<\/p>\n
Bam!<\/p>\n
You knew who was on television just by hearing that catchphrase delivered in his signature accent. Emeril Lagasse wasn’t the first celebrity TV chef (that was Julia Child, for most Americans), but he did usher in a new kind of famous chef.<\/p>\n
Lagasse wasn’t just a television personality. He was an outrageous personality who also owned successful restaurants and could actually deliver the goods in the kitchen.<\/p>\n
Lagasse helped pave the way for a generation of celebrity chefs, including Bobby Flay, Gordon Ramsay, and Guy Fieri.<\/p>\n
All of these men, as well as women including Giada De Laurentiis, Antonia Lofaso, and Stephanie Izard, come from the Lagasse tradition of being technically good chefs as well as engaging personalities.<\/p>\n
The restaurant business, however, is very competitive, with the average lifespan for an eatery being six years, according to data from Toast POS<\/a>. That makes it surprising that a restaurant owned by Lagasse, along with his son E.J., is closing its doors after a roughly two-year run.<\/p>\n Lagasse is shutting down his Portuguese cuisine-inspired restaurant in New Orleans on Jan. 31, according to The Herald News<\/a>.<\/p>\n 34 Restaurant,\u00a0a collaboration with his son E.J. Lagasse, opened its doors in October 2024 with the aim of serving Portuguese traditional dishes with a modern twist.<\/p>\n \u201cThis past year has been a true labor of love for Chefs Emeril and E.J. Lagasse, and an opportunity to share their Portuguese heritage, family recipes, and culture with New Orleans,\u201d according to a Jan. 22 post on the restaurant\u2019s Instagram page<\/a>. \u201cWhile rising operational costs have led us to make this difficult decision, we are incredibly grateful for the journey.\u201d<\/p>\n The post hints at a comeback in the future.<\/p>\n “This isn\u2019t the last caldo verde we\u2019ll be sharing with the New Orleans community, and we look forward to what\u2019s to come,” the restaurant shared.<\/p>\nEmeril closes his “labor of love” restaurant<\/h2>\n