Sean “Pooch” Rivera

Chef, Restaurateur, and Culinary Media Personality

Chef Sean “Pooch” Rivera is an award-winning New Orleans-based chef, restaurateur, and food media personality with over 30 years of culinary experience. Specializing in Creole and Cajun flavors with a global twist, he has been featured internationally on National Geographic’s World of Flavor with Big Moe Cason and is co-host of the #1 food podcast in the world, Walk-In Talk, which has surpassed 4.5 million downloads. Chef Rivera is the host of the upcoming food series Love to Eat and serves as a culinary ambassador through his family’s heritage brands—Olde Tyme New Orleans, Crescent City Meats, and Elmer’s Fine Foods. His work spans restaurants he has created and sold, consulting for CPG food brands, and collaborating with world-renowned chefs and culinary competitions, including Bocuse d’Or. He has been recognized as a Culinary Fight Club Pit Master Champion, is a member of culinary trade associations and featured on Love NOLA TV.

Professional Achievements

Honored twice by Louisiana Cookin’ magazine—as a “Chef to Watch” and “Best Chefs of Louisiana”
Built and operated successful restaurants, sold culinary ventures, and now works extensively as a consultant for CPG food brands, restaurants, and culinary innovators
Co-founded GastreauxNomica, an underground dining collective that pioneered pop-up restaurant culture in Louisiana
Has amassed more than 100,000 followers across multiple social media platforms, sharing behind-the-scenes content, original recipes, pop-up experiences, and his personal journey through food
Creole Culinary Ambassador of Louisiana, through his restaurants, consulting, media projects, and international collaborations—including work with prestigious competitions like Bocuse d’Or
Featured in national and regional outlets, including New Orleans Magazine, 225 Baton Rouge, and Spiceology
Will debut his new food series Love to Eat in 2026

Certifications & Organizations

Culinary Fight Club – Pit Master Champion
Certified Industry Expert – Food & Beverage Consulting
National Geographic – World of Flavor Featured Chef (Season 1, “Gumbo, Gator, and Grillin”)
Official Culinary Partner – Bocuse d’Or Mexican Team (product development & flavor consulting)
Host & Culinary Ambassador – Walk-In Talk Podcast (4.5M+ downloads, #1 Global Food Podcast on Apple Charts)
Member – Love NOLA TV Network (Culinary Host & Media Personality)
Certified Restaurateur – Created, operated, and sold multiple restaurant concepts
Consultant – CPG Food Brands, Restaurants, and Culinary Innovators
Brand Ambassador & Media Partner – California Restaurant Show, New York Restaurant Show, Florida Restaurant Show, Pizza Tomorrow Summit, U.S. Culinary Open at NAFEM
Culinary Media Recognition – Positioned for James Beard consideration in podcasting, food photography, and documentary media

Favorite Piece of Advice

Use the internet to show the world who you truly are. Too often, people think small and focus only on their local circle, but the world is at your fingertips. Stop limiting yourself—your reach and opportunities can be global if you choose to share your story.

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Forum Comments (1)

What are the best burger recipes and cooking tips?

For burgers, the fattier the better. I like a good 70/30, so I want 30% fat in there. A lot of people like an 80/20. You can buy it from wherever you buy meat and whatever's economically sound for your budget, but if you do go to a butcher, you want to put some chuck and brisket in there.

I was cooking burgers the other day, and I started them on the charcoal grill to give them that flavor, but then I finished cooking them in the air fryer. We can put them in the air fryer or the oven, or even in a cast iron pan, and finish them to give them the nuances that you want from being grilled and all the flavor profiles that you want. For example, in a cast iron, you can sear it and give it a crunch or caramelization. So what I did was I took the burger where it was par-cooked, still medium rare, then put it in the air fryer. I put a piece of foil under it and cheese over it, and when it melted, it made that crunchy cheese around the side that you would get from a flat grill. So it was just so texturally good, plus it had the good saltiness of the cheese with the char-grilled meat, it was just this balance of deliciousness. You can control those different variables by utilizing different cooking methods.

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