Leon Galatoire's earliest memories are that of visiting his father at work at Galatoire's Restaurant. From the time he was a very young boy, Leon was interested in the goings-on at the restaurant and looked forward to the time in his life when he would be old enough to become a part of that family operation.
In 1976, at the age of twenty-two, after having apprenticed in other restaurants, Leon took the opportunity of joining the family and entered the operating group of Galatoire's as cook. Having gained cooking experience from his apprenticeships, Leon was fast to learn the preparation of Galatoire's time-honored recipes—favorites that he was already familiar with.
For the next four years, Galatoire remained in the kitchen, learning the bases, subtleties, nuances, and history of the Galatoire's cuisine. Using his own unique approach to preserving the classic feel of the restaurant's cuisine, he improved upon the originals while maintaining their original intent.
In 1980, Galatoire left the kitchen for experience in the dining room. There he maintained a shared management position with other active family members, while meeting and serving all his regular and visiting clientele. During this period, Leon took time to travel extensively abroad, and spent a great deal of time in the Caribbean, where he was influenced by the cookery of the islands.
Today, Leon has returned to the kitchen of Galatoire's Restaurant to oversee the ever important job of the preparation of the fine cuisine served in one of New Orleans' great restaurants.