On this week’s show, we’ll explore the immense influence that Italian foodways had on the development of New Orleans cuisine. We’ll time travel through the years of the family-operated Uptown gem, Pascal’s Manale. This history, which is now immortalized in Poppy’s new book, The Pascal’s Manale Cookbook, focuses on two Sicilian immigrant families, the Manales and the Radostas, forebearers of today’s Defelice clan, who continue the Manale tradition today. Three generations of family share their stories with us.

We’ll also visit Manale’s oyster bar for a once-in-a-lifetime shucking experience with celebrity oyster shucker “Uptown T” Thomas Stewart and speak with Loyola University history professor Justin Nystrom about how Sicilian Americans shaped New Orleans food culture.

For more of all things Louisiana Eats, be sure to visit us at PoppyTooker.com.