Emeril Lagasse on His Growing Legacy and His Son E.J.’s ‘Remarkable’ Culinary Rise (Exclusive)

Emeril Lagasse has spent decades at the center of American food culture, but at this year’s Food & Wine Classic in Charleston, S.C., the legendary chef found himself in a rare reflective moment. While speaking with PEOPLE during the electric weekend, Emeril shares his thoughts on being surrounded by old friends, former colleagues and the next generation of culinary talent, including his own son, E.J. Lagasse.

“Just seeing a lot of old friends and colleagues — it’s been really nice,” the chef, 66, says. “Yesterday we had a photo shoot, and it was really nice to see all those people and reunite.” The wave of familiar faces, from Andrew Zimmern to chefs he regularly crosses paths with through the Emeril Lagasse Foundation events, gave the weekend a nostalgic warmth. “I was glad to see Gail Simmons, Kristen Kish and Ashley Christensen — it was a really impressive reception,” he shares.

Festivals like the Food & Wine Classic, Emeril notes, show him how much the industry has evolved. “It’s nice to see that the industry, and particularly in culinary arts, is evolving,” he explains. “We have a lot of young cooks that really have the torch and they’re sort of leading the way for the future.”

That future also includes E.J., who recently made history as the youngest chef to lead a two-Michelin-star kitchen at Emeril’s in New Orleans, which he co-owns with his father — a milestone born from years of intentional training and a shared vision. The journey, Emeril says, began early.

“I think he was about maybe nine,” he recalls, describing a dinner at Café Boulud where a duck dish changed everything for his son. “To see the expression on his face… later on after that tasting, he said, ‘Well, I know what I want to do now. I want to be a chef.’”

From there, Emeril nudged him toward experiences that would shape his craft. “We had to get serious and make a deal,” he remembers fondly. “You’re going to have to leave the nest and explore elsewhere, just for knowledge and for experience.”

Summers at Le Bernardin with Eric Ripert — “a magical experience” for E.J., says Emeril — led to Johnson & Wales, then to kitchens in London and Sweden. After three years, Emeril made the call he’d been waiting 20 years to make: “Hey, it’s time to come home now… you’re going to help build it.”

The father-son duo immediately closed Emeril’s, gutted it to the ground, rebuilt the kitchen, reimagined the dining room and reopened with a tasting-menu focus. “We went from 35 tables at Emeril’s to 11. It’s like having two restaurants in one,” he says of the renewed flagship and its beloved wine bar, which serves gumbo, barbecue shrimp and other Creole and Cajun classics.

Emeril goes on to say that watching E.J. lead the kitchen today is one of his proudest experiences. “It’s a pretty remarkable thing, to see and to be a part of,” he shares. “It’s great to see how he leads; it’s really not by voice or power. It’s really about example, and he’s become a great example.”

For Emeril, who has spent decades on television as one of the country’s most recognizable cooking mentors, teaching remains at the core of everything he does — whether on screen or in the kitchen. “I enjoy the television aspect because I like to teach,” he explains. His advice for home cooks — and young chefs — is clear and concise: “Keep it simple, keep it fresh. Don’t overcomplicate it. Learn the proper way and don’t take shortcuts.”

Between the festival events and upcoming holiday service (“We’re open Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve — it gets to be a little trying,” he laughs), Emeril is focused on the work right in front of him. “Right now, the main focus is Emeril’s,” he says. “We’re just trying to do it a little bit better than we did yesterday and we’ll see what that brings.”

But watching his son step into his own culinary era — while still rooted in the legacy he built — carries a meaning that’s hard for him to put into words. “We have a lot of fun working together,” he says. “It’s a remarkable thing.”