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CONTRIBUTORS ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT David W. Brown is a freelance writer whose work appears in The Atlantic , The New York Times , Scientific American and The New Yorker . His most recent book, The Mission: A True Story , a rollicking adventure about a motley band of explorers on a quest to find oceans on Europa, is in bookstores now. Brown lives in New Orleans. ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT Marcelle Bienvenu is a cookbook author and food writer. A native of St. Martinville, in the heart of Cajun country, Bienvenu wrote Who’s Your Mama, Are You Catholic and Can You Make a Roux? and Eula Mae's Cajun Kitchen with Eula Mae Dora, and other books and cookbooks. She also co- authored five cookbooks with Emeril Lagasse. ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT Ann Maloney is the former recipes editor and a food reporter at The Washington Post , specializing in quick and easy home cooking. From 2016 to 2019, she was a food and dining writer at NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune in her hometown of New Orleans, where she also served as arts and entertainment editor from 2004 to 2015. Prior to that, she worked for The New York Times in various roles, spending most of her time as features editor for the New York Times Regional Newspaper Group . ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT Dominic Massa is executive vice president & chief operating officer at WYES-TV, New Orleans’ PBS affiliate. He has more than 25 years of experience in documentary and cultural programming and has earned two regional Emmy awards. He previously worked at WWL-TV (CBS) as executive producer. Massa has written books on New Orleans television and radio history. ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT Poppy Tooker is a native New Orleanian who has spent her life immersed in the vibrant colors and flavors of her state. Poppy spreads her message statewide and beyond via her NPR-affiliated radio show and podcast, Louisiana Eats! ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT Nick Underhill began his career covering the Saints for The Times-Picayune , The Advocate , and other local publications before briefly moving to Boston, where he chronicled the final chapter of the Belichick-Brady era for The Athletic. Upon returning to New Orleans, Underhill founded NewOrleans.Football, a subscription-based platform featuring in-depth articles and podcasts, sponsored by Rouses Markets. Underhill gained national recognition when he earned first place in the Associated Press Sports Editors’ (APSE) Explanatory Writing category in 2018 for his analysis of Drew Brees’ passing game since 2006. (That same year, he was named Louisiana Sportswriter of the Year by the National Sports Media Association.) Previously, he earned a Top 10 Award from APSE for Breaking News as part of a team covering the 2016 shooting death of former Saints player Will Smith. ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT Ken Wells covered car wrecks and gator sightings for The Houma Courier before going on to a career that included 24 years at The Wall Street Journal . He’s the author of six novels of the Cajun bayous and three works of narrative nonfiction.

Creative Director & Editor Marcy Nathan

Art Director & Design Eliza Schulze

Illustrator Kacie Galtier

Marketing Coordinator Harley Breaux

Copy Editor Patti Stallard

Advertising & Marketing Tim Acosta Amanda Kennedy Stephanie Hopkins

Nancy Besson Taryn Clement Emily lajaunie

SUMMER 2025

CELEBRATING OUR FIRST 65 YEARS

Ciro’s Anthony J. Rouse and his cousin, Ciro DiMarco, opened our first store in 1960. “They named it Ciro’s,” says Donald Rouse, “because when you hung the letters on the outside of the store, Ciro’s had fewer letters than Rouse’s. That’s a true story. See page 18 for more.

Cover photo by Romney Caruso

2 ROUSES SUMMER 2025 • WWW.ROUSES.COM