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Susan Spicer began her cooking career in New Orleans as an apprentice to Chef Daniel Bonnot at the Louis XVI Restaurant in 1979. After a 4-month "stage" with Chef Roland Durand (Meilleur Oeuvrier de France) at the Hotel Sofitel in Paris in 1982, she returned to New Orleans to open the 60-seat bistro "Savoir Faire" in the St. Charles Hotel as chef de cuisine. In 1985, she traveled extensively in California and Europe for 6 months, returning to work in the kitchen at the New Orleans Meridien Hotel's "Henri" (consultant chef, Marc Haeberlin of I'Auberge de I'III). In 1986, she left to open the tiny "Bistro at Maison deVille" in the Hotel Maison deVille. After nearly four years as chef, she formed a partnership with Regina Keever and in spring of 1990 opened "Bayona" in a beautiful, 200-year old Creole cottage in the French Quarter. With solid support from local diners and critics, Bayona soon earned national attention and has been featured in numerous publications from "Food & Wine", "Gourmet", "Food Arts", and "Bon Appetit" to "Travel & Leisure", "Restaurant Business", Gault et Millau's Best of New Orleans and many more. Susan has been guest chef at the James Beard House, on Cunard's "Sea Goddess", the Oriental Hotel in Bangkok, on local and national television and for countless charity events in New Orleans and around the country. In May 1993 she was the recipient of the James Beard Award for Best Chef, Southeast Region and in 1995 was chosen for the Mondavi Culinary Excellence Award. Bayona was featured as one of "Restaurant & Institutions" magazine's 1996 Ivy Award winners and received "5 Beans", the highest rating, from the New Orleans "Times Picayune". . | 