Manny Augello is the new executive chef of Jolie's, a locally owned restaurant named for the famous work by artist George Rodrigue. Open just a few years, the restaurant is already a mighty contender with more seasoned establishments, and that's likely to grow under Augello's focus.
"We have preached local seasonal. Now we are actually walking the walk more than ever before. We are currently working with over a dozen local farms and on the look out for even more. The big picture is to use only local sources for all of our perishables," Augello said in our interview. Jolie's is the only "trained gluten-free kitchen in the entire Gulf South," continues Augello, and "we are the only true charcuterie program in the entire west Louisiana." Augello is a second generation chef, growing up in his parents' restaurant, and his method is the cooking style cucina povera that believes the dining experience truly begins with attaining locally sourced food and minimizing fanfare and flash to emphasize great tastes and textures.
Farmers, artisans or another business that offers locally sourced fare and wishes to be considered part of Jolie's menu can contact chef Manny Augello at 504-2382 or [email protected]. There is also a contact form on Jolie's Louisiana Bistro's site. Currently Jolie's works with more than a dozen farms and it is looking for more.