Photography Courtesy of Commander’s Palace Restaurant
New Orleans restaurateur Ti Martin relies on her business acumen and a passion for great dining to foster a convivial experience at Commander’s Palace. Graciousness comes in many forms for a restaurant. Greeting regular customers by name or offering warm milk—not cold—for hot coffee are tiny acts that, when part of a compendium of courtesies, can raise a restaurant from great to sublime.
For Ti Adelaide Martin, co-proprietor of the world-renowned Commander’s Palace in New Orleans, it’s all about exceptional hospitality and, of course, the food.
“That is really my greatest passion—hospitality,” says Ti, who, with cousin Lally Brennan, sits at the helm of the iconic bright-aqua establishment in the heart of the charming Garden District. Commander’s is the award-winning (including six James Beard Foundation honors) flagship for the Brennan family dynasty of restaurants that includes SoBou, where the pair also preside.
American cuisine underwent a transformation in the early 1980s with a shift from European emphasis to regional cuisines like the haute creole that Ti’s mother, Ella Brennan, made famous along with the late chef Paul Prudhomme. Ella and her siblings Dottie, John, Adelaide, and Dick, purchased Commander’s in 1974, hiring and mentoring a series of chefs who went on to achieve great success, including Emeril Lagasse, the late Jamie Shannon, and since 2002, Tory McPhail.
The Brennan family honors regional hospitality along with regional foodways. Sundays at Commander’s feature a traditional jazz brunch with helium balloons and a lively band that plays diners’ requests. At Mardi Gras, tables are bedecked with shiny gold paper crowns and plastic beads (typically tossed from parade floats) for guests to wear. The idea is to help create great memories for customers.
“We’ve had a food revolution in America, but I don’t think the state of hospitality is that great,” says Ti, who opines that New Orleans, well-known for its wonderful parties, is poised to set the example. “I do believe if you asked, ‘What is the greatest city in America when it comes to hospitality?’ New Orleans would probably win. I think, as a city, we can take that and improve what we do across the board, and also teach it to the rest of the world.”
Active in a wide range of community initiatives over the years— from Girls First to serving on the board of the business school at her alma mater, Southern Methodist University—Ti currently devotes her attention to the New Orleans Culinary & Hospitality Institute (NOCHI). The organization was created in 2013 to open a world-class culinary and hospitality school that will teach both food and service skills. At the same time, NOCHI hopes to serve the culinary enthusiast with classes on everything from cocktails to baking.
Ti’s savviness has been evident since she returned to New Orleans to join the family enterprise, a move that wasn’t necessarily on her early life agenda and initially discouraged by Ella, who urged her to go into business. In retrospect, she understands that her mom “wanted it to be an active choice. You’ve got to want to do this. I think that was smart on her part.”
The collection of gracious deeds contributes to the overall experience that Commander’s seeks to provide. “It’s all about hospitality,” says Ti. Indeed, it rings true as she bids a warm farewell to guests: “Don’t be a stranger.”
Learn more about Commander’s Palace at commanderspalace.com or make reservations online today.
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