During the annual Best Chefs of Louisiana awards dinner April 8, the American Culinary Federation New Orleans Chapter named executive chef Randy Buck of Hotel Monteleone as the 2013 Louisiana Chef of the Year.

For his winning dish, Buck served the signature Chilled Blue-Crab & Avocado Shooter, which was also honored as a Gold Medal winning dish at the 2012 New Orleans Wine and Food Experience’s Fleur de Lis Culinary Awards.

“It has been an honor to work with Chef Randy Buck through the years,” says Ronald Pincus, vice president and chief operating officer for Hotel Monteleone. “He and his team have continually exceeded expectations year over year in the culinary division. Chef Buck’s innovative recipes and leadership in the main kitchen has raised the hotel’s dining experiences to new heights. Buck is truly deserving of this wonderful award, which only confirms what our guests have been saying about him for years.”

Buck began his tenure as executive chef at the historic Hotel Monteleone in 1995 and his innovative recipes have been served over the years in the Monteleone’s four restaurants. Criollo Restaurant, the Hotel’s newest offering, focuses on a local ingredient-driven seasonal menu and farm to table ideology.

“I always use the freshest ingredients available and try to promote local farmers whenever possible,” Buck says. “Growing up in the South, my approach was always ‘simple.’ The least complex dishes can be the most rewarding.”