Frank Brigtsen

Where They Are Now

Classic Creole cooking here is carried through apprenticeship, repetition, and a tight grip on technique. Frank Brigtsen began that line in 1979 under Chef Paul Prudhomme at Commander's Palace Restaurant, then moved to K-Paul's Louisiana Kitchen as Night Chef from 1980–1986, where the pace and standards of that kitchen shaped the work. He went on to serve as Executive Chef at K-Paul's Louisiana Kitchen until 1986, and since 1986 he has been chef and co-owner of Brigtsen's Restaurant in the Riverbend neighborhood of Uptown New Orleans, LA, where his name remains tied to the room and the food.

Signature

The menu language here stays rooted in Creole standards, with dishes that show the range of Brigtsen's touch across soup, seafood, duck, and gumbo. Frank's signature dishes include Corn & Crab Bisque, Roast Duck with Dried Cherry Sauce, BBQ Shrimp with Shrimp Calas Griddlecake, and File' Gumbo with Chicken & Andouille Sausage.

In Their Words Classic Creole work is what Frank Brigtsen says he is still doing after four decades, even as others now read him as a traditionalist carrying that line forward. "Now, 40 years later, I’m viewed more as the traditionalist who carries the torch for classic Creole cuisine, but I’m still doing the same thing." Choosing the Prudhomme kitchen meant taking the stricter, more professional path; Brigtsen has said that was the right call. "I took the latter, and it was the right choice. I found him to be friendly but serious and very professional."