Meet the Chefs of Houmas House
Chef Anderson Foster is native to Louisiana and grew up in White Castle, LA. His love for cooking came from his two grandmothers and mother. After graduating high school, Chef Foster enrolled in the Culinary Arts Institution of Baton Rouge. His instructors took interest in him and were impressed by his work ethic and creativity. His first job out of culinary school was with Sodexo where he served as grill cook for three years. He joined the Houmas House team in 2004 and in the past nearly 11 years has worked his way up from grill cook, to sous chef, to running the two busiest restaurants at Houmas House.
"In the last few years we've seen a 400% increase in our daily lunch crowd at Caf? Burnside. This growth has encouraged us to change the way we serve lunch daily. On Monday, July 13th, we'll start offering a daily buffet along with our regular menu. This will help us serve our guests more efficiently and will broaden our selection of Louisiana specialties." Says Chef Foster.
"My favorite part of working at Houmas House is the ability to use fresh ingredients from our very own gardens and given the freedom to be creative. It's so rewarding to talk to guests from New York to Europe and hear them say this is the best meal they've had while in Louisiana. My hope for the future is for Houmas House to be known as much as a culinary destination as it is a historical tourist attraction."
Chef Dicapo leads the culinary team in the Carriage House. A Baton Rouge native, Dicapo discovered his love for cooking while in high school. Working in various restaurants and butcher shops over a decade, he focused his interest on the farm to table concept. After completing the culinary program at Johnson and Wales in Denver, Colorado he returned to Baton Rouge and joined the culinary team at Houmas House in 2010.
With the opening of the Carriage House Restaurant, Dicapo developed a menu reflective of the season and using fresh ingredients from the Houmas House gardens and buying from local farmers. "My style is simple, straightforward and inspired by the season and the plantation and grounds." Says Dicapo.
"This property is an endless source of inspiration." Dicapo uses his skills learned from the butcher shop to fabricate his own meats and makes weekly trips to local dairy farmers, gardens and farmers markets for other ingredients not grown on the property. "Guests will enjoy seasonal menus in this restaurant and can always expect something new to try." Says Dicapo.
