Chef Dook Chase brings New Orleans flavor to Tulane and TV

On Tulane University’s uptown and downtown campuses, the name Dook Chase has become synonymous with creative and enticing Southern fare, from shrimp and grits to red beans and rice.

Chef Edgar “Dook” Chase IV, the grandson of New Orleans’ Creole cuisine icon Leah Chase, began his relationship with Tulane in 2023 with the opening of Chapter IV restaurant in Tulane’s Thirteen15 building on Gravier Street.

Since then, he has taken his talents to the uptown campus, providing some of the concessions at Yulman Stadium and running the 1834 Club by Dook Chase, Tulane’s faculty and staff dining space. Earlier this year,  he added to his Tulane footprint with the opening of Homage and Alva Jean’s in Wave City Market, Tulane’s newest dining destination on the downtown campus.  

On Thursday, July 17, a national audience got their first taste of Chase’s talent as he made his debut in a new Food Network competition. Chase is serving as “resident expert” on “Family Recipe Showdown.” Set in New Orleans, the eight-episode show is a celebration of secret family recipes and traditions, with two-person teams competing for $10,000. The show features Academy Award winner Octavia Spencer as host and such guest judges as Reese Witherspoon, Jessica Chastain, Al Roker, Eric Stonestreet and more. It airs at 8 p.m. (CST) and will stream on HBO Max the day after each airing.

In a press release promoting the show, Sara Rea, head of Unscripted at Hello Sunshine, Witherspoon’s production company, called Spencer and Chase “a match made in culinary television heaven. Dook is a world-renowned chef, and Octavia is a self-proclaimed 'excellent taster.' These two together, along with the celebrity guests and families competing with their most prized traditional recipes, are the perfect combination for a funny, family-friendly show with great southern cooking.”

Brian Johnson, vice president of auxiliary services and real estate at Tulane, which oversees campus dining, said he is privileged to have Chase as a partner in Tulane’s dining program.

“Over the last few years, Chef Chase has brought a unique culinary vision rooted in generations of New Orleans history to our campus as well as a genuine passion and a powerful sense of pride in our community,” Johnson said. “His work at Chapter IV and throughout our dining program reflects his commitment to both innovation and heritage. As he takes his talents to national television, we’re proud to call him part of the Tulane family."

Tulane leaders have welcomed Chase into the Tulane family with open arms, saying his involvement is helping to build a stronger, more connected community in the heart of the city. Chase said he loves being part of the Tulane community, especially as Tulane brings greater emphasis on the downtown community.

“If you know my family, when we dive into a new location, we really dive into that community,” he said. “So when Tulane is talking about bringing back the downtown community and the investment that they are making in downtown, that has been key to me to step up and say, 'I want to be a part of that. I want to be a part of that growth of downtown, but more importantly, I want to be a part of that growth for the community.'"

Earlier this year, Tulane leaders hailed Wave City Market as yet another addition to Tulane’s once-in-a-generation downtown expansion, which includes the recent additions of new research labs at Hutchinson Memorial Building, renovations at the Tulane Medical Center building and new lighting and landscaping along Tulane Avenue. Future plans also include the redevelopment of the iconic Charity Hospital building as Tulane’s premiere downtown structure dedicated to discovery and innovation.

In addition to Chase’s two restaurants, Homage and Alva Jean’s, Wave City Market features a Subway sandwich shop and PJ’s Coffee outlet. It is located on the ground floor of the former Tulane Medical Center building.

At the ribbon-cutting ceremony of Wave City Market, Chase said he is proud to be part of Tulane’s university-wide momentum.  “You are investing in not only this building but in a downtown campus, which will create a sustainable community right here in this area.”