The Authors
Two New Orleans natives. One shared love of food, music, and city.
Brian Landry
Chef & Co-Founder, QED Hospitality
Chef Brian Landry is regarded as one of the leading ambassadors of Louisiana's regional foodways. In 2017, he launched the restaurant operations management group QED Hospitality with CEO and Co-Founder Emery Whalen in his hometown of New Orleans. At QED, he oversees the culinary direction across the group’s ten restaurants, cafés, and bars in New Orleans, Nashville, and along the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, including the F&B programs at The Pontchartrain Hotel, original New Orleans Grand Dame restaurant Broussard’s, the Thompson Nashville, and the James B. Beam Distilling Co.
Mentorship is central to Landry's leadership. He is an active mentor through Aaron Sánchez's Impact Fund, supporting the next generation of culinary and hospitality talent, and has previously served on the boards of Café Reconcile, and the Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board. He has represented New Orleans across the country on stages including the Food & Wine Classic at Aspen, The Sundance Film Festival, National Geographic UK Food Festival, the Ascona Jazz Festival, and the city's Tricentennial Celebration at the French Ambassador's residence in Washington, D.C.
Earlier in his career, he earned national acclaim opening Borgne, a seafood-focused New Orleans restaurant that became a 2013 James Beard Awards semifinalist for Best New Restaurant. He also served as Executive Chef at Galatoire's Restaurant where he led the kitchen of one of America's most storied dining rooms.
Peter Harris
Musician & Educator
Peter Harris is a New Orleans bassist, bandleader, and educator deeply rooted in the city’s musical traditions and actively shaping its modern music scene.
A native of New Orleans, Harris has been performing professionally for over three decades, earning a reputation as a first-call bassist. He has performed and recorded with a wide range of acclaimed musicians, including Ellis Marsalis, Nicholas Payton, Branford Marsalis, Herlin Riley, and Germaine Bazzle, among many others.
Harris is widely recognized not only for his playing but also for his role as a curator and advocate for contemporary improvised music in New Orleans. As Musical Director of the Bayou Bar at the historic Pontchartrain Hotel, he has built one of the city’s most vital live music series—presenting some of New Orleans’ most innovative artists in an intimate, collaborative setting.
As a recording artist, Harris has released two albums as a leader, including The Jackal and Peter Harris presents: Cryptic, Vol. 1 – Live at the Bayou Bar. His work emphasizes spontaneity and interplay, featuring original compositions alongside works by modern New Orleans masters, including James Black, Steve Masakowski, Tony Dagradi, Harold Battiste, and Ellis Marsalis.
In addition to performing, Harris is a dedicated educator. He holds both bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of New Orleans and serves on the faculty at the Don “Moose” Jamison Heritage School of Music.
Grounded in tradition and focused on moving the music forward, Peter Harris continues to shape the sound and direction of New Orleans music.