Miss Ella of Commander's Palace: I Don't Want A Restaurant Where A Jazz Band Can't Come Marching Through

By: Ella Brennan and Ti Martin

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Synopsis: In this culinary memoir, readers get a personal tour of the storied New Orleans restaurant with the woman who put it—and Creole cuisine—on the map. Meet Ella Brennan: mother, mentor, blunt-talking fireball, and matriarch of a New Orleans restaurant empire. Ella is famous for bringing national attention to Creole cuisine, and her unique vision is best summed up in her own words: "I don&’t want a restaurant where a jazz band can&’t come marching through." In this candid autobiography, Ella shares her life story from childhood in the Great Depression to opening acclaimed eateries. When the Brennans launched Commander&’s Palace, it became the city&’s most popular restaurant. Many of the city&’s most famous chefs such as Paul Prudhomme, Emeril Lagasse, Troy McPhail, and many others, got their start there. Miss Ella of Commander&’s Palace describes the drama, the disasters, and the abundance of love, sweat, and grit it takes to become the matriarch of New Orleans&’ finest restaurant empire.