CHEF DAVID DICKENSAUGE
“We’re doing some innovative things here. That’s what Baton Rouge residents really want. I think they’re tired of the same old thing,” says Chef David Dickensauge, of Bin 77 in Baton Rouge.
And if David’s success at the popular wine and tapas bar is any indication, the Baton Rouge audience is wholeheartedly embracing the changes he’s making to the city’s culinary scene. His worldly menu features many Southern classics with ethnic flourishes and advanced technique.
Talent in the kitchen runs in David’s family. Born in San Rio, California, he was around food from a very young age alongside his grandmother, who owned three Mexican restaurants. “I always put happiness and food together,” he says.
Eventually he landed his first job at Commander’s Palace in 1994. Working with Chef Jamie Shannon, the chef often credited with cementing the Creole Grand Dame into the national spotlight, proved to be a motivating experience. “Jamie was definitely a mentor to me. He was a very creative, very fun guy. He was easy to talk to.”
In 1999, David graduated from the New Orleans Culinary Institute and continued his career, clocking considerable mileage with stints in Chicago, Miami, and New York. “At the time, I was all over the place. Food was the one thing that I could really focus on.”
With a substantial hand in the city’s culinary boom, David is producing the kind of intimate, painstakingly prepared plates seen in much bigger markets, with ingredients familiar to the palate of Baton Rouge. Try his Southern Style Cioppino as an example, and you won’t be disappointed.
Recipe
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