Progress Report: March 27, 2006

We have been amazed and, quite honestly, a little shocked at the enthusiasm and cooperation we're recieving from the Chefs, who are generously making themselves available for this project.

What we were prepared for though has been the completely fascinating stories coming from them.

Whether it's a Chef arrested for breaking curfew while trying to get to his restaurant in order to cook for the same people arresting him to another Chef declining rescue from the Coast Guard because he had just uncorked a 1977 bottle of Tattinger. They are all outstanding.

But the true story here has been the monumental and heroic re-openings of many of their restaurants. As every New Orleanian knows, we could not have gotten to where we are today, six months later, without the escape that these restaurants provided and still offer.

Cheers to all of you.

During our interview with Gerard Maras of Table 1, he began describing an idea he was mulling over on how to try and alleviate the staffing shortages that most restaurants are going through. From this has been born the National Cooks Brigade for New Orleans.

All of us hope that this project will grow and that the word will spread throughout the culinary community.

To date, 13 Chefs have agreed to participate in Chefs in Exile, and we forsee no issues with hitting our goal of 25-30 total.

Thanks again to everyone.