New Look Planned for 2020 Louisiana Seafood Cook-Off as Lieutenant Governor Nungesser Announces Competing Chefs

September 22, 2020

BATON ROUGE, La. – Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser and the Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board are proud to announce the selection of chefs from across the state to represent their areas in the 13th annual Louisiana Seafood Cook-Off. For safety reasons, this year's event will have a little different look, switching from the kitchen stadium format to virtual for 2020 and include a chance for viewers to participate.

"It's unfortunate we will not be able to gather together for this great celebration of Louisiana seafood and cuisine, but that doesn't mean we can't find a way to celebrate and crown a King or Queen of Louisiana Seafood," said Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser. "And since we can't be together, we are bringing the competition to the people of Louisiana through a virtual event, recipes they can recreate in their kitchens, and a chance to show these chefs their appreciation for continuing the great culinary traditions that have made Louisiana a place where you can Feed Your Soul."

The main competition will be recorded on Monday, September 28, and Tuesday, September 29, with each chef being assigned a time slot to prepare and cook their dish, then present it to three judges for scoring. Judges will score dishes on presentation, creativity, composition, craftsmanship, and flavor. Additionally, each dish will be prepared from a recipe which includes ingredients commonly found in grocery stores, and include instructions on how to prepare the dish so viewers can recreate it in their own kitchens.

This year's competing chefs are:

  • Logan Boudreaux; Cinclare Southern Bistro; Thibodaux, LA
  • Justin Componation; Parish Restaurant & Bar; Monroe, LA
  • Anthony Felan; Fat Calf Brasserie; Shreveport, LA
  • Ben Fidelak; Mariner's Restaurant; Natchitoches, LA
  • Devan Giddix; Dickie Brennan's Bourbon House; New Orleans, LA
  • Scott Ricci; Drago's Seafood Restaurant; Baton Rouge, LA
  • Dominique Schexnayder; Dominique's Wine Boutique & Bistro; Houma, LA
  • Amy Sins; Langlois; New Orleans, LA
  • Robert Vasquez; Pepe's Sonoran Cuisine; Covington, LA
  • Chris Vazquez; Redfish Grill; New Orleans, LA

New for 2020 is the addition of a "People's Choice" award. The preparation and cooking of each dish will be recorded and posted to the Louisiana Seafood website and Facebook page for everyone to view, along with step-by-step instructions from each chef for you to prepare at home. Viewers will be directed to a website where they can vote for their favorite dish or chef.

Chef videos will be posted for viewing on Thursday, October 15, and "People's Choice" voting will be open until Monday, October 27. Then on Wednesday, October 28, you can join the finale of the 2020 Louisiana Seafood Cook-Off "LASCO@Home" Edition online for the announcement the "People's Choice" winner and the 2020 King or Queen of Louisiana Seafood. As we get closer to the finale, more information will be available.

For the biographies and photos of the 10 chefs competing this year, please see the attached document of visit www.louisianaseafood.com/louisiana-seafood-cook-chefs.

For more information on the 2020 Louisiana Seafood Cook-Off, please visit LouisianaSeafood.com or check out our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/LouisianaSeafood.