There’s a question that gets tossed around in the local music business. “What is New Orleans music?” Is it only music that has a distinct New Orleans vibe, like Professor Longhair or Dumpstaphunk? Or is a singer/songwriter like Andrew Duhon or a Latin band like The Iguanas making New Orleans music because they’re New Orleanians?

The real-world conclusion seems to be – something about New Orleans inevitably seeps into all music that’s made here. And it’s the same with business. My two lunch guests on today's Out to Lunch both started businesses unrelated to New Orleans. But there’s still something inescapably New Orleanian about them.

Ashwin Vilkhu is the chef and owner of The Kingsway, his debut solo restaurant that opened Uptown on Magazine Street in 2025. The Kingsway is a fine-dining restaurant featuring contemporary Asian cuisine, influenced by Ashwin’s family history, their Indian restaurant, and The Kingsway’s focus on fresh, local ingredients.

Shay Claiborne is Founder and CEO of a company and product called Milestone Mate, an app for both parents and professionals that tracks the developmental progress of children aged zero to five. It allows parents to see if their child’s developmental progress is within expected parameters, and offers guidance when it’s not.

For professionals, the app provides referral tracking and documentation, secure communication with families, and a dashboard for monitoring child progress across their practice caseload.

Shay is a child development professional and a mother, which is kind of the same thing but not quite.

Out to Lunch was recorded live over lunch at Columns in Uptown New Orleans. You can find photos from this show by Jill Lafleur at itsneworleans.com.

There&rsquo;s a question that gets tossed around in the local music business. &ldquo;What is New Orleans music?&rdquo; Is it only music that has a distinct New Orleans vibe, like <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Professor_Longhair">Professor Longhair</a> or <a href="https://dumpstaphunk.com/">Dumpstaphunk</a>? Or is a singer/songwriter like <a href="https://www.andrewduhon.com/">Andrew Duhon</a> or a Latin band like<a href="https://www.iguanas.com/"> The Iguanas</a> making New Orleans music because they&rsquo;re New Orleanians?
The real-world conclusion seems to be &ndash; something about New Orleans inevitably seeps into all music that&rsquo;s made here. And it&rsquo;s the same with business. My two lunch guests on today's Out to Lunch both started businesses unrelated to New Orleans. But there&rsquo;s still something inescapably New Orleanian about them.
Ashwin Vilkhu is the chef and owner of <a href="https://www.kingswaynola.com/">The Kingsway</a>, his debut solo restaurant that opened Uptown on Magazine Street in 2025. The Kingsway is a fine-dining restaurant featuring contemporary Asian cuisine, influenced by Ashwin&rsquo;s family history, their Indian restaurant, and The Kingsway&rsquo;s focus on fresh, local ingredients. Shay Claiborne is Founder and CEO of a company and product called <a href="https://www.milestonemate.app/">Milestone Mate</a>, an app for both parents and professionals that tracks the developmental progress of children aged zero to five. It allows parents to see if their child&rsquo;s developmental progress is within expected parameters, and offers guidance when it&rsquo;s not.
For professionals, the app&nbsp;provides referral tracking and documentation, secure communication with families, and a dashboard for monitoring child progress across their practice caseload.
Shay is a child development professional and a mother, which is kind of the same thing but not quite.
Out to Lunch was recorded live over lunch at <a href="https://thecolumns.com/">Columns in Uptown New Orleans</a>. You can find photos from this show by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.lafleurphoto.com/">Jill Lafleur</a> at <a href="https://pod.fo/e/634a5d">itsneworleans.com</a>.

OUT TO LUNCH finds economist and Tulane finance professor Peter Ricchiuti conducting business New Orleans style: over lunch at Columns in Uptown New Olreans. In his 15th year in the host seat, Ricchiuti’s learned but uniquely NOLA informal perspective has established Out to Lunch as the voice of Crescent City business. You can also hear the show on WWNO 89.9FM.

OUT TO LUNCH finds economist and Tulane finance professor Peter Ricchiuti conducting business New Orleans style: over lunch at Columns in Uptown New Olreans. In his 15th year in the host seat, Ricchiuti&rsquo;s learned but uniquely NOLA informal perspective has established Out to Lunch as the voice of Crescent City business. You can also hear the show on WWNO 89.9FM.

Tulane finance professor Peter Ricchiuti conducting business New Orleans style: over lunch at Commander's Palace restaurant.

It's New Orleans: Out to Lunch

OUT TO LUNCH finds the country's most entertaining finance professor Peter Ricchiuti conducting business New Orleans style: over lunch. Each week Peter invites guests from the New Orleans business world to join him for a midday bite. CEO's, startups, managers, musicians, biomed needle-movers, tech success stories and entrepreneurs of all stripes put aside the elevator pitch and talking points and actually enjoy themselves. It's business, New Orleans style. 
You can also hear the show on WWNO 89.9FM.

OUT TO LUNCH finds the country's most entertaining finance professor <a href="https://freeman.tulane.edu/faculty-research/finance/peter-ricchiuti">Peter Ricchiuti </a>conducting business New Orleans style: over lunch. Each week Peter invites guests from the New Orleans business world to join him for a midday bite. CEO's, startups, managers, musicians, biomed needle-movers, tech success stories and entrepreneurs of all stripes put aside the elevator pitch and talking points and actually enjoy themselves. It's business, New Orleans style. You can also hear the show on <a href="https://www.wwno.org/show/out-to-lunch">WWNO 89.9FM</a>.