Tom Fitzmorris, one of New Orleans’ most influential food critics and radio personalities, passed away February 12th 2025 after a multi-year battle with Alzheimer’s. He was 74.
Born on Mardi Gras Day, February 6, 1951, and delivered by jazz musician and obstetrician Edmond “Doc” Souchon, Tom’s life was deeply intertwined with the culture and flavors of New Orleans. A lifelong resident, he dedicated his career to transforming the way people experienced food, famously shifting the mindset from “eating to live” to “living to eat.”
After attending Jesuit and Rummel High Schools, Tom studied at the University of New Orleans (UNO), where he wrote his first restaurant review for The Driftwood, the university’s student publication. That review, critiquing UNO’s fine-dining establishment, The Flambeau Room, was the first step in what would become a prolific career spanning nearly five decades.
Tom’s restaurant review column ran continuously from 1974 to 2020, making it the longest-running weekly restaurant review column by a single author in America. In 1974, the same month he graduated from UNO, he was hired as a restaurant columnist for New Orleans Magazine and, just four months later, was promoted to editor-in-chief at the age of 23.
In 1977, he launched The New Orleans Menu, which went online in 1996, providing in-depth restaurant reviews and culinary insights. Over the years, he dined in nearly every restaurant in New Orleans worth discussing and interviewed countless restaurateurs, becoming one of the city’s most trusted voices in food journalism. In addition to The New Orleans Menu, he was also published weekly in New Orleans CityBusiness.
Beyond writing, Tom was a beloved presence on New Orleans radio. He began broadcasting restaurant reviews and recipes on WGSO 1280 AM in 1975, which later evolved into his three-hour daily talk show, The Food Show with Tom Fitzmorris. Airing on WSMB and later WWL, his show was a mix of food critiques, lively banter, and long-running gags, including make-believe colored phones assigned to callers, “Ciao Numbers” that listeners could use to win prizes, and the popular guessing game where listeners tried to determine where Tom had dined based on his cryptic clues.
In 1993, The Food Show inspired the New Orleans Eat Club, a group of listeners and food lovers who joined Tom for weekly wine dinners at local restaurants. The club later expanded its adventures to food destinations around the world.
Unlike the typical critic shrouded in anonymity, Tom embraced his public figure role as New Orleans’ food expert. Tom frequently appeared on local television, judged food festivals, and attended countless charity events. He was also a fixture in Mardi Gras traditions, narrating the parades from Gallier Hall before his annual “farewell to beef” dinner at Crescent City Steakhouse.
Following Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Tom worked tirelessly to support the restaurant industry’s recovery. He meticulously tracked restaurant reopenings, maintaining a comprehensive list that he updated until the number of operating restaurants surpassed pre-Katrina levels. His dedication helped restore New Orleans’ culinary scene during one of its most challenging periods.
Tom was also a prolific author, publishing Tom Fitzmorris’s New Orleans Food in 2006, a collection of 250 Creole and Cajun recipes from his columns and radio show. A portion of the proceeds were donated to Habitat for Humanity. His passion for food history led him to write Hungry Town: A Culinary History of New Orleans, the City Where Food Is Almost Everything, chronicling the city’s post-Katrina culinary resurgence. He also co-authored The Lost Restaurants of New Orleans with Peggy Scott Laborde, preserving the stories of 122 iconic eateries from the past.
Outside of his culinary work, Tom was devoted to his family, faith, and community. He was actively involved in his children’s schools and served for over 50 years as a retreatant at the Manresa Jesuit House of Retreats (Group 47). He was also a familiar face at Our Lady of the Lake Parish Fair, where he could be found cooking briskets and coleslaw for the crowds.
Tom is preceded in death by his mother, Aline Gremillion Fitzmorris, of Cottonport, La, and his father, Joseph James Fitzmorris of New Orleans. He is survived by his wife of 36 years, Mary Ann Connell Fitzmorris; his son, Jude Fitzmorris; his daughter, Mary Leigh Fitzmorris; three beloved grandchildren, and sisters Judy Howat, Karen Terrell, and Lynn Fleetwood, as well as nieces and nephews.
A legend in New Orleans’ food world, Tom Fitzmorris left an indelible mark on the city he loved, shaping the way generations of locals and visitors alike experienced its cuisine. His voice, humor, and deep knowledge will be deeply missed but forever cherished.
Funeral Details
Friday, February 21st 2025
Lake Lawn Funeral Home
5100 Pontchartrain Blvd., New Orleans, LA 70124
Visitation from 5pm to 8pm
Saturday, February 22nd 2025
Chapel of the North American Martyrs at Jesuit High School
310 S Solomon St, New Orleans, LA 70119
Visitation from 9am to 12pm
Remembrance Mass 12pm
If you have a memory of Tom that you would like to share, please click here.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to New Orleans Culinary & Hospitality Institute (NOCHI), educating the next generation of restaurant and hospitality staff, in Tom’s Memory here.
