I was born and raised in New Orleans. This is apparent in my enthusiasm and passion a.k.a. craziness for my native cuisine.

At 19, I operated a pair of happenin' Cajun and Creole restaurants, Visko's and The Steam Room in New Orleans. This highly successful venture led to the rating of American Express Restaraunteeer of the year award in 1979.

In the mid 1990's, I opened Yats in Lexington, KY.

Most recently, I've owned and operated a wholesale business, (a) blending, grinding, packaging, and selling spices to the restaurant trade, as well as (b) offering my spicy native cuisine to restaurants in a pre-prepared fashion. After a few big clients went out of business about two years ago, I decided to launch a no-frills, back-to-the-basics, neighborhood restaurant. Thus, Yat's was reborn.

I launched this version of Yat's in the trendy neighborhood of Broadripple, in Indianapolis. The restaurant has generated a fiercely loyal local following, and has generated extensive local news coverage, as well as mention in the four most noteworthy places to eat in Indianapolis, in the New York Times' recent article "what's doing in Indianapolis". All this from a small neighborhood place called Yat's.