Eatin' in the Big Easy, LRA announces 4th annual We Live to Eat Restaurant Week

Embracing the ever-growing culinary scene in New Orleans, the Louisiana Restaurant Association (LRA) – Greater New Orleans Chapter is proud to announce the return of its annual culinary promotion – We Live to Eat (WLTE) Restaurant Week – a weeklong celebration showcasing New Orleans’ finest restaurants. From September 8-14, 2014 locals and visitors alike will be able to enjoy exclusive discounted two-course lunch ($20 or less) and three-course dinner menus ($39 or less) from more than 50 of the city’s most-acclaimed dining destinations including celebrity Chef Emeril Lagasse’s flagship restaurants – Emeril's, Emeril's Delmonico and NOLA Restaurant; acclaimed Chef John Besh establishments – Domenica, Lüke, Borgne, La Provence and August; New Orleans culinary institutions Galatoire’s, Arnaud’s and Commanders Palace; Drago’s Seafood Restaurant; Mr. B’s Bistro; Le Foret; Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse; SoBou; Galatoire’s 33 Bar & Steak and many more.

Expanding on the popular program, this year’s WLTE Restaurant Week will feature an array of new culinary events and promotions including a special Kick Off celebration taking place at New Orleans’ acclaimed event space, The Chicory, Wednesday, September 3, 2014. Open to the public, guests will be able to sample culinary delights from a handful of participating chefs as they offer a “sneak peek” of their Restaurant Week menus, while enjoying complimentary cocktails and entertainment. Ticket sales will benefit the Louisiana Restaurant Association Education Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to building the culinary community through expanded educational and career opportunities, the formation of strategic partnerships and the elevation of our professional standards and practices. 

WLTE Restaurant Week is proud to partner with Eat Fit NOLA – a unique program that highlights the better-for-you items right on the menu, making it effortless for anyone to eat nutritiously, anywhere in the city. Designed by registered dietician with Ochsner’s Elmwood Fitness Center, Molly Kimball, guests can indulge without guilt by choosing certified Eat Fit NOLA dishes available on the Restaurant Week menus.

Celebrated for its food, WLTE Restaurant Week offers visitors the chance to explore New Orleans’ dining scene and one-of-a-kind culture without breaking the bank. With hotel packages, inexpensive flight deals and discounted menus at New Orleans’ top restaurants, tourists are in for the ultimate foodie vacation.

WLTE Restaurant Week Sponsors to date include: Camellia Brand; Open Table; Patrick Gros CPA; Auto-Chlor System; Eat Fit NOLA; and Crystal Clear Imaging.

Guests can check back regularly to the WLTE Restaurant Week website here for updates on participants, sponsors, travel packages and deals.  Restaurant menus will be available online beginning August 1, 2014.  Smartphone app also available for Android and iPhone August 1, 2014.

Pre-order "The Pot & The Palette" cookbook today!

The Louisiana Restaurant Association Education Foundation (LRAEF) in partnership with the George Rodrigue Foundation of the Arts (GRFA) is pleased to announce the release of The Pot & The Palette Cookbook (7 x 9 inches, 192 pages, ISBN 978-0-615-86341-2, $24.95) with foreword by Emeril Lagasse.

Pre-order your copy of The Pot & The Palette today and you'll receive a complimentary entry into a raffle to win an exclusive George Rodrigue print, "Heat in the Kitchen" signed by Louisiana's most notable chefs.

                 “Is there any state in the union more closely associated with good food than Louisiana?” says Blue Dog artist George Rodrigue. “From its abundant Gulf seafood to its Cajun and Creole traditions to its world-famous restaurants, residents of the Pelican State bring a lot to the table.  The Pot and the Palette is a dual celebration of all that Louisiana has to offer: more than 100 recipes from the state’s finest chefs accompanied by illustrations of its culinary heritage by its most talented student artists.”

                  “In Louisiana, we believe in supporting each other,” says Emeril Lagasse. “George has supported the Emeril Lagasse Foundation for 10 years, and I am so proud of the many chefs and restaurateurs who have contributed recipes to make this book a true reflection of today’s Louisiana cuisine.” 

                  According to Stan Harris, CEO of the Louisiana Restaurant Association, “the recipes in ‘The Pot & The Palette’ reflect the full bounty of the state, from Monroe to Metairie, Bossier City to Baton Rouge, Lake Charles to Lafayette, and of course, New Orleans.”

The book includes over 100 recipes from top LRA member chefs and restaurants, such as, Emeril’s New Orleans Barbecued Shrimp with Petite Rosemary Biscuits, Leah Chase’s Gumbo Z’Herbes, John Besh’s American Sector Chicken and Dumplings, Chef Paul Prudhomme’s Meatloaf, Commander’s Palace’s Commander’s Salad, Café B’s Crawfish Beignets, Susan Spicer’s Artichoke Dolmades, Blue Dog Café’s Cast-Iron Duck Breast with Fig and Root Beer Glaze, Ruffino’s Crawfish Mac & Cheese, Cotton’s Chicken Fried Rabbit Po’ Boy, Slap Ya Mamma’s Red Beans and Rice, Ruth’s Chris’ Sweet Potato Casserole and Galatoire’s Chicken Clemenceau and Donald Link’s Grilled Tuna and Olive Salad from Peche. 

Louisiana’s culinary heritage is brought to life through more than 50 stunning artworks created by Louisiana junior and senior high school students as entries to the annual GRFA Visual Arts Competition, through which GRFA awarded $45,000 in college scholarships in 2013.
               
The LRAEF administers the ProStart program in nearly 50 high schools statewide. ProStart is a two-year, dynamic and comprehensive culinary arts and restaurant management curriculum, also for juniors and seniors, designed to attract young people to rewarding and exciting careers in the Louisiana’s restaurant industry. Through fundraising and event sponsorships, the LRAEF has awarded more than $140,000 in scholarships to ProStart students and others wishing to pursue careers in the culinary arts, since the inception of its Scholarship Fund in 2009.

Oct. 2 premiere of Top Chef New Orleans

City of New Orleans and state of Louisiana are stars of Bravo's 'Top Chef' season 11 as the popular food show locates in the Crescent City

The stars have aligned for New Orleans and Bravo's Emmy and James Beard Award-winning series 'Top Chef' as it prepares to launch season 11 of the culinary competition series, and locals are being asked to tune in to help create a ratings bonanza. The New Orleans Tourism Marketing Corporation (NOTMC) is requesting that every business with a television and every person at home tune into the show on Bravo at 9:00 p.m. Central on October 2, and then throughout the season.

After bringing the show to New Orleans for its finale in 2008, NOTMC was instrumental in bringing the show back for season 11 in 2013. The show premieres on Bravo on Wednesday, October 2.

"New Orleans has always been proud of the fact that the Top Chef finale episode  in 2008 garnered the best ratings the show had ever received," said Mark Romig, President and CEO of NOTMC. "Now we have an opportunity to best ourselves and help make sure this entire season has the best ratings ever. We are urging everyone in the city to tune in all season."

Chef Michael Sichel

Fifty-three locations were filmed in New Orleans throughout the season, along with segments in nine Louisiana cities including Baton Rouge, Lafitte, Chalmette, Gretna, Harahan, Husser, Lacombe, Metairie and Slidell.

Two local chefs, Michael Sichel of Galatoire's and Justin Devillier of La Petite Grocery, were chosen to compete in a pre-premiere digital video series, "Padma's Picks," sponsored by Cigna and Available on BravoTV.com. "Padma's Picks" gives New Orleans most talented chefs the opportunity to cook their way on to the actual show. Host and Judge Padma Lakshmi visits some of the Big Easy's most celebrated establishments to find ten of the best and brightest chefs from New Orleans.

Chef Justin Devillier

"I ask every citizen of our fine city to show your pride and love of New Orleans by gathering with family and friends and tuning in to Bravo's 'Top Chef' at 9 p.m. on October 2," said Mitch Landrieu, Mayor of New Orleans. "By doing so, we will help show the nation and the world that our first-class city supports this exciting program which showcases our uniquely wonderful way of life."

Many famous national and international chefs will be spotted during the season including New Orleans locals Emeril Lagasse, John Besh, Leah Chase, John Folse, Susan Spicer and others.

The show is a love story to New Orleans and gives nods and bouquets to many of the city's neighborhoods, as well as its food, architecture, music, art, and nightlife.

'Top Chef' will feature returning host and judge Lakshmi, alongside lead judge, Tom Colicchio, and series judges Gail Simmons, Hugh Acheson, and New Orleans' own Lagasse. So where will 'Top Chef' go from New Orleans for this season's finale show? Stay tuned and don't forget to watch!