BOISE, ID — Chef Lou Aaron has been a big part of the food industry in the Treasure Valley for decades. In 1994, he took a leap of faith on a burger joint on State Street and parlayed that into a popular cooking segment on local television stations.
"After people figured out who I was, they would always say the drive in with a chef. A customer came up with it, we stole it and used it for many years."
Soon Chef Lou molded it into more than just your average run of the mill drive in, adding everything from lasagna to meatloaf to ribs. A move many in the industry thought was a little ambitious.
"Oh, they thought I was stupid your menus to big it will never work, you can't do it out of this little place and well, I proved them wrong."
Years later Lou added a second Westside drive-in in Southeast Boise. But here is where the story takes a twist. He once hired a man down on his luck, who would become one of his best employees ever. It got Chef Lou thinking. Could it be possible that a higher calling was where he should be, to actually be ordained as a deacon in the Catholic church.
"I started hiring ex-cons, homeless people from transitional homes, and kids that have been in trouble."
But Lou Aaron wasn't always so generous, or kind. He admits he ruined some people's lives in the 1980's, many of whom worked right along side of him.
"In all honesty I became an alcoholic. I was an alcoholic. Luckily by the grace of God in 1993 I quit cold turkey and haven't had a drink since."
Everything's coming up roses right? Not exactly. In 2015 Chef Lou started having abdominal pains, then that phone call came that no one ever wants to hear.
"You have cancer. What, what do you mean, I have cancer. Lymphoma. I didn't know what it was and boom whatever."
His faith was rocked.
"I said why me God, why me. I got mad."
Chemo treatment was next but Lou knew another cancer survivor who said let's meet.
"I met him at the Co-op. He buys me this green juice. What's this juice? What is this?
No doubt a holistic approach is controversial in a lot of medical circles, but you can't deny Chef Lou's belief in a healthy diet, and a healthy dose of prayer that got him through those dark days which are now a lot brighter. Lou says his cancer is incurable, but right now it's under control. Prayer is number one in my life. And I believe that's what our country has lost, people really listening to each other."
Whether it's Deacon Lou at The Lady of the Rosary Catholic church or Chef Lou at the Westside drive-in, the message is the same. One day at a time and take time to listen. That would be Lou Aaron's gift on Christmas.
"We're going to have a wonderful Christmas, of course it's going to snow too."
