Chef Week

Two events on the calendar this week are set to honor the city's chefs, those culinary captains who toiled away for so many years in the obscurity of the kitchen but are now garnering the attention that so many rightfully deserve. It's a nice gesture to recognize the accomplishments of the restaurant professionals who over the years have brought so much joy to so many diners.

Tonight at Generations Hall, the New Orleans chapter of the American Culinary Federation presents the 2nd Annual Best Chefs of Louisiana, where 30 of our area’s best chefs will tantalize guests with their signature dishes. Attendees will be able to meet and greet with Best Chef nominees while grazing through the prepared dishes and indulging in custom beverages. There will also be a silent auction and live entertainment by the renowned Louisiana Spice Band.

The event runs from 7:00-10:00pm. Tickets are priced at $75 per person. Proceeds help local charities, Children’s Hospital of New Orleans, the International School of Louisiana and the ACF-NO Scholarship Fund.

Then on Thursday Star Chefs magazines hosts their Rising Stars gala at the New Orleans Museum of Art. Rising Stars honors "up-and-coming chefs and culinary professionals who represent the vanguard of the contemporary American dining scene."

The awards ceremony begins at 6:30pm with the tasting gala to follow. General admission tickets are $85. For those who have the taste for champagne and Petrossian caviar and are willing to spend an extra $40, a VIP reception in Cafe NOMA begins at 5:45. All proceeds benefit Cafe Reconcile.