NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — It’s been said once before, the heart of New Orleans is the people — and with intrusive social media highlights so intricately woven into our daily lives, it’s nice to see a corner of the internet where a part of New Orleans was beating profusely.

Opening your Tik Tok app or scrolling through your Instagram feed, you may have heard “Hey ya’ll, it’s Triece,” and somehow found yourself carried away, sitting in a restaurant with her, sharing thoughts on local cuisine.

But behind the camera, the woman with the magic cadence for bringing the city’s culinary tales to life, Triece’s online presence has become synonymous with authenticity and a passion for New Orleans’ hidden treasures.

Triece started out like most locals do, growing up and living in her grandmother’s kitchen during Sunday feasts. Dishes like red beans and chicken, macaroni and smothered turkey necks would grace the table, each a labor of love infused with generations of tradition.

These Sunday gatherings, filled with warmth and nostalgia, are the foundation of her culinary exploration through the city. Yet, her journey doesn’t begin and end on New Orleans corners. In 2020, Triece found herself on social media, transforming her foodie adventures into captivating narratives.

Her storytelling follows a structured pattern, reminiscent of verses in a song—location, neighborhood, atmosphere, menu, price, and taste—a flow that resonates with her audience.

Taking a leap off the front porch when her mother retired, she found herself wanting to share New Orleans’ treasures with her mother, who had lived her entire life in the city but had rarely ventured beyond her familiar stomping grounds.

Their journey became a bridge to reconnect and rekindle their bond, transcending generations and spanning culinary horizons.

“I was trying to see what I can do, and I was taking my mom out to eat,” Triece recalls. “I focused on places where she knew the location, the neighborhood, the atmosphere, the menu, the price, and how good it tasted. I chose not to go to tourist spots because they have a lot of people to please. I prefer new and smaller restaurants because they have a different demographic and more control over their kitchen. It’s not so busy that they’re trying to rush and turn out dishes; they have the time to perfect each plate. It’s word of mouth that brings me to the most recent places.”

“I went to ‘Biscuits and Buns on Banks,’ a charming spot that’s very small. I almost passed it up. It looks like a shotgun house that they’ve transformed into a restaurant. One lady was cooking, and the owner was walking around, bussing tables. It felt homey and nice. When you have just three workers not too many hands touching the food, it feels more personal. I feel bad for them because they only have three people to handle the traffic.”

As she continues to explore the culinary scene, Triece sees her journey as not just a personal adventure but also a platform to shine the spotlight on local businesses.

Connecting these places with residents, her reviews breath life into the city while also preserving its hidden gems for the next generation. In a world where social media often overshadows genuine connections, Triece’s work stands as a testament to the power of storytelling, authenticity and a shared love for food.

“I’m also helping restaurants who you know, may be struggling and the servers who also thrive off this industry. I got the pleasure of meeting Ms. Loretta from Loretta’s Pralines before she passed away. I went to Cafe Du Monde and there were people in my comments saying the best beignets were at Loretta’s. So, I took that comment, and I went to Loretta’s to test out their theory. I got to meet her. She didn’t know who I was. She had a little cameo in my video and then the video just blew up.”

As Triece continues to share her finds, it’s important to her to push herself to step further out of her comfort zone. As she carves a place for herself moving from a worker in the city’s restaurant and tourism industry to becoming a full-time influencer, she really understands the value of sharing her story.

She invites us all on this adventure through her lens one plate, one beat, one memory at a time.

And although Triece’s reviews are an intimate look into mother and daughter bonding, she aims to inspire other natives to reconnect with the city and try new things.

Knowing that a meal is best shared with others, she left some gems for locals to go to if you’re looking to impress your date or have some “me” time.

“Couvant. They ended up inviting me out. It was so refreshing. The food was really good, and it made me step out of my comfort zone. That’s a restaurant that I would recommend for anybody to go to if they want to step out their comfort zone. You get good tasting food, you get that vibe, but you’re not gonna break the bank.”

“Now my favorite, favorite place is Up&Adam. That’s my spot. I love telling people about that. The Tchoupitoulas omelet, and the shrimp and grits are really good. And it’s another place where it’s like it’s on Canal Street, but it’s further down. It’s like close towards Canal and Carrollton, so it’s not in a touristy part of the city. And that’s what I tell people to like, you know, you know, Bourbon Street is nice to see. The French Quarter is nice to walk around, but it’s so much that the city got the offer.”

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