It's New Orleans: Louisiana Eats

Kat Kinsman believes that "An Awkward Conversation Won t Kill You". In fact, often, it may actually save your life. Since the suicide of Kat s friend and associate, Anthony Bourdain, the conversation about mental health and substance abuse in the hospitality industry has come into sharp focus. After all, it s the hospitality industry that takes care of everyone else while no one is taking care of them. Often, with little access to health care, long hours and never ending lists of demands, Anxiety and depression are rampant. Some self medicate, some isolate as they enter what s become known as the "Empty Hour" that time after a shift, when the party often ill advisedly ramps up just as the scary feelings roll in. I first met Kat when she headed CNN.com s food centric site, Eatocracy, where her work garnered a James Beard nomination and where in 2014, she was first encouraged to write a blog about her own life long struggle with anxiety. That blog eventually became a very personal, very brave book Hi, Anxiety L