After 35 Years, Commander’s Palace Is Bringing Back Its Influential Symposium

After 35 years, Commander’s Palace has decided that it’s time to probe the state of American cuisine again with its second American Cuisine and Hospitality Symposium on September 17 at the Orpheum Theater, bringing together some of the top names in the culinary industry, including Danny Meyer, Donald Link, Sheila Johnson, Will Guidara, Emeril Lagasse and Dominique Crenn.

While New Orleans cuisine often seems canonized, it’s still evolving and that evolution often comes in waves, according to a panel planned for Commander’s Palace’s American Cuisine and Hospitality Symposium taking place at the Orpheum Theater on September 17, 2018.

Though New Orleans cuisine has been considered canonized by some, its continued evolution comes in waves. The one-day symposium asks what the next wave of New Orleans cuisine will look like and if it’s already begun, among other panel topics that explore the current state of hospitality in the U.S., how American cuisine has been defined and changed since the 1970s, what’s next for tech and restaurants, and how female chefs can just be viewed as chefs.

Commander’s last held a symposium in 1983, when Ella Brennan stepped away from the Euro-centric wine lists of the time and served only American wines for the momentous event. This year, celebrating 125 years of Commander’s Palace, the symposium will pit wine and food pairings against cocktail and food pairings.

Speakers include Leah Chase, Nina Compton, Lolis Elie, Dominique Crenn, Danny Meyer, Jeremiah Tower, and more. Tickets are $225.

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