Interview with Susan Spicer

By Lolis Eric Elie

Susan Spicer has been involved with 'Treme' since the beginning. She’s helped write menus for the two Desautel’s restaurants; she’s helped check our scripts for culinary accuracy, and she’s helped us imagine what a young chef like Janette Desautel (Kim Dickens) would go through in opening and maintaining a restaurant. We recently talked to discuss how her experiences compare.

What did you do to help Kim Dickens prepare for her role as Janette Desautel?

Susan Spicer: Originally, Kim came in the kitchen at Bayona and watched us prepping and getting ready for service. I would give her lots of shallots to mince and vegetables to slice or dice so that she could be comfortable handling a knife. Then she would hang out and observe during service -- I think it was important for her to get the "sense of urgency."

How much do Janette Desautel's experiences, particularly opening a new restaurant this season, mirror your own?

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