Archived Article By Tom Fitzmorris Originally published September 19, 2007 Just Take-Out For "A Little While" Dooky Chase Reopens Leah Chase, the queen of Creole (or soul, or African-American, or whatever category you feel she belongs in) cooking in New Orleans, reopened her restaurant Tuesday, September 18, after a long storm-dictated renovation. Dooky Chase is the last major restaurant that we knew was going to reopen to do so. The progress in repairing the terrific flood damage was retarded by a lack of funds. However, Dooky's is considered so important a part of the restaurant community that a broad array of restaurateurs, local diners, and others pitched in to make sure that Leah's  headquarters could get back to business. The restaurant is almost completely new. The entire kitchen has been re-equipped. Chef John Folse donated a handsome new bar, replacing the funky near-bar Dooky's made do with for decades. The place looks great. At 84, Leah has more determination to soldier on than most. "I have to reopen," she said. "My neighborhood needs me to be here. But I don't have all the people I need to run this place, and I can't stand there and cook all day anymore. But I have to bite the bullet and get the place open." She plans to offer only take-out service for the first little while, until a service staff is pulled together. That shouldn't be as hard as it would have been a year ago. Now many restaurants are so well staffed that they're not even taking applications anymore. And the fame of Dooky Chase is such that the business will be there. Leah Chase has been cooking around town since the 1940s, most of that time at the restaurant her husband Dooky inherited from his dad. She's made such a name for herself there that she's been able to publish three successful cookbooks, and to attract the biggest names in the world--including, a couple of weeks ago, the President. Hours and menu will fluctuate for awhile, she says. But Dooky's is, at last, back. And that brings to a close the reopening process for the New Orleans restaurant community. What restaurants that remain closed since the storm probably will not be back, unless they're bought and rebuilt by new owners. Any reopenings from here on can be considered pleasant surprises. For allpractical purposes, Dooky Chase completes the picture. Dooky Chase. 2301 Orleans Ave. 821-0600. © 2007 Tom Fitzmorris. All rights reserved. news@nomenu.com