Long Distance: Joshua Kopel

Here: LSU student; bartender/tour guide, Alligator Bayou Bar
There: Owner, Five0Four Hollywood, Hollywood, Calif.

My family. It feels like a beauty pageant answer, but it’s true. We still speak almost every day, but there is so much to be said for being able to hug your mom and dad.

The rain! It rains about six times a year in Los Angeles, and other than that, the weather is perfect.


Funny you should mention that. I made it back just in time to experience Hurricane Isaac. We went three days without power. I took it as Louisiana’s way of saying “Welcome Home!”

A Caniac Combo from Raising Cane’s and a big shrimp poboy from 
Brew-Bacher’s.

Hollywood has come to love its Louisiana transplants. Half of Five0Four’s staff is Louisiana natives working daily to educate the residents of Los Angeles on how to eat and drink like a genuine native. We have managed to charm our way into the hearts of the Hollywood community. That being said, we’ve had to significantly lower the spice of the New Orleans cuisine. Believe it or not, in L.A., they consider ordinary pepper a spice. The locals simply can’t handle the heat of a Cajun or Creole meal cooked the way it really should be. 

Our seafood gumbo. It’ll rival your momma’s gumbo any day of the week. The other most popular is our lobster grilled cheese sandwich. It’s chunks of lobster, goat cheese and cheddar layered between two pieces of sourdough and served with a bowl of lobster bisque for dipping.


I would say so. Some are on vacation, some have moved here permanently, but all are looking for a piece of the place they left behind. Being far away from home is hard, so what we’ve tried to create here is an oasis for those looking for the comforts of home.