Though born and raised in New Orleans, the devastating aftermath of Hurricane Katrina led Chef Lee Richardson and his wife, Martha, elsewhere. He heard about a job opening at the Capital Hotel and began considering Metro Little Rock for his family’s new home. “At first I was hesitant, but after a very short visit I was smitten by the neighborly welcome of Little Rock’s people and its neighborhoods, as well as the rich agricultural bounty that I would have available to work with,” he says.

Today he lives in Little Rock’s close-knit Cammack Village with his wife and young daughter, Fiona, and daily serves up award-winning cuisine at Ashley’s and Capital Bar & Grill, both located inside Little Rock’s historic Capital Hotel. He was recently awarded the People’s Choice award for Best New Chef for the Midwest region in Food & Wine magazine.

How do you describe your cuisine? My cuisine is driven by a sense of responsibility that I developed in New Orleans to preserve and curate the Creole repertoire that I grew up with, either at home, or in Louisiana’s storied restaurants. I felt that “fast culture” was taking us to a place where our history was only being maintained in a box and can. I believed that I might be of the last generation that could tell stories of celebrating meals and cherishing dishes at my grandmother’s table. Interestingly, no one in Arkansas really seems to be able to put a finger on its regrettably uncelebrated food culture. I am working on just that, identifying, defining, celebrating and even contemporarily creating Arkansas’ place in America’s foodways. But, nothing, without first, soul!

Favorite thing to cook? I guess I would have to say maybe a gumbo, because whether it is seafood, or chicken and sausage, each one is going to be a little different than the last. There are just so many ingredients that are added to the pot over such a long time. The roux alone, a gumbo’s foundation, is cooked to an uncertain point along an almost infinite spectrum between blonde and black, each gradation offering a slightly different nuance. Gumbo requires an intimate interaction between itself and its maker. That’s what I like about it.

What do you love most about Cammack Village? Its sense of community, safety and the abundance of other young families with children that can get together in the area’s neighborhood park and community pool.

Best local event? I look forward to the Argenta Foodie Fest on the Fourth of July weekend at the Argenta Farmers Market.

Local Favorites

Shops: Eggshell’s Kitchen Co.; they do a great job selecting very nice and useful things.
Places to go: Baker Park, the Cammack pool and anywhere with views of the Arkansas River.
Things to do: Casual dinners and backyard gatherings. I have also been fortunate enough to enjoy a little of Arkansas’ world-famous duck hunting, and it’s good!

Plus! Chef Richardson shares his recipe for white sangria, a perfect cocktail for any season.

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Capital Hotel
111 W. Markham St., Little Rock
(501) 374-7474,