Meet the 93-year-old Woman Behind New Orleans’ Best Fried Chicken

Beignets and po’ boys may be the first foods that come to mind when you think of grabbing a bite in the Big Easy, but there’s a quintessential (though perhaps less widely known) dish you definitely don’t want to miss: the fried chicken.

Specifically, we’re talking the hot and crispy plates the Dooky Chase restaurant has been cooking up alongside traditional Creole favorites since 1941.

As one of the oldest eateries in the city, the restaurant’s chicken has gained a cult following among locals and celebrities (President Obama, Oprah Winfrey, and Stevie Wonder are among its more famous patrons). This is in part to the dedication of 93-year-old chef and owner Leah Chase, who can be found in the restaurant’s kitchen most days and says she owes her devoted to fanbase to practicing one easy rule: “All you have to do is think about others. It’s simple.”