary doctorate from Johnson & Wales University
- 2026: Emeril’s New Orleans ranked #5 in the United States by Food & Wine
Emeril Lagasse impact on American food culture
Lagasse most concrete contribution is the 1990s Food Network era. Essence of Emeril and Emeril Live were two of the defining shows of the Food Network’s first decade, and the Emeril Live live-audience format directly shaped how American food television evolved in the 2000s. His peers in building food television, including Bobby Flay with Grillin’ and Chillin’ and later Beat Bobby Flay, and Jamie Oliver in the UK with The Naked Chef, all built parallel careers in the same era.
The second contribution is the Emeril’s Homebase company and the wider New Orleans restaurant revival. After Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Lagasse was one of the first high-profile restaurateurs to commit publicly to rebuilding in New Orleans, and his restaurant group payrolls helped anchor the industry recovery. The current generational handover to E.J. Lagasse and the 2026 Food & Wine #5 ranking mark the Emeril’s New Orleans return to the top tier of American fine dining after that rebuild.
Within the current American television-chef generation Lagasse sits alongside Bobby Flay on Food Network and Gordon Ramsay across MasterChef US and Hell’s Kitchen US as part of the founding food-television generation that has now moved into its third and fourth decade of broadcasting.
Emeril Lagasse FAQ
Is Emeril still cooking?
Lagasse continues to own and creatively direct the Emeril’s restaurant group, but day-to-day kitchen leadership at Emeril’s New Orleans is now held by his son E.J. Lagasse as Chef Patron. Lagasse remains active in restaurant strategy, cookbook publishing and television content production.
What is the best Emeril restaurant?
Emeril’s New Orleans at 800 Tchoupitoulas Street in the Warehouse District is the flagship and was ranked #5 in the United States by Food & Wine in their 2026 list. The restaurant operates a refined tasting-menu programme under Chef Patron E.J. Lagasse.
Who is E.J. Lagasse?
Emeril John Lagasse IV, known as E.J., Emeril son, now Chef Patron of Emeril’s New Orleans. He was formally named Chef Patron in 2023 and leads the tasting-menu programme that earned the restaurant its 2026 Food & Wine #5 ranking.
What is BAM?
Lagasse trademark catchphrase from the Food Network period (1993-2007), typically shouted when adding seasoning to a dish during live cooking demonstrations on Essence of Emeril and Emeril Live. The phrase became one of the most widely recognised catchphrases in American food television.
What happened to 34 Restaurant?
34 Restaurant & Bar, the modern Portuguese concept Lagasse opened as a tribute to his Portuguese-American heritage, closed in January 2026 citing rising operating costs. The closure did not affect Emeril’s New Orleans, Meril, Emeril’s Brasserie at Harrah’s, or the airport and Florida locations, which continue to operate.
What is next for Emeril Lagasse
Following the 2026 Food & Wine #5-in-the-US ranking for Emeril’s New Orleans and the January 2026 closure of 34 Restaurant & Bar, the focus is consolidating around Emeril’s with E.J. Lagasse as Chef Patron, plus Meril, Emeril’s Brasserie at Harrah’s, Emeril’s Table at the airport, and Emeril’s Coastal Italian in Florida. His public Instagram (@emeril) is the best source for current updates.
