Chef Tommy Masaracchia prepares pasta in his local restaurant Tope lá. Masaracchia has been featured in the annual Culinary Art Series held by the Hammond Regional Arts Center since it began in 1998. 
The Lion's Roar/Larshell Green 

At the age of 13, Chef Tommy Masaracchia began gaining interest in the restaurant business while in Hammond. That interest established the growth of a culinary artist and successful business owner. According to Masaracchia, that interest has consumed him for 40 years.  

Today, Masaracchia is the owner of local restaurant Tope lá and still finds the time to participate in local fundraising endeavors like the Culinary Arts Series, the Richard Murphy Hospice Foundation and Chefs Evening. 

According to Media Coordinator for the Hammond Regional Arts Center Tara Bennett, featuring Masaracchia is a tradition for the Culinary Arts Series since it began in 1998.

“The menu is always delicious and no one ever leaves hungry,” said Bennett. “People enjoy him not only for the quality of his cuisine, but also his presentation. He takes a lot of pride in his work. Every year is different with Chef Tommy. You don’t know what you’ll be getting, but you can know that it will be excellent in taste.”

After having his talents reaffirmed by the chefs that he worked with, Masaracchia begin to take notice of his future possibilities as a chef. According to Masaracchia, he first viewed cooking as only a job. After he realized he enjoyed it, he began to put more time and effort into it.

“I kind of fell into it,” said Masaracchia. “When people start feeding your ego, you go ‘Maybe this is what I ought to be doing.’”

This newfound affirmation did not come without sacrifices as a child and teen.

“I gave up a lot in high school to cook, but I still made good grades,” said Masaracchia. “School wasn’t teaching me what I really needed to learn.”

According to Masaracchia, the first restaurant that he worked at was Jacmel Inn of Hammond from 1978 to 1988. 

While at Jacmel Inn, Masaracchia spent one year cooking at an internship in Longboat Key, Florida from 1981 to 1982 after graduating from Hammond High School. Afterward, Masaracchia studied in marketing for two years at Southeastern. 

“I got to a point where I had to decide what I wanted to do because my culinary career was taking off and I was engaged,” said Masaracchia. “I regret not having a degree to at least say, ‘I accomplished it.’”

After returning to Jacmel Inn in 1988, Masaracchia went to Baton Rouge to be a personal chef for Ralph & Kacoo’s. 

After the restaurant was sold, Masaracchia returned to Hammond and opened Tope lá in 1998. According to Masaracchia, Tope lá’s four original partners wanted to use Cajun, Creole and soul food to pay homage to the many cultures of Louisiana. 

“We wanted our food to be a fusion of classical French and Louisiana cuisine,” said Masaracchia.

According to Masaracchia, because Cajun is not the same as classical French cuisine, the official meaning of Tope lá is “A joining or clasping of hands.”

“We had two cultures and two types of different cuisines coming together,” said Masaracchia. “The informal definition is a high five, a clap that symbolized the way that two people made a deal in France, the way we shake hands.”

After becoming a business owner, Masaracchia began to have different concerns in the restaurant business, centered on the likes and dislikes of customers that naturally came with trials and errors.

 “I as a person had to grow into that,” said Masaracchia. “It was me and partners having to take care of everything. I had to take on the role of chef and owner.”

Although Masaracchia does not have a favorite dish that he likes to prepare, or a specific style, he enjoys experimentation in the kitchen while holding onto set morals.

“I just want to cook good food that people enjoy,” said Masaracchia. “I will never jeopardize my reputation to make a dollar. I like fooling with foods I never had before. I like to be able to still learn from that.”

Although Masaracchia’s presentation will be in early July, he reveals that he does not have a set plan yet.

“You always have to be under the gun, stressed out and pressured,” said Masaracchia. “I work better under the stress of time concerns. We always wait to the last minute and try to out do the year before.”

According to Masaracchia, with the addition of celebrity chefs and more sophisticated audiences, there are not many secrets left in the field of culinary arts. 

“People want something they’ve never seen before or that they can’t do themselves,” said Masaracchia. “When you start thinking in that mentality, your window starts to close a bit. I want them to remember who I am when the art series is over. I have a good reputation in town, I don’t want to ruin it.”

Masaracchia advises young culinary up-and-comers of the downsides in the field like long hours, low pay and high stress.

“If your mind’s not right and you’re not ready to put a lot of effort into it for a little bit of money, you won’t make it,” said Masaracchia. “I want to lay the bad out to people and if they want to continue, I know their heart’s in it, and if their heart’s in it, their soul’s in it.”

Chef Jason Goodenough of Carrollton Market in New Orleans was featured in the Culinary Art Series that took place on Monday, Jun.13.

Chef Masaracchia will be featured in the Culinary Art Series on Monday, Jul. 11 at 6 p.m. at Alack Culinary Equipment Superstore 17420, Hwy 190. Tickets are currently sold out.

For more information about Tope lá, call 985-542-7600, or visit at 104 N Cate St, Hammond, LA 70401. For more information on the Culinary Art Series or other upcoming events held by HRAC, visit their website at hammondarts.org or call 985-542-7113. 

Despite Masaracchia’s success as a culinary artist and business owner, he refuses to stop striving for future goals while working in Hammond.

“I don’t think I’m successful because I have a lot more to prove,” said Masaracchia. “I think I’ve done well for a self-taught chef, but there’s still a lot more out there.”