Deux Fuegos, a student-run pop-up from NOCHI’s Spring ’26 cohort, is bringing a Mexican-Creole lunch mashup to the school’s downtown campus next week. Culinary Arts student Jeremiah Thomas and Baking & Pastry student Riley Chavez are using the project as a hands-on capstone, testing their techniques and timing in a real lunch service instead of a classroom lab. The limited run lets diners taste some ambitious plates while sending proceeds back into NOCHI’s scholarship fund.
When and where
Deux Fuegos opens Tuesday, May 19 and serves lunch on select days through June 12. According to NOCHI, the pop-up runs May 19–22, May 27–29, June 2–5 and June 9–12, with short, staggered seatings during each lunch service. The school notes that donations and net proceeds from the pop-up support the NOCHI Scholarship Fund as well as other student programs.
Who's running the stove and what they’re cooking
In the kitchen, Jeremiah Thomas is leading the savory side while Riley Chavez handles pastries and desserts, with a menu that aims to blend Creole technique and Mexican flavors. Gambit highlights dishes such as a marinated slow-roasted carnitas po-boy, maiz ribs that riff on elote, a Delta-style boudin tamale topped with crema and crispy okra chips, and a horchata bread pudding. That piece also reports that Thomas grew up in Pasadena and is doing an externship at Emeril’s, while Chavez has been staging and working in New Orleans kitchens. Together, their menu and service plan are designed to build skills in menu engineering, timing and execution during compressed lunch shifts.
Training ground and scholarships
Deux Fuegos serves as the cohort’s capstone project. Students pitch concepts, develop recipes and run full services as part of their certificate programs, and NOCHI says the pop-up is meant to prepare graduates for professional kitchens. The project also spotlights scholarship pathways. Riley Chavez is an Aarón Sánchez Impact Fund scholar, according to the Emeril Lagasse Foundation, and NOCHI’s student story notes she staged at and worked at Emeril’s after arriving in the city. Administrators say experiences like Deux Fuegos give students resume-ready service time while channeling community support back into tuition assistance.
How to get a seat
Seats are limited and reservations tend to go quickly, and larger parties are encouraged to email NOCHI’s events team for help with accommodations. A press release on NewOrleans.com directs diners to the reservation page for specific service dates and times. For questions or to book by phone, call NOCHI at 504-891-4060.
