Coming February 23

Some places chase relevance.
Others earn it by staying exactly who they are.

In this episode of the Retire Southern Podcast, James Lewis spends time inside Napoleon House, a historic French Quarter restaurant that has anchored the corner of Chartres and St. Louis Streets for more than two centuries. Built in the early 1800s and shaped by generations of New Orleanians, Napoleon House remains one of the city’s most enduring dining rooms because it values consistency, care, and community over trend.

The story unfolds through the people and traditions that keep the doors open and the standards intact.

Photos by Napoleon House

“It’s the real deal.”

At the center of the conversation is Executive Chef and General Manager Chris Montero, a multi generational New Orleanian whose connection to Napoleon House runs deeper than menus and management. Chris shares how family memory shapes the food, from red beans cooked without soaking to recipes built on three kinds of pork fat, prepared the same way his grandmother made them.

He reflects on his love for the building’s history, his long standing work with restaurateur Ralph Brennan, and why Napoleon House remains his most meaningful project. Not because it is flashy, but because it is honest.

From the classic Pimm’s Cup that helped introduce the cocktail to America, to a dining room filled with regulars who return again and again, Napoleon House tells a story about continuity. About taking care of people. About food that rewards patience and restraint.

Together, they share a story about neighborhood stewardship. About gathering. About why some places do more than exist. They endure.

This is not an episode about reinvention.
It is about return.