Louisiana Cookin’ – September-October 2019

41 louisianacookin.com

Q: How has your approach changed in this transition

to being not only a chef but also a restaurant owner?

I’m not always as creative as I used to be, not until I

get back in the kitchen. Whenever I get a chance to be

back there, I have to challenge myself even more than I

used to. But it’s really not so much about me anymore;

it’s about making my other chefs here even better. Th ey

have a lot of creativity, so there’s always something we’re

trying out.

Q: How often do you change the menu, and what

inspires a change?

We change the menu at any opportunity to fully explore

what we can do here, but at least three to four times a

year. Th e other two chefs will come to me with an idea

and we’ll feed off each other until we make it happen.

I get really inspired when we have a good night at the

restaurant. We’ll top it off with a nightcap and really

analyze what we want to see next. Anything is on the

table for a change.

Q: What’s your cooking philosophy?

I love everything about food. I love the preparation. I

love the intense, fast pace of the kitchen. I’ve said this

before, but I really mean it: food is intimate and should

be treated so. People don’t always go out to eat anymore

just because they’re hungry. Of course they’re hungry,

but more oft en than not, they’re also going out to enjoy

themselves and have a good time with a signifi cant other

or a couple of friends. What I want is to give someone

that intimate experience, even at Pork Belly’s.

paige lucas

Pork Belly’s Bar & Grill

ChefPaigeLucasis executive chef and owner of

PorkBelly’sBar&Grill in Marksville. Aft er

graduatingfromculinaryschool, Paige took every

opportunitytodeepenher culinary fi nesse at major

events,includingtheCannes Film Festival. From

slow-roastedporkbellyto a dark roux crawfi sh stew,

Paigeshowcasesherheritage and skill alongside rich

Louisianaingredients.

Q:Wheredoesyourlove for the culinary world

comefrom?

Asa littleCajungirl,I just remember the smell of

CommunityCoffee,natural gas, and a fried egg in the

morning.That’sjustsomething that’s so familiar to me,

andit stillmakesmefeellike a child when I have that.

Cooking,forwhateverreason, came easy to me. It got

tothepointthatI thought maybe I should take this

seriously.Believeit ornot, I wanted to go to med school

andbea doctor.ButI dropped out and told my parents

I wantedtogotoculinary school instead. I never knew

thisis whatI wanted,butI just gravitated toward it.

I reallygotstartedwhenI enrolled at the Louisiana

CulinaryInstituteinBaton Rouge. From there, it went

fromzeroto 100 milesan hour.

Q:Whatmadeyoudecide to open Pork Belly’s Bar

&Grillinyourhometown?

I’ma nativeofAvoyellesand grew up in Marksville. I

workedandlivedawayfor a little while, but I came back

heretoworkformyself.My dad owns his own business,

mygrandfatherownedhis own business, so I always

knewI wasgoingtobeinbusiness for myself someday.

WHERE SHE COOKS

Pork Belly’s Bar & Grill

523 Tunica Dr. W.

Marksville

318.240.0000

2019

SOMETHING YOU’LL NEED A NAPKIN WITH.

A GOOD STEW, OR MAYBE A ROAST BEEF

PO’ BOY.

WHAT’S YOUR DEFINITION OF COMFORT FOOD?