The Chef Who Kept the Restaurant Alive

When legendary chef Leah Chase passed away in 2019 at age ninety-six, the future of Dooky Chase's Restaurant in New Orleans hung in the balance. For over seven decades, Leah had turned a modest sandwich shop in the Treme neighborhood into a cultural institution — feeding Freedom Riders during the Civil Rights movement, hosting presidents, and serving her famous gumbo z'herbes to anyone who walked through the door.

But her daughter-in-law, Stella Chase Reese, had spent years working alongside Leah. She had watched those weathered hands season cast iron pots without measuring spoons. She had absorbed the recipes, yes, but more importantly she had absorbed the spirit — the conviction that feeding people was holy work. When Leah died, Stella did not redesign the menu or rebrand the restaurant. She picked up the same wooden spoon, tied on the same style apron, and kept the gumbo simmering.

Today, visitors to Dooky Chase's say they can still feel Leah's presence in every bowl.

Elisha watched Elijah's chariot disappear into the heavens, then picked up the fallen mantle and struck the Jordan. The waters parted. The same God who worked through the mentor now worked through the one who had faithfully followed. When God calls us to carry forward someone else's mission, He does not leave us empty-handed. The mantle always comes with the power to use it.