dad about town
MEET CHEF EDGAR ‘DOOK’ CHASE IV BY MADELINE PISTORIUS E dgar ‘Dook’ Chase IV wears many hats: executive chef, restaurateur, television host, community leader, and grandson of the legendary Leah Chase. Beyond the kitchen, he’s a devoted husband and father, passionate about preserving family traditions. Whether he’s serving guests or gathering with loved ones, Dook believes the best conversations happen around the dinner table. WHAT DOES A TYPICAL DAY LOOK LIKE FOR YOU? DOOK: We have a few different restaurants: our family’s flagship, Dooky Chase Restaurant; my newest one, Chapter IV, which is downtown in the Central Business District; and then we have operations in the airport. The restaurants open at different times. The airport locations open first, Chapter IV opens second, and Dooky’s opens at 11 a.m. So I may start at the airport first, double back, go to Chapter IV, and wind up at Dooky’s around 10 a.m.—but not every day. Normally, I’ll stop by at least Dooky’s and Chapter IV. I try to be at the airport restaurants two or three times a week. Besides the restaurants, community service is something I also love, and my family is huge on it. I’m blessed to sit on a few boards in New Orleans, so those committee meetings pop up throughout the week. WHAT DOES QUALITY TIME USUALLY LOOK LIKE IN THE CHASE FAMILY? DOOK: Togetherness. No matter what we do—whether it’s eating, watching TV, or just spending time together—we’ll have a big gathering at either our house or one of our cousins’ houses. Every Memorial Day weekend, we take a big family beach trip where 50-plus of us come together. Some weekends, we go to our family land in south Louisiana, and that can get up to about 40 people. We work together, and we play together.
Wife: Gretchen Children: Sidney, 15; Vito, 13 Occupation: Restaurateur
Hobbies: Fishing, hunting, live music, visiting French restaurants, watching Sydney play soccer and Vito play baseball, and enjoying the city or wrong, them just saying, “You can do it,” was huge. They gave me the motivation to push forward, and I try to do the same. They also taught us the ways to survive in life and the ways we should operate in life—in terms of loving people, loving humanity, standing with integrity, having confidence, having courage, and to never, ever stop working. My mom’s mom used to say, “Brick by brick,” meaning, just keep going. My grandmother on the other side would say, “Keep moving. Keep pushing.”They understood that as long as you’re moving forward, something’s going to happen. You’re either going to accomplish it one way or the other. It’s going to get done. That’s what I try to tell my kids: Give 100 percent. That was one thing my dad always preached to us. If you’re going to do it, be committed to it and give 100 percent. And one of the awards we always got at school was perfect attendance because my mom believed in showing up. We may not have made the honor roll every time, but we showed up to school every day. WHO’S THE CHEF AT HOME, AND WHAT’S A MEAL THAT IMMEDIATELY GETS EVERYONE TO THE TABLE? DOOK: So, my wife cooks, and now my son and daughter cook a little bit. They are very protective, in particular, about their recipes. My wife does most of the cooking at home, and I’ve learned how to respect her kitchen and her pots. I don’t jump in unless I’m called to jump in. Lasagna is her go-to. My daughter’s eggnog is a big hit during the holidays.
ARE THERE ANY FAMILY TRADITIONS FROM YOUR CHILDHOOD THAT YOU’VE CONTINUED TO PASS DOWN? DOOK: Family reunions are huge. We gather every Christmas Eve at my house. Birthday celebrations are huge. Even though we’re in the restaurant business, holidays are huge for us. Our restaurants may be open for dining, but we make sure to gather every Thanksgiving, even if it’s after we close. Every Christmas. Every Easter. I still do Halloween at my house, which is fun. A lot of the things we grew up enjoying, we try to continue. HOW DO YOU MAINTAIN A STRONG PARTNERSHIP WHILE RAISING A FAMILY AND DOING BUSINESS TOGETHER? DOOK: One is definitely listening. Two is compromise. Three is making sure you find time for each other. It’s hard, but when you have a partner and you understand that person, you know when sacrifices have to be made. So there are sacrifices where you can’t make it, but you also understand when you have to make it, and nothing comes before, “I have to make this.”We understand that. Growing up in the business and with Gretchen coming on, she appreciates the work that we’re in. Hospitality is a lot of hours, so she understands the sacrifices we make. It’s always give and take, but we find time. The family also comes into the business. Vito will pop in and work Friday nights and Saturday nights in the restaurant. Sydney does too, and Gretchen helps out at Chapter IV. So we find time, whether it’s inside or outside of the business, to make it work. ARE THERE LESSONS FROM YOUR PARENTS AND GRANDPARENTS THAT SHAPE THE WAY YOU APPROACH PARENTING? DOOK: The support and the love my parents gave me provided me with the opportunity to chase my dreams. They were always my biggest cheerleaders. No matter if it was right
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12 AUGUST 2026 | NOLAFAMILY.COM
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