African American Chefs Hall of Fame

Chef Stanley Jackson, Sr., grew up in New Orleans in a family of ten children. He learned quite a few cooking techniques at a early age. He was always creating some type of dish for his family to test and they loved it. After contemplating on a career path to take after high school,his mother encouraged him to do what to do what he was best at, cooking. Chef Jackson attended John R. Thompson School of Culinary Arts in Chicago. His first job in New Orleans was as a cook at the old D.H. Holmes Potpourri restaurant on Canal Street. Shortly after joining the Potpourri staff, Jackson was promoted to chef and put in charge of the restaurant’s cooking menus.After working at D.H. Holmes for several years Chef Jackson met Paul Prudhomme, who was head chef of Commander’s Palace. Chef Prudhomme was impressed with Jackson’s work at D.H. Holmes and asked Jackson to join him in the team of chefs at Commander’s Palace to open K-Paul’s, Jackson went with him as his executive chef.