Isaac Toups comes from a large Louisiana family where mealtimes are a treasured tradition. Toups grew up in Rayne, a town located in the heart of Cajun country where hunting and fishing for your food is part of the culture. Here, rustic nose-to-tail cooking and fish fries are a way of life.
Isaac Toups – Photo Credit Romero & Romero Photography
Toups Meatery, his restaurant in New Orleans’ Mid-City neighborhood, reflects the foods of his Cajun heritage: generous portions of slow-cooked meat, game and poultry, from lamb neck and confit of chicken thighs to venison loin and smoked duck. Boudin balls, cracklins and a house-made meatery board are among the more popular shareable snacks. Pescatarians will appreciate the excellent Couvillon, a roux-based seafood stew, based on Toups’ grandmother’s recipe. This generous dish is simmering with spices and cuts of fish, one of the best we have tasted. There is also roasted gulf shrimp in sherry, garlic and olive oil and marinated crab claws in chili vinaigrette and pickled pineapple.
Meatery Board-Photo: Denny Culbert
Couvillon, a Cajun fish stew, is a Toups’ family recipe from Isaac’s grandmother. Photo: Denny Culbert
Isaac Toups and his wife Amanda opened Toups Meatery in 2012. Prior, Chef Toups honed his culinary skills working with Emeril Lagasse. Toups Meatery is known for both its generous hospitality and its portions. We also want to give a shout out to general manager and wine director, Molly McGuire-Cooke for assembling a thoughtful and fairly priced international wine list. Toups Meatery has consistently been named among New Orleans top restaurants. Isaac Toups has appeared on Top Chef and received multiple James Beard Foundation Award semi-finalist nods. But fame is a just tasty side dish for this chef’s main focus: food and family.
Amanda Toups, Co-Owner, Toups Meatery
“Family” and “Meals” are at the heart of how Isaac and Amanda Toups grew up and envisioned their restaurant. But it is also how they view their role serving the local community. During the Covid-19 pandemic, the Toups transformed their restaurant into a takeout kitchen and served free to-go meals to their employees and families.
This year when a massive budget cut in Louisiana suspended publicly funded summer meals for schoolchildren in underserved communities, the Toups sprang into action. Their self-funded Family Meal program serves as a commissary to prepare and deliver hundreds of meals so kids can stay nourished. The Toups has issued a call for support, and the local New Orleans community is stepping up to donate funds through Venmo and CashApp (for details see https://toupsfamilymeal.com/).
Family Meals is full circle for the Toups, where memories of the family table inspired their dream to own a restaurant. Like many in the restaurant industry the Toups wear their hearts on their apron sleeve, committed to making sure both restaurant customers and local children in need are both well fed. Isaac and Amanda Toups joined us on The Connected Table LIVE Wednesday, June 19, to share their story.
Toups Meatery is located at 845 North Carrollton Avenue in New Orleans. Donate/support Toups Family Meal here https://toupsfamilymeal.com/
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