~ Let us blow our ho
When they asked
the Olympic athlete
which of the gold
medals she had
won was her most
coveted, she replied
politely but could
not hide the blush of
embarrassment.
We know how she feels.
It ~ embarrassing!
accepting the
James Beard
Award for
the onon of the omerimn (ulinory industry!
Winner 1996 Jomes Beord
OuUtonding Restouront Aword
'The award goes to "the restaurant
in the United States that serves as a
national standard-bearer of consistency
of quality, excellence in food, atmosphere
and service" according to the contest
guidelines.
nd J our case - unlike the athlete it is
humEling. For us - it is not over, not
complete, not ours, never to be taken
away. We must hold our award in our
d today and ask ourselves: Will we be
e best restaurant in America tomorrow?
Will the very next meal we serve and
experience we provide, meet those
standards? Will it meet our own?
Perhaps these awards would make some
folks arrogant. Not us - it motivates us -
even scares us a little. Only a fool wouldn't
be scared. We have always operated in
what we call a "healthy state of
paranoia." How do we keep getting better?
How should the food,service and total
experience we try to provide continue to
evolve? We know studies continue to say
that customers are really more interested
in service and ambiance. We may be
stubborn but we keep going back to our
mantra. "The message is about the food
and still is." We go back and back and
back to the food. Both tinkering and
creating brazen new dishes. Many
restaurants that we love have made a
name for themselves serving the classic
dishes they have served for over a
hundred years. That has never been the
mantle that Commander's Palace has
wanted to hang it's hat on.
A triple crown? A sweep? What would one
call it? We call it hard earned recognition
for the senior generation of Brennan
Family Members! They have been in the
business for over 50 years (literally, if you
add up the years of restaurant experience
of just the senior generation it would be
150 years). To us they are the Olympic
marathoner - persevering day in and day
out - always going for the gold. But, like a
marathoner, a real restaurateur could
never be motivated by just awards. It
simply couldn't be enough to endure.
They must each truly love what they do.
How else could they do it? Step after step,
meal after meal, worn out shoes after
worn out shoes.
And no one to inspire long day
but yourself. In an industry where 7 years
has long been quoted as the average life of
a restaurant, we think they deserve their
medals. We hope it proves that their
decision to pass the torch of operating
duties to us has been a successful one. We
hope it proves they were not wrong to
entrust us. We hope it proves that we have
learned our lessons well.
Embarrassing or not - we do savor each
award. Particularly because they come
from you - our customers and our peers.
These were not awards that were chosen
by one person or one panel. The people
voting for these awards on a national and
local basis range from groups of hundreds
to thousands - and the competition for
some of the awards included all the
restaurants in America. First came the
Food & Wine Reader's Choice Award. We
didn't even know we had won until it was
printed. Food & Wine asked it's readers
to vote on their favorite restaurant in
America and to quote their article, "With
three times as many mentions as any other
establishment, Commander's Palace in
New Orleans is clearly a culinary
mecca. .. Commander's Palace was
chosen #1 restaurant in America! WOW!
That felt great!
Next Southern Living asked it's readers to
choose a favorite and Commander's
Palace won. We thought we had died and
gone to heaven.
Then came Zagat. Zagat publishes guides
to restaurants and hotels in all the major
U. S. cities. It is touted to be more
objective than most guides because it is
based on the vote of customers.
Thousands of them. Zagat has published a
New Orleans restaurant guide three times
and Commander's Palace has been #1 all
three times.
The James Beard Award! What a thrill -
complete with all the drama of the Oscars.
1,500 of our peers dressed in black tie sat
through nearly four hours of awards until
the last award . .. Best Restaurant in
America.
Like the Oscars, the field had been
narrowed by votes and panels to five
finalists. The competition was tough.
When they read the names of some of the
most prominent restaurants in America
(who happen to be some of our dear
friends) we all gulped air and lost
confidence. And then they said it ...
"and the winner is . .. Commander's
Palace." We celebrated and carried on
into the night with our friends and peers
from around the country. That's one
hangover we don't regret.
·jeter,t'I.. lif:!"fii"·
Wine Spectitm
Dining in America
dilill illlen(1 - mti(s (~oi(e il14 dtits
'The Coun~8~eslaurants
As seen in Wine Spectator Magazine March 1995
"Like most Orleanians, I keep COMMANDER'S
PALACE on my A-list. The I IS-year-old flagship of
the Brennan family empire is strong in both
traditional Creole dishes and in the innovative
haute Creole that it helped to create:'
- Tom Fitzmorris
t~e # 1 renl.rllt in Ilen(a!
As seen in Food & Wine Magazine December 1995
UWith three times as many mentions as any other establishment,
COMMANDER'S PALACE in New Orleans is clearly a culinary mecca
for many of you, whether you live in New Orleans or not:'
lew ,rleals' # 1 lOst ,o'lllr mtaDI1I~
As seen in 1996 Zagat Survey May 1996
N ext thing you know, the Louisiana
Legislature is unanimously passing
proclamations in honor of
Commander's Palace. (Don't take this
one lightly - when the Louisiana
Legislature agrees on anything
unanimously it's big news.)
"Each of our reviewers has been asked to name his or
her five favorite restaurants. The 40 spots most frequently
named, in order of their popularity are:
# I COMMANDER'S PALACE
tilts steepd illill po,r -(olllDders Pall(e serm I kist of ~ist'n
As seen in USA Today June 1996
The only thing that could have gone "Commander's Palace in New Orleans, named the USA's best restaurant
better this year would have been
if the horse named Commander's
Palace (owned by friend and customer
Dick Colton) would have won
the Louisiana Derby! He came close.
But - there's always next year.
last month at the James Beard Awards, has spawned its share of stories, along with such nationally
known chefs as Paul Prudhomme, Emeril Lagasse, Frank Brigsten and current executive chef Jamie
Shannon. Also quoted is Lindy Boggs, former U.S. Congresswoman and longtime Commander's customer."
Raders (~'i(e IWIrds! t~e # 1 dty mtl.fll~
As seen in Southern Living Magazine July 1996
- Lally Brennan
Dickie Brennan
Brad Bridgeman
Jamie Shannon
Richard Shakespeare
Stephen Woodruff
"Announcing the Southern Living Reader's Choice
Awards ... Last November we asked you to tell us your
favorite places in the South. Now we proudly present
you with the results ... And the winners are ...
# I City Restaurant - COMMANDER'S PALACE :'
lei orluls' faonte mef - Jamie Shannon, (ommander's Pla(e!
As seen in New Orleans Magazine September 1996
"In the center hulks Jamie Shannon, his pleated chef's hat making him even taller than his ample six v:
foot three inches. Clearly in charge, he gives orders even as he sets up trays ... Lunchtime at
Commander's Palace, world-famous culinary mecca as well as neighboorhood restaurant (It'S both, 0; Shannon explains, and it better remember to coddle its regulars as well as awe the tourists) is serious
business ... Serious but not grim. Shannon is in love with his work, and that attitude spills over ~
onto everybody else. Every flawless meal is another victory." (1
• • •
Title:
Chef, Commander's Palace
Restaurant, New Orleans
Birthdate:
Oct. 31, 1961.
Hometown:
Sea Isle City, New Jersey.
Formal education:
The Culinary Institute
of America, 1984.
Career highlights:
Most recently, winning
James Beard's Outstanding
Restaurant of the Year
Award; becoming the chef
at Commander's; cooking
at the Crillon Hotel in
Paris; working as saucier
at Ivana's restaurant in
Trump Plaza, Atlantic
City, N.J.; graduating
from the CIA
Menu sampler:
Turtle Soup,
Creole Tomatoes with
Vidalia Onions;
Lyonnaise Gulf Fish,
Bread Pudding Souffle
How excited were you when Commander's Palace
won the James Beard Foundation's Outstanding
Restaurant Award?
I couldn't conceive it at first. I looked around the room
and saw the quality of people and who we were up
against - people who I look up to - and all of a sudden
you are in that category and you wind up winning. It
was definitely one of the most exciting things that has
happened to me. It is something because I'm really like
the [Brennans.] We are very humble. When we won, we
all looked at each other and were surprised.
Will it be difficult to go back to the daily grind?
No, you just go back and have your mind set on that
day. Mter we won Food & Wine's best restaurant poll,
the next day we were just back to work, looking at customer
counts. It is incredible how much work goes into
running a restaurant. It is so team-oriented. I love the
award because it is a team award. It wasn't best chef or
service. It was the entire restaurant. This was Ella and
Dick Brennan's award for 50 years of work.
You've been at Commander's for a dozen years.
What's the appeal?
It is exactly like The Culinary Institute. I love the CIA
so much because whenever I go back, they have done so
much and grown so much. They always strive to do better.
It is incredible how much we've grown [at
Commander's] in the last six months with talent in the
kitchen - people who want to stay. We have a program
that is major career ladder. I would say there are 30
levels. We have an unbelievable brigade - 43 people.
And everyone is so important.
How do you show how important your employees
are to you?
I have a mentor system. Everybody has a mentor. They
all meet with their people once a month and ask, "How
are you doing?" and you get to know what people want
to learn. It's a lot of coaching and counseling. And it
works. Being a busy restaurant can be very stressful, so
we take care of them. Communication is the key to this
industry, boy!
How do you deal with your own stress?
I ride a Harley Davidson. [laughs] No, by being prepared
every day and letting the staff know it is show
time and making sure everyone is set, having a game
plan and having a positive attitude. Every meal period
we have a premeal meeting, and we'll pat people on the
back and tell everyone what's happening.
How often do you ride your Harley?
I take it out on Sundays. I just got it. It's an old bike, I
bought it off a Shriner guy who used to ride it in the
Mardi Gras Parade. My wife and I ride it.
Does your wife like to ride?
She loves it.
New Orleans is a long way from your hometown in
New Jersey. Does it feel like home?
It is my home. I love the summer. The food is incredible.
The people are outstanding. And then you have the
music. It has so much culture and depth. I wake up
every morning and say I love New Orleans, and I love
my wife and I love my job.
What do you love about your job?
Watching people hitting their goals and watching the
restaurant press on is the most enjoyable part of my
job. I wouldn't be here if the restaurant didn't keep
evolving. My two major goals are to be the best I can
and to have as much fun as I can. It goes back to the
Brennans. They always strive for excellence. That's
why they're so successful. And they are all like that.
They are all different, but they'll have that as the main
purpose in life. Someone must have installed that in
their family genes.
What is Ella Brennan like as a boss?
She'll get you rolling, laughing, talking, thinking. I'm
so fortunate to be able to sit down with someone like
her. She is so up on things because she watches the news
and reads, and she gives me stuff to read.
What are your challenges?
The day is too short. It needs to be 48 hours for me to
do all the stuff I want to do - spend time with cashiers,
purveyors, farmers, employees, management. ..
Is it important to change your menu often?
It is really important. We try to keep things up to date.
New Orleanians know their food, so you have to be very
smart about change because we need to keep our food
in a New Orleans style. And we need to keep evolving.
I've got guys [in the kitchen] who all want to do something
new. It keeps the staff tuned in. For jazz-fest we
did alligator pie. But it is not like New York.
How is it different?
The city gets its food from purveyors. We get most of
our stuff from local growers, and they don't always
show up. The truck breaks, or it's a religious holiday
and the Creole tomatoes don't show up.
What are Creole tomatoes?
They are not a specific type of tomato. It is the soil they
grow on in the Mississippi Delta.
Do you offer alligator pie to the tourists?
Oh, no. Most tourists are afraid to eat it. I like alligator.
You need to stew or simmer it for a real long time.
Where will you go from here?
We have some plans in the company. We are trying to
organize ourselves from a family business to a company.
I feel there is always room for growth.
BY PAMELA PARSEGHIAN
AS SEEN IN
NATIONS RESTAURANT NEWS,
MAY 27, 1996
This is
the
Commander's State of Mind.
Slip into it.
•
y the time I have swirled the
last sip of wine, savored the last crumb of dessert,
I feel I have arrived home. I am where I was meant to be.
In a place whose soul is as old as time. A place that is free
of inhibitions. An oasis in a turbulent storm, a haven couched
in the comfortable decadence of New Orleans. I pretend no
resistance to the gifts of the bayou, the skill of the chef,
the warmth of the family.
The Commander's State of Mind could exist no where
but in New Orleans.
This is the way it should be ... and still is!
This is the Commander's State of Mind.
Slip into it.
Again ... and again ... and again ...
CAN YOU REMEMBER THE MOMENT?
The moment it etched itself into your
memory. What was it about that night, that
long luxurious lunch? Was it the food, the
wine, the setting, the company?
There are some nights that all of us at
Commander's remember. Everything
clicked. It seemed surreal even as it
happened. We remember Uncle Dick nodding
and winking at the chef as if to say -
you couldn't have done it any better
tonight. We remember Ella toasting the
honored guests, we remember Dottie's
laugh. We remember the Chef and cooks
parading Seared Hake with roasted foie
gras and a balsamic reduction ... Summer
truffle stew with local chanterelles ... Fresh
escargot Bordelaise sandwich ... Seared
Pompano with a saute of crabmeat and
corn ragout . . . Fig tarte with white
chocolate and pecan crust served with
Creole cream cheese ice cream ... through
the dining room in a sea of crisp white
uniforms. We remember the wine - Mondavi
Opus One - but most of all we remember the
food. We still talk about the food.
Maybe one of your memories i s more
private , it was just the two of you. He said
things you'll never forget - words you can
live on for years. You'll never forget how
she looked that night, you fell in love all
over again. The food was glorious, the waiters
appeared and disappeared at all the right
times .
Perhaps just you and your two dearest old
friends at The Chef's Table in the kitchen.
You're foodies. You've eaten all over the
world together. On this night you sit amidst
the ordered chaos of the kitchen. It is not
quiet. It is positively brimming with activity
and you feel in the middle of it all yet
pampered and fussed over. Having the chef
serve and explain all his latest creations and
then share a glass of wine and some stories
with you at the end was a real " dinner of the
decade" just for you.
We ask ourselves over and over again, what
are all the things we can do to make your
meal with us one of those lasting memories?
We tediously try to anticipate your needs
and go beyond them with service. We are
forever trying to make the dining rooms
beautiful and comfortable. We work with
the valets on how to help a lady from the
car, we try to determine on the phone with
you if there will be anything special we can
do for you. We try to read your service
needs and your likes and dislikes when you
are here. We try to make it an affair to
remember - every time !
It's a Commander's state of mind ...
HOT off the press!!!
As seen in TRAVEL & LEISURE
September 1996
and on that subiect • • •
Critic's Picks:World's ... t.·· .. ·",i '.. ... Top Restaurants ~ " A SUit It I " ••. your best friends Lit' 1. t h . arrived for a day and had
Ol Cf a r )" time for only two meals -
o \ sue one lavish, the other
humble but fun - where
would you send them?
We posed this
question to 25 food
critics from the world's
gastronomic capitals.
They replied by
revealing their
choice of two
unforgettable restau rants . ..
NEW ORLEANS Tom Fitzmorris. editor, New Orleans
Menu Commander's Palace Ies 116
years old, a local favorite , and
extremely well known internationally.
None of those are qualities critics are
supposed to like, but for my last meal,
this is where I'd want to go.
WHAT TO ORDER: Turtle soup; Louisiana
court bouillon; Creole bread-pudding
souffle.
a new meaninG for tablinG a motion.
As seen in
Times-Picayune/States-Item
May 1996
Commander's Palace, voted the nation's outstanding
restaurant this year by the prestigious
James Beard Foundation, also has some
fans in the legislature.
Without objection,
the House this week
unanimously commended
the Brennan
family for the job it
has done operating
the Uptown restaurant
and for being
singled out by the
Beard Foundation as
the nation's best. '.~':::::::±::"'-;::;;'..::t!:'::itt.'==~.!;
Commander's is one ~~~J'~~~';':::-~
of four New Orleans ~~~~~~~~~
restaurants owned by ~e:::~"S-=~..:::t$~~
the brother and sister :::.>:';-:::;"i"£!St.,:.::;:;'z:'!~:O:::::;:".!:"":il:: I,·
management team of
Ella and Dick Brennan L.:=:;;;;;==;::;;;;~J
and their families. The legislature acclamation
came in the form of House Resolution 20 by
Rep. Mitch Landrieu, D-New Orleans.
the Bra d story
The youngest member of the family is no baby anymore.
In fact he's about to be a Daddy. That's right, Dottie
Brennan's baby is six foot three inches tall and 31 years
old. Many of you have known him for years. He helped
open and operate Palace Cafe for four years and he's been
a leader on the team at Commander's for over a year now.
Brad has worked for some of the top resturant companies
in the country in Chicago and San Francisco. He is as comfortable
with a saute pan in his hand as he is dapper in the
dining room. Brad is a restaurateur's restaurateur.
But, none of that is why you 'U like him - that will be
because he's so darn likeable.
1427 Washington Ave.
New Orleans, LA 70130
ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED.
RETURN POSTAGE GUARANTEED.
Jessie Poesch
5807 Tchoupitoulas Street
New Orleans LA 70115
•
•
Since it is a commendation
by the House, it
does not have to be
voted on by the Senate.
The resolution puts the
House on record as
congratulating and commending
the restaurant
for the honor and for
bringing positive attention
to the city and state
"by being recognized
as the standard of
excellence for all fine-dining
restaurants in the
United States by industry experts."
u.s. POSTAGE
PAID
BULK RATE
Permit No. I 265
New Orieans,LA
•
