Ms. Chase was a truly remarkable woman who could be found at the helm in Dooky Chase well into her nineties. The New Orleans community and beyond mourned her loss last year when she passed away at the age of 96. When we visited the restaurant just three months prior, in March 2019, Ms. Chase was actually cooking that evening. Unbelievable! I would argue that Ms. Chase was undoubtedly a “super-ager”–one to be studied.

Leah Chase in Washington, D.C.

While you can still visit the restaurant in New Orleans, I recently found another destination celebrating the life and legacy of Leah Chase. This time, it was in my own backyard.

On display at the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History are a number of artifacts, including her cooking pot, restaurant menu and iconic bright pink chef’s jacket. Instead of donning a traditional white chef’s coat, she famously opted for jackets in bright red and pinks. The jacket became part of her public persona. I would also imagine that it hid cooking stains quite well!

The “Queen of Creole Cuisine” became an international icon, hosting heads of state–including U.S. Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama–at the restaurant she owned with her husband. Her restaurant served well-known musicians and actors, and even played host to clandestine meetings during the Civil Rights era.

Leah Chase and Princess Tiana

Much like the character she influenced, Ms. Chase faced challenges on her path to becoming a female African American entrepreneur. But also like Tiana, Leah Chase had a penchant for hospitality.

The post Leah Chase At the Smithsonian: The New Orleans Chef Who Inspired Princess Tiana appeared first on Mapping Disney.

New Orleans isn’t just a destination for party seekers and food connoisseurs these days.  It also makes for a fun and interesting family trip.

Fans of The Princess and the Frog in particular should add this city to their travel list, as Disney drew from real places for almost every aspect of the beloved film.  If you love Tiana and Louis as much as we do, you must visit New Orleans to experience the colorful city that Disney brought to life on film.

Beignets at Morning Call

Start your day off with coffee and beignets at Morning Call, the 24-hour café overlooking City Park.  This establishment is one of several, including the famous Café Du Monde, that served as inspiration for the restaurant where Tiana works in the film.  

TRAVEL TIP:  Bring cash, as they don’t accept credit cards.

THE DESTINATION’S IN THE DETAILS:  The original Morning Call café opened in the French Quarter in 1870 and has been a New Orleans tradition ever since.  The new, City Park location opened in 2012. 4

Alternatively, finish off your day with beignets for dessert.  24-hour dessert opportunities are dangerous for night owls like myself!

Jackson Square and the French Quarter

This one is obvious—The Princess and the Frog is studded with architectural gems from the French Quarter.  Visit Jackson Square and St. Louis Cathedral, which feature in several scenes, most notably Tiana’s wedding parade.  

TRAVEL TIP:  Two Louisiana State Museum buildings flank St. Louis Cathedral.  On one side is The Presbytère, which features a set of rotating exhibits that may be worth exploring based on your interests.  On the other side is the Cabildo, whose exhibits tend to cater to history buffs.

The French Quarter’s distinctive architecture figures prominently in the film.  The decorative ironwork, Spanish balconies and narrow, gaslit corridors form the backdrop for many scenes and can be found all throughout the French Quarter.  

TRAVEL TIP:  To see where the Quarter’s Pirates of the Caribbean-esqe gas lamps are made, pay a visit to Bevolo Gas & Electric Lights, located on a narrow alley at 521 Conti Street.  The showroom has a good exhibit outlining the history of power in New Orleans and a workshop where you can talk with a craftsman.  

For more on New Orleans architecture, check out my post on [Disneyland’s New Orleans Square].

The St. Charles Streetcar

Wherever you’re staying, make use of the city’s iconic streetcar to get around.  In the film, Tiana uses the green St. Charles line to get to her job at the restaurant.   

TRAVEL TO:  This line runs between the Central Business District and Carrollton, with stops in the beautiful areas of the Garden District and Uptown along the way.  Since we were staying in the French Quarter, we used the trolley to get to our architecture tour in the Garden District. If you’re going this direction, you’ll want to catch the trolley at the corner of Common Street and St. Charles Avenue.  

THE DESTINATION’S IN THE DETAILS:  This is both the oldest line in the city and the oldest continuously operating streetcar in the world. 1 As such, a ride in one of these vehicles offers a veritable trip into the past.  The cars have no air conditioning, but windows open wide for a nice breeze. (You’ll want to sit by one anyway for the best photos of the historic mansions along St. Charles Avenue). The seats, made of sleek, polished wood with brass fittings, can actually be reversed for the return trip.2  No guarantees that the driver will allow you to ride leaning out the door, but otherwise, hop on board and start your day like Tiana!

The Garden District

Hop off the streetcar at St. Charles and 1^st Street and admire the homes reminiscent of the one that Tiana’s childhood friend Charlotte resides in with her father, Eli “Big Daddy” La Bouff.  We took a fantastic architecture tour of the neighborhood with Katrina, owner of New Orleans Architecture Tours. Kat showed us many lovely homes, but we were particularly delighted to learn that John Goodman himself owns a home in the Garden District!  Just like Big Daddy himself, Goodman owns an exquisite home in this historic, tree-lined neighborhood, on the corner of Coliseum and 2^nd Streets.  

While you’re in the neighborhood, make sure you stop by the famous Lafayette Cemetery No. 1.  Kat’s architecture tour includes a stop in this cemetery. New Orleans is known for its unique collection of walled, above-ground cemeteries like this one.  You may recall that in the film, the last stand-off between Dr. Facilier and Tiana’s cohort takes place in a cemetery inspired by the one at Lafayette.

TRAVEL TIPS:  The cemetery is free and open to the public, but add this to your itinerary early in the day.  It closes at 2:30 PM Monday – Friday and at Noon on Saturday.

THE DESTINATION’S IN THE DETAILS:  The cemetery was established in 1833 and continues to see active burials.  Families are responsible for maintaining their own tombs, and where tombs have been abandoned, the non-profit organization Save Our Cemeteries has stepped in to lead preservation efforts.  Look out for one of the most striking memorials—that commemorating the Jefferson Fire Company #22. The tomb is decorated with an old-fashioned pumper built for the firemen’s society in 1852. 3

Dooky Chase Restaurant

The Princess and the Frog is one of the few Disney films to have been inspired by a real person.  In fact, Tiana was based entirely on famed New Orleans chef Leah Chase, who together with her husband Edgar “Dooky” Chase, Jr.  owns Dooky Chase Restaurant in the Treme neighborhood. At 95 years old, the “Queen of Creole Cuisine” still holds the role as Head Chef.  

TRAVEL TIPS:  Stop by for the lunch buffet (11 AM – 3 PM, Tuesday – Friday).  Dooky’s only serves dinner on Fridays, from 5 PM – 9 PM.

THE DESTINATION’S IN THE DETAILS:  Although she had several jobs while growing up in New Orleans, Leah Chase’s favorite job was waiting tables in the French Quarter.  As late as 1940, it was unheard of for a young black girl to work in the French Quarter. Leah’s love of food and for feeding others persevered, and in 1944 she met her husband Dooky, whose parents owned a sandwich shop.   Leah and Dooky took over the business and transformed it into a sit-down restaurant. Over time, Dooky’s became both a favorite local gathering place (not unlike the final manifestation of Tiana’s Place) and a setting of national significance.  The Chases have served multiple presidents, dignitaries and celebrities over the years, and the restaurant was the setting for countless meetings of civil rights groups. 5

Leah admits that she was puzzled when Disney approached her about the project but was very pleased with the final outcome.  “’I talked to them for hours and didn’t know what I was talking to them for,” she says. “I was talking about my life. … But that’s another great thing about corporations like Disney: They know what it takes to bring people together, and that’s what life is all about. They had a Cinderella, they had a Snow White, they had all types of little white princesses, so I guess the makers thought that it’s about time we show a black princess. And that is the cutest thing, and they have done it in sucS

Steamboat Natchez

Nothing says Princess and the Frog like a trip on the Steamboat Natchez.  For inspiration for Louis’ beloved riverboat, Disney looked no further than the steamboat still actively plodding the waters of the Mississippi, the Natchez.  The Steamboat Natchez departs daily from its dock where Toulouse Street meets the river. Check the schedule for daily sailing times.  

For a true Princess and the Frog experience, make sure you pick a sailing featuring the boat’s signature music ensemble, the Dukes of Dixieland.  The Dukes have been “the official” New Orleans jazz band since the 1970s, and hold performances on the Natchez—these are the “Big Boys” that Louis wants to join on deck.  

[Could link to another post on the Magic Kingdom – Rivers of America Liberty Belle, including Tiana’s Showboat Jubilee].

Speaking of Mardi Gras, old school Disney fans may remember when Sebastian held his own “Party Gras” parade at Walt Disney World Resort in 1992.   Disney filmed the opening scenes of this sing-along video on-property at Port Orleans Resort – Riverside.  For more on Port Orleans Resort, check out my post [here].

As you plan your trip, check out these sites:

Sources:

1. http://www.neworleansonline.com/tools/transportation/gettingaround/streetcars.html
2. DK Eyewitness Travel: New Orleans, p. 106-107.
3. http://www.saveourcemeteries.org/lafayette-cemetery-no-1/
4. http://morningcallcoffeestand.com/
5. http://www.dookychaserestaurant.com/about
6. http://www.oprah.com/entertainment/the-woman-behind-the-princess-and-the-frogs-tiana/all#ixzz5PmRh0X1i

Viewpoints expressed reflect the personal opinions and views of the author. They do not reflect the views of any other entity and should not be read to endorse or otherwise promote any person, business, or service.

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