Who are the 12 Louisiana chefs competing in this year’s Louisiana Seafood Cook-Off?

BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD) — Twelve chefs from across the state of Louisiana were chosen for the upcoming 16th Annual Louisiana Seafood Cook-Off.

The cook-off is set for Tuesday, June 27 at the Golden Nugget in Lake Charles. Officials said this will be the first time the seafood cooking competition will be held in Lake Charles.

“Every year it gets tougher to choose just 12 chefs from all the outstanding applications we receive. That shows the incredible level of culinary talent we have in Louisiana. Our food connects us to our heritage, and Louisiana seafood is a huge part of that connection. The majority of the chefs competing through the years learned to cook in their parents’ kitchens. It’s no different with this year’s chefs,” said Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser.

Eligible chefs are required to be an executive chef of a free-standing restaurant that is a part of the Louisiana Restaurant Association, according to Nungesser’s office.

Here are this year’s competing chefs:

• Ashley Allen, executive chef of Coconuts Bar and Grill; Vidalia
• Stephen Coblentz, executive chef of Charthouse; Lake Charles
• Ben Fidelak, executive chef/owner of Mariner’s Restaurant; Natchitoches
• Dustin Frederick, chef of Restaurant Calla; Lake Charles
• Greg Gizzaffi, executive chef of Landry’s Seafood House; Lake Charles
• Owen Hohl, chef of Hot Tails; New Roads & Prairieville
• Blake Jackson, executive chef of Drake Foods LLC – Looosiana Seafood Market, Drake Catering, Whisk Dessert Bar; Shreveport
• Brett Monteleone, The Overpass Merchant; Baton Rouge
• Chris Motto, executive chef of Jubans; Baton Rouge
• Chad Phares, executive chef of Hurricane Hole; Grand Isle
• Amy Sins, chef of Langlois; New Orleans
• Christopher Vazquez, executive chef of Redfish Grill; New Orleans

The winning chef crowned King or Queen of Louisiana Seafood will go on to compete in the Great American Seafood Cook-Off in New Orleans on Saturday, Aug. 5.

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