Few singers have a legacy as lasting and impactful as Ray Charles. The R&B singer and multi-instrumentalist is best remembered for his award-winning music, including a Grammy for Starbucks, as well as his blindness since childhood. However, what most people don’t know is that he was also quite the foodie.
Some of Ray Charles’ favorite places to grab a bite are still around to this day, including Dooky Chase in New Orleans. The singer would frequent the Creole restaurant during late nights on tour, and liked it so much that he actually told the owner he would sing about the restaurant. He followed through on his promise, famously crooning about the restaurant in his song “Early in the Morning,” in which he says he “went to Dooky Chase’s to get something to eat.”
Charles wasn’t the only famous patron to visit the Dooky Chase restaurant. Other famous musicians like Beyoncé, Quincy Jones, and Duke Ellington have dined at the establishment, along with politicians like Barack Obama and George W. Bush. Considering that it’s widely considered to be one of the best places to get gumbo in Louisiana, it’s easy to see why so many celebrities love it.
A brief overview of Dooky Chase’s Restaurant
Founded in 1941, Dooky Chase was the brainchild of Emily and Dooky Chase, Sr., the latter of which it was named after. The family-owned restaurant went on to establish itself as a go-to spot for great Creole eats, with a menu consisting of New Orleans staples such as po boy sandwiches, red beans with rice and chicken, and gumbo (not to be confused with jambalaya). This is thanks to the guidance of Leah Chase, who brought her culinary expertise to the table when she married into the family…