New Orleans restaurateur Ella Brennan is the subject of a new documentary. The so-called grande dame of the New Orleans dining scene is the highlight of filmmaker Leslie Iwerks' new movie, which is set to be released this fall.
Brennan, 90, started working in her brother Owen's restaurant and bar in the French Quarter when she was a teenager, then became the proprietor of Commander's Palace and the matriarch of her family's restaurant dynasty. A two-minute trailer for the film includes several cameos from local and national chefs and restaurateurs touting Brennan's expertise, including Emeril Lagasse, Tory McPhail, Danny Meyer and Daniel Boulud.
"I don't even know if she owns a pan," Lagasse says, "but she has one of the most amazing palates that I've ever ran into, ever." —