On Wednesday, October 23, the state of Louisiana will bring eleven top chefs from across the state to partner with Atlanta restaurants to showcase its vibrant, world-class cuisine. The Louisiana in Atlanta Restaurant Night is presented by the Louisiana Culinary Trails and Atlanta Journal-Constitution as a collaborative pop-up with top Atlanta restaurants to offer guests unique specialty dishes or prix-fixe menus that reflect the flavors and rich history of the region, available for one-night only.

Featured Atlanta restaurant hosts include Bacchanalia, C&S Seafood and Oyster Bar, Canoe, Fox Bros. Bar-B-Q, Full Commission, Holeman & Finch Public House, KR Steakbar, Lagarde, Mary Mac’s Tea Room, Serpas True Food, and UMI. 

“Atlanta has an incredible restaurant community and we are so thrilled to bring our culinary talent here to collaborate and showcase the cuisine and culinary traditions of our state,” says Jill Kidder, Louisiana Travel Association president & CEO. “We hope that by giving Atlantans a taste of Louisiana it will encourage diners to think of visiting Louisiana for their next trip.”

The Louisiana in Atlanta Restaurant Night is part of the Louisiana Culinary Trails campaign, a long-standing joint venture between the Louisiana Travel Association, the Louisiana Office of Tourism and eighteen convention and visitors bureaus from across the state.

In addition to the restaurant night, the Louisiana partners will be hosting a Media Preview on Tuesday, October 22 to showcase specialty dishes from each of the eleven featured Louisiana chefs. Media and key influencers will have the opportunity to meet and greet with each of the chefs, encouraging dialogue and editorial opportunities to highlight the Louisiana culinary experience.

Guests are highly encouraged to make reservations in advance at each of the participating restaurants to experience the one-night only specialty menus.

Participating Louisiana chefs and restaurant pairings include:

Chef Jerrod ‘Wu’ Adams | Tsunami Sushi Lafayette, Louisiana
Chef Jerrod ‘Wu’ Adams first start in a professional kitchen gave him insight on what a one should look like and how it should be run. He knew he was interested in pursuing a career in the culinary industry and was instantly hooked after competing with a few chefs with Prejean’s. Jerrod has been with Tsunami Sushi for ten years, making his way up from dishwasher all the way to his current position as executive chef where he has helped maintain Tsunami’s presence in the community and status of such accolades as “Best Asian Restaurant” and “Best Sushi” in Acadiana. Chef Jerrod “Wu” Adams will be partnering with chef Fuyuhiko Ito at Umi.

Chef Ryan Andre | Soji Restaurant and Bar, Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Chef Ryan Andre has always loved the flavors of Louisiana cuisine and the outdoors. A native of Gonzales, his passion for cooking was fueled by his family and his first job in a kitchen at J. Alexander’s in Baton Rouge. He has earned numerous culinary awards by using his God given talent of plate presentations and flavor profiling. Among the awards was the 2012 “Chef to Watch” from Louisiana Cookin magazine, named one of the 225 Magazine Best Chefs 2017, and an impressive sting on Food Network and Travel Channel shows. Ryan is now chef/owner of Soji Modern Asian Restaurant and Bar in Baton Rouge that received 225 Magazine Best New Restaurant as well as naming Best Chef 2019. Chef Ryan Andre will be partnering with chef Anne Quatrano at Bacchanalia. 

Chef Lyle Broussard | Jack Daniel’s Bar & Grill at L’Auberge Casino Resort, Lake Charles, Louisiana
Chef Lyle Broussard is known for his Cajun and Creole flavors and his passion for southwest Louisiana culture and cuisine, dating back to time spent perched next to his grandmother’s stovetop where he developed a passion for food. He brought those skills to L’Auberge, located in Louisiana; a 26-story luxury resort with 1,000 rooms and suites, championship golf course, full-service spa, extensive meeting space, expansive casino and eight dynamic restaurants including Jack Daniel’s Bar & Grill. Chef Broussard’s love of his local heritage carries over to the menu with authenticity, deep flavors and a simplicity that allows the ingredients to do the talking. Chef Lyle Broussard will be partnering with Jonathan and Justin Fox at Fox Bros. Bar-B-Q. 

Chef Jeremy Conner | Spoonbill Watering Hole & Restaurant, Lafayette, Louisiana

Born in Opelika, Alabama, chef Jeremy Conner grew up and began his career in the kitchens of Pensacola, Florida, before flourishing as a chef in Lafayette, Louisiana. For years, chef Conner set out to follow the trails of his ingredients back to the people and the stories at their origins, sharing his findings with his Humble Fish dinner series, Gulf of Mexico sea salt business, Cellar Salt Co., and his participation in the 2019 Louisiana Seafood Cook-Off. Now, chef Conner shares those stories with patrons of Spoonbill Watering Hole & Restaurant. Chef Jeremy Conner will be partnering with chef Jon Schwenk at C&S Seafood and Oyster Bar. 

Owner/Chef Dave Evans | Luna Bar & Grill, Lake Charles, Louisiana

Being a musician and a culinary artist, Dave Evans takes pride in delivering excellence both on the stage and in the kitchen. Luna Bar & Grill has been the cornerstone of downtown Lake Charles for over a decade and has achieved great success as a staple restaurant in Southwest Louisiana. Listed as either number one or second favorite in Southwest Louisiana’s Top 20 Local Favorites Restaurant Competition for the past seven years, Luna Bar & Grill offers one of the most popular jazz brunches in town. Chef Dave Evans will be partnering with chef Scott Serpas at Serpas True Food.

Chef Tenny Flynn | GW Fins, New Orleans, Louisiana
Growing up cooking in his father’s restaurant in Stone Mountain, Georgia, Flynn developed an innate understanding of Southern food and culinary traditions. Chef Flynn began his fine dining career at some of Atlanta’s top restaurants before making his way down to New Orleans where he opened GW Fins. Since launching GW Fins in 2001, chef Flynn has developed a reputation as one of the most knowledgeable and discriminating seafood chefs in the country. A certified diver and spear fisher, he is one of the few chefs in the country licensed to serve the fish he catches to restaurant guests. Chef Tenney Flynn will be partnering with chef Jamie Adams at Lagarde.

Chefs Keith and Nealy Frentz | Lola, St. Tammany, Louisiana

Keith and Nealy Frentz met when both were sous chefs at New Orleans’ renowned Brennan’s Restaurant. When hurricane Katrina forced extended closure of Brennan’s, the couple moved across the lake to Keith’s hometown of Covington and opened their own restaurant, Lola. Today, Lola is known as one of the best in Covington, recognized for its vibrant culinary scene. The couple won the title of King and Queen of Louisiana Seafood in 2012, were named a Chef to Watch by Louisiana Cookin’ magazine and were showcased in Louisiana Kitchen & Culture magazine, among other various media. Chefs Keith and Nealy Fretnz will be partnering with Elodie Westover at Full Commission. 

Chef Jeffrey Hansel | Oxlot 9, Covington, Louisiana

Chef Jeffery Hansell brings upscale, gulf-inspired, southern fare to quaint downtown Covington at Oxlot 9, located inside the restored Southern Hotel. Best known for his beautifully plated, impeccably prepared and locally sourced seafood, game and meats, Hansell has been showcased on USAToday.com, ranked as one of Louisiana Cookin’ Magazine’s Chefs to Watch in 2015, awarded Best Small Town Chef by Country Roads Magazine, competed on Food Network’s “Beat Bobby Flay” and was recognized with his wife Amy as the 2018 ‘Restaurateurs of the Year’ by Louisiana Travel Association. Chef Jeffrey Hansel will be partnering with chef Linton Hopkins at Holeman & Finch Public House.

Chef Jeremy Langlois | Latil’s Landing Restaurant at Houmas House & Gardens, Darrow, Louisiana
Chef Jeremy Langlois’s culinary career started and took off at the young age of 16. By 22 years old, he was the youngest executive chef of any restaurant in DiRONA (Distinguished, Restaurants, of North America), an organization of 750 premiere restaurants in three countries. As executive chef of Latil’s Landing Restaurant at Houmas House, Jeremy masterfully creates wonderful dishes in a style that he calls “Nouvelle Louisiane.” Houmas House is a noted historic estate on Louisiana’s famed River Road. It is well known for its opulent main house and beautifully maintained gardens. Chef Jeremy Langlois will be partnering with Kevin Rathburn at KR Steakbar.

Chefs Alex Robertson Mancuso and Jon Gimber| Miss Kay’s Eats & Sweets, Monroe, Louisiana

Alex Robertson Mancuso, granddaughter of Phil & Kay Robertson from Duck Dynasty, graduated from the Louisiana Culinary Institute with a specialization in pastry. With Miss Kay’s national reputation as a talented home cook and Alex’s education and experience, the idea for Miss Kay’s Sweets & Eats was born. Jon Gimber, nephew of Phil and Kay, joined the team in 2018. He grew up in south Louisiana, where the culture and food influenced him. His experience in operations and expertise in Cajun and southern food has helped Miss Kay’s grow in the lunch and catering arenas. Chefs Alex Mancuso and Jon Gimber will be partnering with Mary Mac’s Tea Room.

Chef Amy Sins | Langlois, New Orleans, Louisiana

New Orleans-born, Louisiana native, and media personality Amy Sins has played many roles over the course of her professional journey. She wants to do it all—help people, feed people, teach, cook, write, publish, inspire, and travel. Her love of food and Louisiana & the land has resulted in an award-winning cookbook, a publishing company, a successful culinary event business, a radio show and of course, a company.  Amy’s company, Langlois, encompasses all of her professional endeavors and passions and creates enthusiasm within her community to encourage everyone to gather around a cause or follow their own dreams. Chef Amy Sins will be partnering with chef Matthew Basford at Canoe.