SCOOP DU JOUR
The Advocate

Twenty of America's top seafood chefs will gather at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans Aug. 4 to compete in the 2007 Great American Seafood Cook-Off, a three-day event presented by the Louisiana Seafood Promotion & Marketing Board.

Representing Louisiana in the competition will be Tenney Flynn, chef and co-owner of GW Fins restaurant in New Orleans. The chefs' cooking competition, starting shortly after the opening ceremony at 11:45 a.m., will continue through 3 p.m. Master of ceremonies during the competition will be John Besh, chef/owner of Restaurant August in New Orleans.

On Aug. 5, doors will open at 11 a.m., and the cooking demonstrations, starting at 11:45 a.,m. will feature chefs preparing quick-fix seafood dishes that can be made at home. The award for King or Queen of American seafood, chosen from the cooking competition on Aug. 4, will be presented at 3 p.m.

The Aug. 6 chefs cooking demonstrations starting at 11:45 a.m. will feature stews, sautés and other dishes made with lean, Louisiana alligator meat. The alligator programs will end at 2:30 p.m.

This is the first year that the Great American Seafood Cook-Off will be open to the public. Tickets will be sold at the convention center door near the entrance to Halls I and J, which are the farthest from Canal Street.

The entrance fees are $25 for a single day, $40 for two days and $50 for three days. Proceeds will be split evenly between the Back to the Dock program, which aids fishermen as they rebuild after the 2005 hurricanes, and the Louisiana Restaurant Association's Education Foundation, which provides scholarships to culinary students.

Though the seafood cook-off is held in conjunction with the Louisiana Restaurant Association's Louisiana Food Service Expo, an annual trade show and conference, the trade show exhibits are not open to the public.