When this chef’s life needed shaking up, Baton Rouge called
Lynnae Oxley has found a fresh start in the Capital Region 👩🍳🥘
Chef Lynnae Oxley was restless.
Years of grinding it out in kitchens all over the country were taking their toll. She owned a large house in Battle Ground, Washington, a community half an hour north of Portland, and had seen professional success through her catering company, Sugars Barbecue.
But something was missing. Oxley’s reliable sense of wonder about food, which had fueled so many of her professional decisions, felt like it was drying up.
“I was empty. I was depleted,” says Oxley, 56. “I had a serious conversation with myself and said, ‘Maybe it’s time to shake up the snow globe.’”
A Miami native and classically trained chef, Oxley’s culinary passion stemmed from her South Florida childhood. The wildly diverse population, tropical vibe and year-round growing season made food infinitely interesting. Her family also loved to travel, regularly visiting her English grandmother, who cooked by feel and used a cast-iron AGA oven that was always on, Oxley recalls.
After earning a culinary arts degree from Florida International University, Oxley worked in restaurants across South Florida, then in Chicago, the Bay Area and Portland. She owned a Caribbean-themed eatery in San Francisco and mastered competition barbecue in the Pacific Northwest, skills she would later display on the television show BBQ Pitmasters. She seemed to have endless energy for learning the next new skill. But by 2024, running her own business had taken its toll, and she needed a fresh start.
But where?
It seemed an odd choice to her friends, but Baton Rouge was the clear winner. Oxley had gotten to know Louisiana’s Capital City through a friendship with fellow Chopped contestant and local food personality Jay Ducote. The two connected following her friendly defeat of Ducote on the Food Network show in 2018, with Oxley subsequently visiting him in Baton Rouge to partake in the area’s rich gastronomic culture.
“Every single time I was here, I’d love it more,” Oxley says. “I’d have a big smile on my face. I was like, ‘You know what? I want to keep exploring Louisiana.’”
She sold her house, shut down her business and bought a condo in Baton Rouge. She began traveling extensively, a lifelong hobby, and has been settling into her Louisiana life over the last several months.
Oxley says she has been hesitant to helm a restaurant kitchen again, instead focusing on private cheffing, teaching and consulting. And TV appearances are always a possibility, she says. Along with winning Chopped, Oxley was a two-time runner-up on BBQ Pitmasters.
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Exploring the local food scene has been a source of joy, she says.
“Baton Rouge is where Portland was a decade ago. It’s young, and there’s this DIY, pop-up culture and just all these great little places,” she says. “People are not waiting for something to happen. They’re just doing it. They’re throwing up the lawn chairs and partnering with other small businesses.”
Lately, the region has been showing off its mild weather and convivial culture, and Oxley has been happy to take part. She’s reveled in crawfish boils, local parades and visits to Mid City watering holes, Pelican to Mars and The Radio Bar. And she loves stocking up at the Red Stick Farmers Market.
Oxley says what she likes most about Louisiana is its committed culture.
“There’s a lot of pride about the food and the music. And people just want to share their stories,” she says. “They want to tell you about their mom’s etouffee and how she made it. There’s this reverence for history that I’m attracted to.”
