Zella Palmer
Zella Palmer, is an author, professor, filmmaker, curator, scholar and the Chair and Director of the Dillard University Ray Charles Program in African-American Material Culture in New Orleans, Louisiana. Palmer is committed to documenting and preserving the legacy African American, Creole, Indigenous and LatinX culinary history. As the Chair of the Dillard University Ray Charles Program, Palmer filmed and produced the Story of New Orleans Creole Cooking: The Black Hand in the Pot documentary. In 2020, under Palmer’s leadership, Dillard University launched a Food Studies Minor, 1 of 2 accredited academic Food Studies programs at a (HBCU) Historically Black College & University. Palmer’s latest publications, Recipes and Remembrances of Fair Dillard: 1869-2019 (University of Louisiana at Lafayette Press) and Ed Mitchell’s Barbeque (Harper Collins, June 2023) shares some of her rich research. Palmer was a guest or keynote speaker for NYU, Nicholls State University, Maryville University, University of Gastronomic Sciences (Turin, Italy) Essence Festival and for the 2022 American Community Gardening Association Conference. Palmer’s research and articles appeared in the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities 64 Parishes, Essence and For the Culture magazines. Palmer received the 2018 ‘Cultural Bearer Award’ from the Mardi Gras Indian Hall of Fame, 2020 New Orleans Magazine ‘People To Watch’ and 2022 Dine Diaspora Black Women in Food ‘Trailblazer’ Honoree. Palmer hosts Culture & Flavor podcast on Heritage Radio Network. Every Thanksgiving, Palmer hosts a ‘Vitality Culinary Retreat’ to Morocco, Africa, a time to heal, rejuvenate and learn about Morrocan food and culture.
All Posts
The Best Restaurants In New Orleans
Our favorite places to eat in the land of above-ground cemeteries and excellent Creole food.
The Best Restaurants In The French Quarter
There are more places to eat and drink in the French Quarter than there are ghost stories about New Orleans. Here are the 15 restaurants we like best.
The Most Classic New Orleans Restaurants
All the must-try places and essential meals for any visit to the Big Easy.
The Best Bars In The French Quarter
If you’re coming to New Orleans, odds are you’ll end up in the French Quarter. Here’s where to have a drink.
The Best Bars In New Orleans
Our favorite places to drink cocktails, dance, and have a great night in New Orleans.
Bayona
Bayona is a spot in the French Quarter where you can get Creole dishes and linger with a couple of friends for a while.
Arnaud's
Arnaud's is a classic Creole restaurant in the French Quarter that has been serving up great food, cocktails, and live jazz since 1918.
Palm & Pine
Palm & Pine in the French Quarter is a great place to have some Creole and Mexican dishes late on Friday and Saturday nights.
Saint John
Saint John is a spot in the French Quarter that does modern Southern and Creole dishes, in a space that feels both old-school and modern New Orleans.
Jewel Of The South
Jewel Of The South is a spot in the French Quarter that puts an equal emphasis on the food and cocktails.
Kermit’s Treme Mother in Law Lounge
You could mistake Kermit’s for any neighborhood corner store, but this is one of the best bars in New Orleans for live music.
Hotel Saint Vincent
Saint Vincent Hotel is somewhere you can snack on fried calamari, sip on cocktails in their lobby Paradise Lounge, and dance the night away.
The Elysian Bar
The Elysian Bar, located in the Marigny, is one of the coziest and most romantic bars in New Orleans.
Hot Tin
Hot Tin is on the top floor of the Pontchartrain Hotel, and it’s one of our favorite rooftop bars in New Orleans.
Dooky Chase Restaurant
Dooky Chase's is a New Orleans institution and one of the best places for Creole food in existence.
Gautreau’s
The biggest draw at Gautreau’s, an Uptown French spot, is their garden, which is the perfect atmosphere for a sort-of fancy dinner.
Brigtsen’s
Brigtsen's is an Uptown restaurant that feels like you're in another time period. They serve old-school Creole dishes and the space has a Victorian cottage vibe.