Austin Leslie; Chef in New Orleans Inspired TV Show ‘Frank’s Place’

Austin Leslie, the New Orleans chef whose Chez Helene restaurant inspired the television show “Frank’s Place” in the 1980s, died in Atlanta, where he went after being rescued from the flooding spawned by Hurricane Katrina. His age was not immediately available, and a cause of death had not been determined.

In recent years, Leslie had worked at Pampy’s Creole Kitchen, which was shut down in Katrina’s aftermath. Owner Stan “Pampy” Barre said Leslie died Thursday morning.

Leslie, with his trademark white ship captain’s hat, was already well known in New Orleans when producer Hugh Wilson and actor Tim Reid developed “Frank’s Place.” It was loosely based on Chez Helene, a hideaway that drew people from around the city for Leslie’s fried chicken, stuffed peppers, gumbo and various seafood dishes.

The 1987 show on CBS was critically acclaimed but short-lived.

Leslie, meanwhile, proved to be a better chef than businessman, declaring bankruptcy in the late 1980s and closing Chez Helene in 1994.