Susan Spicer

Susan Spicer
Name	Susan Spicer
Birth date	1948
Birth place	New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.
Style	Creole, Nouvelle, Contemporary
Restaurants	Bayona, Spice, Mondo, Reginelli's
Awards	James Beard Foundation Awards, Food & Wine recognitions

Susan Spicer is an American chef and restaurateur known for pioneering contemporary Creole cuisine and influencing the culinary scene of New Orleans. She has operated landmark restaurants, mentored numerous chefs, and participated in national culinary events, combining local Louisiana ingredients with techniques associated with French cuisine and Californian cuisine. Spicer’s career intersects with institutions and personalities across the worlds of restaurant culture, culinary education, and food media.

Early life and education

Spicer was born and raised in New Orleans in a family exposed to regional Louisiana Creole people traditions and coastal Gulf of Mexico seafood culture. She studied at local institutions before training at culinary programs associated with Johnson & Wales University and gaining experience in kitchens influenced by Paul Bocuse techniques and Julia Child-era French methods. Her early mentors included chefs from the French Quarter and visiting restaurateurs connected with the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, Preservation Hall, and other cultural organizations. During this period she worked with suppliers from Louisiana State University Agricultural Center networks and participated in workshops linked to the Southern Foodways Alliance.

Culinary career

Spicer’s professional trajectory includes stages in cuisine centers such as New York City, San Francisco, and Paris, where she encountered movements tied to Nouvelle Cuisine and chefs like Alice Waters, Emeril Lagasse, and Wolfgang Puck. Returning to New Orleans she helped define a post-Hurricane Katrina culinary identity that connected to recovery efforts led by civic entities like the Greater New Orleans Foundation and events hosted by the New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau. Her approach blends regional products sourced from suppliers associated with Cajun Country fishermen, Acadiana producers, and Gulf fisheries regulated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, while engaging with academic research from Tulane University and menu-development ideas discussed at conferences sponsored by the James Beard Foundation and Slow Food USA.

Restaurants and notable projects

Spicer founded and operated signature venues that became fixtures of New Orleans dining, collaborating with designers, architects, and hospitality groups such as those involved with French Quarter restoration projects and the Warehouse District revitalization. Her flagship restaurant became a destination for visitors arriving through the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport and attending cultural institutions like the Ogden Museum of Southern Art, Contemporary Arts Center, New Orleans, and Audubon Nature Institute. She opened and consulted on multiple enterprises that intersected with businesses like local restaurants, catering services connected to the New Orleans Museum of Art, and culinary incubators partnered with University of New Orleans initiatives. Spicer also advised on menu development for special events tied to the Mardi Gras season, collaborations with the French Market Corporation, and benefit dinners for nonprofits including Second Harvest Food Bank of Greater New Orleans and Partners for Health.

Awards and recognition

Spicer has been recognized by organizations such as the James Beard Foundation with nominations and awards, and featured in lists compiled by Food & Wine (magazine), Bon Appétit (magazine), and national publications like the New York Times and The Washington Post. Local honors include commendations from the Mayor of New Orleans and cultural awards presented by entities like the New Orleans Arts Council and the Historic New Orleans Collection. Her restaurants have been included in guides by Zagat Survey, the Michelin Guide-adjacent coverage for New Orleans dining, and travel features in Condé Nast Traveler and Travel + Leisure.

Media appearances and publications

Spicer has appeared on television programs produced by networks and personalities such as PBS, Food Network, and culinary series hosted by figures like Anthony Bourdain and Martha Stewart. She participated in panel discussions at forums organized by the James Beard Foundation and contributed recipes and essays to collections associated with publishers like Time-Life Books and magazines including Gourmet (magazine), Southern Living, and Esquire (magazine). Spicer’s commentary has been sought for documentary projects about Cajun and Creole foodways, collaborations with filmmakers who worked on series for American Public Television, and oral-history projects supported by the Southern Foodways Alliance and the Library of Congress.

Personal life

Spicer’s personal life is rooted in New Orleans civic and cultural networks; she has been active in philanthropic efforts with organizations such as The Roots of Music and community recovery efforts coordinated after Hurricane Katrina. Her household and social circles intersect with musicians, artists, and chefs affiliated with venues like Preservation Hall, Tipitina's, and the House of Blues New Orleans, and with culinary peers from institutions including Brennan's (New Orleans), Commander's Palace, and Galatoire's. Spicer continues to participate in regional culinary education initiatives alongside faculty from Tulane University School of Medicine nutrition programs and students at Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts-affiliated workshops.

Category:American chefs Category:People from New Orleans