Louisiana X Charlotte Restaurant Night brings flavors of the Bayou to the Queen City
October 12, 2022
28 Powerhouse chefs partner across Charlotte for a night of collaborative dining experiences
On Thursday, November 3, top chefs from Louisiana’s most delicious destinations will step into the kitchens of some of Charlotte’s most popular restaurants for an unforgettable evening of culinary collaborations at Louisiana X Charlotte Restaurant Night.
The evening will feature 14 Louisiana chefs paired with 14 of Charlotte’s most talented chefs, each offering a one-of-a-kind experience available at various price points presented as a private ticketed dinner, a prix fixe menu or special featured dishes.
Amanda Cranford, chef/owner of Charlotte restaurant Dish, will team up with Madonna Broussard, chef/owner of Laura’s II in Lafayette, La. “I have family from New Orleans, so some of my first eye-opening culinary experiences were with Louisiana cuisine,” she says. “I’m excited to work with another female chef who has a similar passion for hospitality and community as me and to be able to share her distinct food with our city.”
All of Broussard’s dishes include rice and gravy, influenced by Lafayette’s proximity to Crowley, La., — known as the rice capital of the world. “I’m excited to bring creole and some spice to the Queen City,” Broussard says. “I look forward to introducing the staples and all of the wonderful ingredients we have to use in South Louisiana.”
Participating restaurants and chefs at Louisiana X Charlotte Restaurant Night include:
● The Goodyear House: featuring chefs Chris Coleman & Ryan Trahan of Vestal representing Lafayette, La.
● Dish: featuring chefs Amanda Cranford & Madonna Broussard of Laura’s II representing Lafayette, La.
● 300 East: featuring chefs Ashley Boyd & Amanda Cusey, Louisiana Seafood Queen 2022 and executive chef of The Villa Harlequin representing Lake Charles, La.
● Church & Union: featuring chefs Jamie Lynch & Lyle Broussard of Barstool Sportsbook inside L’auberge Casino Resort representing Lake Charles, La.
● Flour Shop: featuring chefs Trey Wilson & Ross Dover of Palmettos on the Bayou representing Louisiana Northshore
● The Artisan’s Palate: featuring chefs Christa Csoka & Amanda Birdsong of Cured. On Columbia representing Louisiana Northshore
● Haymaker Restaurant: featuring chefs William Dissen & Cory Bahr of Parish Restaurant and Standard Coffee Co. representing Monroe-West Monroe, La.
● Haberdish: featuring chefs J. Rose Mushé & Celeste Gill of Chef Celeste Bistro representing Baton Rouge, La.
● Supperland: featuring chefs Christopher Rogienski & Jeremy Langlois of Latil’s Landing at Houmas House representing Ascension Parish, La.
● El Toro Bruto: featuring chefs Hector González-Mora & K.J. Townsend of Quizine Quarter representing Houma, La.
● Fin & Fino: featuring chefs Jon Cox & Ben Fidelak of Mariner’s representing Natchitoches, La.
● Sweet Lew’s BBQ: featuring chefs Lewis Donald and Johnnie Gale of Crawfish Town USA representing St. Martin Parish, La.
● Community Matters Cafe: featuring chefs Chayil Johnson & Tootie Morrison of Earnestly Tootie’s Chef Services representing Shreveport-Bossier, La.
● Leah & Louise: featuring chef Greg Collier & Isaac Toups of Toups’ Meatery representing New Orleans, La.
Some restaurants participating in Louisiana X Charlotte Restaurant Night will require reservations or a pre-purchased ticket while others will be available with no required reservations. Many of the restaurants will still have their regular menu available.
The restaurant takeover is a marketing effort of the Louisiana Culinary Trails program, which gives foodies from around the world a taste of the one-of-a-kind culinary scene in Louisiana and encourages them to plan a trip to the unique destinations in the state. Eleven destinations from the following Louisiana Culinary Trails regions are represented as part of the Louisiana X Charlotte Restaurant Night. Other cities like Atlanta, Nashville and Houston have also had Louisiana restaurant nights.
Louisiana cuisine is not your typical Southern food. Influenced by French, Spanish, African, Sicilian, Caribbean, Irish, German and American Indian cultures, Louisiana’s culinary roots run deep and have evolved into a wonderland full of rich, diverse and unique flavors with Gulf Coast seafood at its core.
“Food is a way of life in Louisiana, and our culinary heritage and flavors are unlike anything else in the country,” says Laura Cating, executive vice president of the Louisiana Travel Association. “With multiple direct flights to Louisiana, we’re excited to give Charlotte residents a sample of the flavors of Louisiana, inspiring them to make Louisiana their next travel destination.”
