re: Chef John Folse: Why is he such a hated figure in Southeast Louisiana?

The year was 1997..or maybe it was 1998. But I do recall clearly that it was Valentines Day.

I had booked a special weekend stay at one of those plantation homes for me and my wife to celebrate our anniversary (9th or 10th).

We were poor graduate students, so this was a big deal - and the pinnacle of it all was a meal at the celebrated restaurant "Lafitte's Landing" - the original one, located just over the Sunshine Bridge. I wanted everything to be perfect, so I called ahead and made reservations several days in advance - 7 pm sharp.

We arrived famished at 6:45 pm - and they found our reservation and said it would only be "a few minutes"....we were so excited...our first luxury meal in years and a chance to try the wonderful delicacies of the famed restaurant.

We were especially excited to see Chef John Folse himself across the room at the restaurant's bar. We had seem him on TV - so it was kind of cool, and maybe we'd get to meet him - or get his autograph?

But our reservation time of 7 pm came and went, and then 7:15, and then 7:30, and then 7:45 - and upon inquiring a few times we were told over and over..."sorry, but the kitchen is really backed up - due to the Valentines Day crowd".

..but there was a different reason we could see...

There were numerous customers who arrived after us and were told there was no open tables without a reservation.
But many of them were negotiating with the Maitre D - "Go tell John it's us, he knows us"

These folks were not just requesting, but insisting that they be seated without reservations - And apparently several of these people did know Chef Folse - who on that entire night (with the Kitchen backed up) sat in that bar, holding court and waving on a procession of locales and dignitaries into the few seats available as soon as customers finished up their meals.

This constant bumping of our reservations continued as one-by-one an old friend or a dignitary would arrive and with a wink and a nod they would get seated - always in view of me, my wife, and a few other unlucky couples who, like us, had nothing more than a "reservation".

Finally, at around 8:45 pm we were seated, but the political parade continued - with Folse gladhanding like a politician and the waiters being extremely apologetic about the backed up kitchen. We sat at that table, waiting for service, and watching the Folse carousel until we finally had enough. We left hungry and disappointed - maybe around 9 pm.

There wasn't much in terms of back-up food options in the Sunshine-Donaldsonville quarters back in those days - especially after 9 pm on Valentines day night. As I recall, we settled for some microwave burritos from the local Billups station. I still remember my beautiful young wife all dressed up and in tears on the ride back home.

This was my only experience with Chef Folse and it was not a good one.

I resolved then to tell this story anytime I could to anyone who would listen.

Thanks for reading.

That dude is a dick. I have first hand knowledge and second hand knowledge from everyone I have met that had worked for him.

I cook his stuff.

Some people are dicks.

Don't let him ruin your day.

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CornPop

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I heard you were a bad dude.

Apparently, I heard right.

Folse is a dick

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Bruh, 20 years ago, standard tips were only like 10% back then. You're bashing him for giving the same as EVERYONE else gave for tips back then.

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Tips back then were definitely 15%. Some people maybe tipped less than 15% but it wasn't often at all. All of us in the service industry tipped at least 20% which is why it was notable that a restaurant owner was tipping a good bit below the norm.

One part I initially forgot about in my original post was that we were supposed to charge a minimum 15% tip on tables of 6 or over. The server didn't add the 'forced' gratuity b/c they, along with all of us, assumed Folse would tip more than the 15%.

I can’t stand that bastard

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German river Cajuns

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Hymels changing their names to Haydals.

Whats CJF's take on the Commercial Red Snapper mafia?

You can admit that it was just easier to multiply 0.2 in your head instead of 0.15.

I have always thought very highly of him. I have been to his restaurants numerous times starting when Lafitte’s Landing was at the foot of the Sunshine Bridge and I have been to many functions at his White Oaks Plantation.