“New Orleans is Like a Big Musical Gumbo”
I am writing this while listening to Trombone Shorty and remembering a walk through New Orleans many years ago, listening to smooth jazz, eating beignets and muffalettas, and drinking chicory. This experience is what Owner and Chef Brenda Miller brings to the Pacific Northwest when you visit Velvet’s Big Easy at 124 146th Street South in Parkland.
Sporting the colors and style of New Orleans with vibrant reds and purples, Velvet’s Big Easy beautifully reimagines what some of us remember as the Gateway Cottage or, more recently, Puget Sound Pizza. Velvet’s history goes back much further in our area and in New Orleans.
In 1890 retired U.S. military officer Captain Oliver Cooper Ludlow and his wife, Mary Jane Ludlow, established the 80‐acre homestead of Orchard Hill. Captain Ludlow served in the Civil War and, it is said, knew Abraham Lincoln. Years later, George and Amy Jensen purchased 10 acres of Orchard Hill which became the Tacoma Silver Fox Farm in the 1920s. In addition to expanding the Ludlow home, the Jensens built a guest cottage on the property.
Fast forward a few years, and the Gateway Cottage restaurant was opened in 2000 by Lynda Hogan. Local historians might recall Hogan opened Stanley & Seafort’s in the early 1970s. A further local connection is Gateway Cottage often hosts PLU graduation parties and other events.
Chef Brenda opened Velvet’s Big Easy in 2024. After researching restaurant locations for over a year, she says she was blessed to find this location. The owners of Puget Sound Pizza planned to lease the building, but it never went to market. She sat in the dining room for a long time snapping pictures in her mind as her vision came to life.
Brenda’s story begins in New Orleans where her family owned a restaurant. Her mother was known in their community as someone who would always feed whoever was hungry. Her father, a longshoreman, never knew who would be at the dinner table when he got home at night. He would say, “Mamie, who is this?” and she would respond simply, “he was hungry.” Her mother was the “true matriarch in our family”. She loved people and would feed anyone.
Brenda has a food science bachelor’s degree from Michigan State University and a master’s degree in project management. Red Lobster moved her to the Pacific Northwest to manage the restaurant on 72nd Street in Tacoma. She worked for the State of Washington for a while, as well as a school district as she was raising her son. She was the food services director for Highline Community College before the college leased out its cafeteria. Brenda started working for The Boeing Company as a mechanic. When Boeing discovered her education, they moved her to the role of Engineering Technician, then eventually into Supply Chain. She worked as a Quality Manager at Boeing for 10 to 12 years as part of a group that owned the process for safety equipment on aircraft. Brenda retired from Boeing as a Quality Manager about 5 years ago.
Not content with retirement, Brenda purchased a food truck and offered her mother’s New Orleans recipes to delighted customers. After the food truck’s engine wore out, she planned to retire for good. However, with persistent encouragement from customers and her son, she opened Velvet’s Big Easy and offered home-style Cajun‐Creole cuisine for lunch and dinner. While there is a similar restaurant in Puyallup and Tacoma (Bourbon Street Bar and Grill), Velvet’s is the only restaurant serving this menu in the Parkland/Spanaway area.
Brenda has a true passion for feeding people “the way I grew up”. She wants customers to feel like “they are coming to my home for dinner”. This guiding principle is woven thoughtfully into the smallest detail at Velvet’s. Bringing the sound of New Orleans, along with the taste, Velvet’s Big Easy features live jazz music every other Friday and Saturday evening.
Brenda’s recipes come from her mother, Mamie Bell. In memory of her mother, patrons of Velvet’s Big Easy may purchase extra meals for those in need. Whenever Brenda sees someone in the neighborhood or someone stops in who is hungry and cannot afford to pay, Brenda invites them to take a receipt for a meal off Mama Mamie’s table. She said when she feeds people in need, she feels like the “heavens are shining” on her. When we remember the Bible teaches us not to be forgetful to entertain strangers because some have entertained angels unawares, perhaps the heavens really are shining on Brenda.
Brenda hopes Velvet’s Big Easy will be very successful and serve our community for a long time. She says it is challenging because reality is far more expensive than a business plan. She is a member of the Tacoma Chamber of Commerce to is a voice for small businesses. Brenda has 4 employees, and her son works at the restaurant every day in addition to his full-time job at Boeing as a quality inspector.
About the name, Velvet ‐ that too has a meaningful connection to Brenda’s family. Her husband, Ray Miller’s favorite instrument was the saxophone, and you’ll see that tribute to him in Velvet’s signage and Brenda’s business cards. Brenda’s Aunt Clara used to call each of Brenda’s 8 brothers and sisters on their birthdays and holidays. At the end of each conversation, Aunt Clara said, “I love you with a navy blue passion and as smooth as velvet.” Brenda had shared this story with her husband. When the 2 of them were on a cruise through the Panama Canal, Brenda was watching the ships when she saw a large ship called “Velvet”. Seeing this as a sign, she ran to tell her husband who immediately christened her future restaurant’s name “Velvet’s Big Easy”.
We want to thank Chef Brenda Miller for taking the time to talk with us and share the stories of her dreams, her close family ties, and her love of jazz and homemade Cajun‐creole food. We highly recommend the macaroni and cheese as 1 of the best we’ve ever tasted. (We are on a mission to taste each menu item.) We encourage all of you to visit Velvet’s Big Easy and join us in remembering to support our local small businesses whenever and however we can.