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Proceeds from this brunch will benefit restaurant workers in the area affected by Hurricane Katrina.

When Rick Myers scheduled his trip to the Beard House earlier this year, he knew it was going to be an important event, but he had no idea just how important. In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, no one would have blamed the chef, whose life was turned upside down by the disaster, if he had cancelled his plans to come to New York. But this New Orleans native wouldn’t hear of it. At the time Myers was the chef at Le Pavillon, one of the city’s historic hotels, but he has since left his post at the hotel in order to focus on his own consulting business, dedicated to helping New Orleans restaurateurs rebuild their eateries. “We have a long road ahead of us,” said the chef, "and I’ll do whatever it takes.”

One month after Katrina ravaged his beloved city, Myers told us he felt it was important to go forward with this event for those who won’t be greeting customers for some time, if at all. He considers his Beard House event a tribute to the independent restaurants that have made the Big Easy one of the most unique food cities in the world—the restaurants that he, like the rest of us, is hoping will return. “These restaurants were the character of the city,” Myers said, wary of chain restaurants replacing the family-run eateries that may not be able to reopen. “I’d hate to see New Orleans turn into just any other city in the country…It just won’t have the same flavor.”

Inspired by his Italian and Cajun grandparents, Myers fell in love with cooking at an early age. He went on to receive his training through the Culinary Apprenticeship Program of Louisiana, which allowed him to work in some of New Orleans’s most acclaimed kitchens, including K-Paul’s, Pascale Manele’s, and the Royal Sonesta Hotel. He cooked in hotels, restaurants, and private dining rooms around the country before returning to New Orleans and becoming the executive chef at Le Pavillon.

While Myers has certainly been through a lot, he can’t wait to dish out delicious New Orleans specialties like crawfish pie, gumbo, and bananas Foster at the Beard House. “I’ll put my soul into it,” he assured us. Not that we’d expect anything less from this shining example of the resilience of the people of New Orleans. Thanks to chefs like Myers, we can all look forward to a vibrant restaurant scene in the New Orleans of the future. Visit www.jamesbeard.org to make a contribution to Hurricane Katrina relief.