Archived Article By Tom Fitzmorris Originally published July 10, 2007 Josie Riccobono Josephine Riccobono, who created the Peppermill Restaurant in the 1970s, died last Sunday, July 8. She was 85. Josie was the wife of Joe Riccobono, who in the 1960s established his Buck Forty-Nine Pancake and Steak Houses as a major presence on the New Orleans dining scene. Josie liked the restaurant business, but wanted to do something a bit more delicate than the rough-and-ready, masculine Buck Forty-Nine. She and Joe opened the Peppermill to that end in the early years of the fern restaurant era. Although the place had the look of many other popular restaurants around America at the time--complete with lush plants everywhere, large wicker chairs, and a general Art Nouveau look--the food was distinctly Creole and New Orleans-style Italian. A lot of it was straight out of the recipe book for the Buck Forty-Nine, particularly in its seafood department. But sauces, garnishes, and serving style were much more feminine and genteel. As a result, the Peppermill long outlived the Buck Forty-Nine, and in fact is still thriving in its fourth decade on Severn Avenue in Metairie. Josie retired from the restaurant years ago, turning it over to her son Vincent and daughter Nettie. While she was active, however, she was always in the restaurant, making friends. That was something she did well. Everyone who knew Miss Josie loved her. And whenever she visited the restaurant in recent years, people who'd started dining at the Peppermill in the early years who still came there often were always coming over to her table to say hello. Very proud of her Italian heritage, Josie never failed to offer a large St. Joseph's Day altar, along with a generous, authentic menu of old-time Sicilian-New Orleans specialties of that day. She was equally fervent about all the rest of her food and its distinctive connection with New Orleans. She was one of many in her generation who kept the local cuisine going strong when the trends were against it. I will miss her. © 2007 Tom Fitzmorris. All rights reserved. news@nomenu.com