Friday, September 8, 2017. The Restaurant Association Honors Unforgettable Figures. The thought crosses my mind now and then to become a member of the Louisiana Restaurant Association. I'm not sure whether I would add anything to it, or it to me. I never asked them, and they never approached me. The LRA is an industry group, almost entirely given over to operational matters. You don't see many recipes in their publications.
A good example of what the long-running (since 1946) organization espouses showed up tonight in an annual meeting celebrating its outstanding members. The qualities that were praised were about longevity, contribution to the community, and strong positive influence in the business.
The plaques and trophies this time around went to Leah Chase (who probably has more awards than any other person in the business, deservedly) and the late Chef Warren LeRuth. Both were inducted into the LRA's Hall of Fame.
Tommy Cvitanovich (of Drago's; won the Restaurateur of the Year honors. And about two dozen others accepted the remainder of the praise. Some of them were from the other end of the state and strangers to me. Don Weems, for example, owns the Water Front Grill in Monroe.
The party started with drinks in the bar at Arnaud's. Then a hundred or so attendees filed into the main dining room for a buffet with a lot of good pass-arounds. I spent most of my time greeting the people I know well.
I think I know why Leah Chase is always getting awards. Her talk was so funny that she could build a comedy routine around it. As always, the sharpness of her mind and tongue are such that it's hard to believe she's deep into her nineties.
Representing Warren LeRuth were his wife and his son Larry Ruth, who with his late brother Lee owned LeRuth's restaurant for a time. I used to run into Larry often when our kids were in the same school. He seems to have found an equilibrium that doesn't need a restaurant behind it. I cajoled him as I always do when I see him to collect and publish his father's recipes--very few of which have ever been widely available. I once again offered to assist in that job. The more time goes on, the fewer people remember the brilliant man and his lusty food.
One matter in which all the assembled restaurateurs agree is that the hospitality industry needs to help its hurricane-drenched and battered colleagues in Texas. The Houston restaurateurs gave a lot of help to New Orleans after Katrina. And everybody seems to be involved in following suit. The restaurateurs have raised a lot of money to keep waiters, cooks, and other professionals in place to be there when the disaster is past. They have experience in this now. As soon as the water goes down.
