Emeril’s Family Legacy

Generations of Culinary Excellence

Photo by Romney Caruso

Since 1990, Emeril’s cuisine has been inspired by Louisiana heritage and has evolved through cultural and generational influences. —Chef Emeril Lagasse

As Emeril’s flagship New Orleans restaurant has evolved in the past three decades, so has the iconic celebrity chef’s family. His son, E.J. Lagasse, has grown from a bright-eyed kid learning the ropes into a powerhouse leading man. When E.J. was fifteen and working in the kitchen at Emeril’s Coastal, Emeril told VIE, “I tell him to be serious about it and just keep learning something new every day.” In addition to his father—whom he also refers to as his best friend—E.J. counts chefs Éric Ripert, José Andrés, Daniel Boulud, and Frank Szymanski among his mentors. He graduated from Johnson & Wales University (his dad’s alma mater) and is now the chef patron at Emeril’s flagship restaurant in New Orleans.

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Read more in the luxury coffee-table cookbook COOK: Cocktails. Cuisine. Culture. by VIE—get your copy at VIEmagazine.com/shop-vie! Follow @emerils, @emeril, and @ejlagasse on Instagram for more updates on their latest projects and news.