LRA Baton Rouge Chapter hosts its 11th Annual Silent Auction

If you’re looking for a great event filled with the Baton Rouge area’s hottest restaurants, the Louisiana Restaurant Association (LRA) Greater Baton Rouge Chapter’s 11^th Annual Silent Auction is where it’s at! Join the fun Thursday, Oct. 3, 2013 at 6:30 p.m. at the Renaissance Hotel for unique silent auction items and celebrity bartenders. 

A new component of this year’s event is the crowning of a LRA Greater Baton Rouge Top Tailgating Chef. Participating restaurants, Ruffino’s, Walk On’s, Mestizo’s, Bistro Byronz, Little Village, Le Creole, Stab’s, Tallulah, Don’s Seafood Hut and L’Auberge Baton Rouge, will serve their tailgate specialties and vie for the crown. Event attendees will vote on their favorite restaurant which will determine the winner.

“With the excitement in the Capitol Region surrounding LSU Football, it was a natural progression to award this unique new title to one of our participating restaurants,” said LRA Greater Baton Rouge Chapter President Ryan Nizzo.

In addition, celebrity bartenders, Todd Graves, Founder of Raising Cane’s; Matt Saurage, President of Community Coffee; and Brandon Landry and Jack Warner, owners of Last In Concepts, will be serving up their specialty one-of-a-kind libations.

Attendees will have the chance to bid on outstanding items such as: A crawfish or shrimp boil for 20 of you closest friends at your home donated by Don’s Seafood Hut in Gonzales; a progressive wine dinner for 8 or 10 of your nearest and dearest with stops at Ruffino’s, Juban’s and Beausoilel, including transportation; a private dinner for 10 at Eighteen Steakhouse at L’Auberge Baton Rouge; LSU Baseball suite tickets; artwork; wine baskets; tailgating gear and the list goes on.

“The Silent Auction benefits the LRA Education Foundation, which is doing fantastic work through its statewide ProStart program, which trains students for careers in the restaurant industry,” said Nizzo. “This is one of two fundraisers our chapter hosts annually to support our charitable foundation.”

The event also features a Cork Pull for wine, spirits and gift certificates to various area restaurants. One pull is $20 and you’re guaranteed an item valued at $25 or more.

The VIP Preview Party starts at 5:30 p.m. at Tallulah in the Renaissance Hotel and tickets are $70. General admission tickets are $50 and the event begins at 6:30 p.m. at the Renaissance Hotel. For more information, or to purchase your tickets, call Courtney Waguespack at (225) 328-2163 or email cwaguespack@lra.org.

LRA Baton Rouge Chapter 10th Annual Silent Auction Oct. 10

Celebrating its 10^th year, the Louisiana Restaurant Association (LRA) Greater Baton Rouge Chapter will host its annual Silent Auction, October 10, at Juban’s Restaurant. The event supports the Greater Baton Rouge Chapter’s annual fundraising goal for the LRA Education Foundation, which administers ProStart®, a two-year culinary arts and restaurant management course in 47 high schools across Louisiana. ProStart is offered in nine Baton Rouge-area high schools and is designed to attract young people to rewarding careers in the restaurant and hospitality industries.

WAFB's New This Morning
Anchor Lauren Westbrook
is a celebrity server at the
LRA Baton Rouge Chapter's
10th Annual Silent Auction.

“We look forward to this event every year,” said Jeanette Eisworth, event coordinator and LRA director. “It’s a great time and benefits ProStart, a cause that is near and dear to me. These students represent our industry’s future.”

A new twist on this year’s event is the addition of celebrity servers: Matt Saurage, Chairman of the Board of Community Coffee, Brandon Landry and Jack Warner, Co-Founders of Walk On’s Bistreaux and Bar and Lauren Westbrook, Anchor of WAFB’s News This Morning, including others.

The Silent Auction items for bid are generously donated by local restaurants, spas, hotels and businesses, and include: LSU football tickets, fishing trips, gift certificates, wine baskets and much more.

The addition of a Live Auction is new this year in honor of the 10^th Anniversary. Attendees can bid on a progressive wine dinner and “restaurant hop” to multiple Baton Rouge fine dining restaurants in one night for an incredible dining experience. Another exciting Live Auction item is a Mexican themed party at your home with food and margaritas by Mestizo and Serrano’s Restaurants.

Admission is $40 per person and includes dinner, registration for the Silent Auction and a complimentary glass of bubbly upon your arrival. Sponsorships are available for $600 and includes a reserved table for your group through the duration of the event, with tickets and a complimentary bottle of champagne for your enjoyment.

Sound like a fun-filled evening? Interested in attending? Call Courtney Waguespack today to get your ticket(s) at (225) 328-2163 or email courtneyt@lra.org.

67 days until we meet in New Orleans for EXPO!

For the past 59 years, the Gulf Coast region’s restaurant and hospitality industry professionals convene in August at the New Orleans Morial Convention Center for Louisiana Foodservice and Hospitality EXPO. This year’s show is August 11-13, 2012 and promises a wide spectrum of companies under one roof that service all aspects of restaurant and hotel operations.

Forty new companies have signed on so far and a host of familiar companies are also on board for EXPO shoppers.  With nearly 450 booths representing more than 300 companies, you couldn’t possibly research and contact all of them with your busy schedule, so we’ve done the work for you. All you have to do is attend the show!

An exciting new feature of the EXPO this year is the Idea Zone.  Designed with your itinerary in mind, these sessions and presentations are 30 to 45 minutes, so to not take you off your shopping path for too long. Here’s a preview of what you can except on Saturday, August 11 in the Idea Zone, located on the Show Floor at the end of the 100 aisle.

Rice, Rice Baby kicks off the Idea Zone Saturday at Noon with LSU Ag Center Rice Specialist Dr. Johnny Saichuk and “The Rice Lady,” Nina Camacho of Jazzmen Rice. The two will reveal the science and secrets to selecting the best grain of rice for any dish you can dream up!  Following the presentation, Louisiana ProStart students will use the cooked rice in a specially prepared dish for attendees to enjoy.

One of the hottest young chefs in New Orleans right now—Borgne’s Executive Chef Brian Landry—will present Fish of the Gulf: Catch it, Scale it, Prepare, Conserve it! with Ocean Conservancy’s Jeff Bargar. Landry will explain how he determines which Gulf fish to serve and Bargar will identify fish at risk of overfishing and overpopulation. ProStart students will assist.

Back by popular demand is What’s the profitability in various cuts of beef? presented by the Louisiana Beef Industry Council. This session will examine the cuts of beef, preferred cooking methods and temperatures and which cuts are more popular and profitable.

Another EXPO favorite is the session Increase your check average with dessert and coffee pairing. Would you like dessert or coffee? is often heard at the end of a restaurant meal. How about we phrase that differently? Would you like a delicious slice of our house made banana cream pie or a frothy café au lait?” Which one would produce more results? Community Coffee’s Brian Girardot and Louisiana Culinary Institute’s Chef Christina Nicosia will provide insight to help you move more dessert and coffee pairings.

Finally on Saturday, Zatarain’s Robert Debert will use his “passion for flavor” to inspire you with Spice it up with Zatarain’s! Create dynamite sauces and more! Debert will share a variety of seasoning blends of the parent company McCormick—the world’s largest seasoning producer—to give you countless applications to spice up your own signature dishes.

Idea Zone sessions are complimentary with your EXPO admission.  To get a head start on your successful Louisiana Foodservice and Hospitality EXPO trip, visit the Louisiana Restaurant Association's EXPO page to explore the companies you will see on the floor, chart your course and create your itinerary.

We’re looking forward to EXPO! Are you?