BATON ROUGE, La. – Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser and the Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board have begun the search for chefs to participate in the 12th annual Louisiana Seafood Cook-Off, which will be held Tuesday, June 18, at the Cajundome Convention Center in Lafayette. Chefs from across the state who meet the eligibility standards are invited to submit applications by the Friday, April 12, deadline.
For the third consecutive year, the event is being held in Lafayette, the city said to have more restaurants per capita than any other American city. Lafayette also holds the distinction of being the “Tastiest Town in the South” by AAA Southern Traveler and “Happiest City in America” by Wall Street Journal Market Watch in 2014. Many of the restaurants that have helped earn those titles will be a part of the event serving samples to spectators as a part of the opening event for Eat Lafayette, which will take place in conjunction with the Cook-Off.
In addition to earning the title of King or Queen of Louisiana Seafood, the winner will represent the state at a variety of events including the Great American Seafood Cook-Off taking place in New Orleans on August 3, which is also hosted by the Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board.
Previous winners of the Louisiana Seafood Cook-Off include:
2008: Brian Landry
2009: Tory McPhail
2010: Chris Lusk
2011: Cory Bahr
2012: Keith and Nealy Frentz
2013: Cody and Samantha Carroll
2014: Aaron Burgau
2015: Michael Brewer
2016: Blake Phillips
2017: Bonnie Breaux
2018: Reigning King Ryan Trahan.
Entrants must be an executive chef for a free-standing Louisiana restaurant belonging to the Louisiana Restaurant Association, a proud partner in both the Louisiana and Great American Seafood Cook-Offs. Entry forms, information on previous cook-offs, and updates on the event may be found at www.LouisianaSeafood.com.
“Our continued hope with having the cook-off in Lafayette is to draw attention to the fact that the state’s top chefs and great seafood can be found anywhere from our largest cities to our smallest towns,” said Lt. Gov. Nungesser. “The event itself will continue to enjoy a little extra seasoning by taking place where the Cajun and Creole cultures thrive. I know our Lafayette hosts will make this a memorable evening for competing chefs and spectators alike for the third year in a row.”
