New Orleans is Seafood City
James Wright, Seafood Currents

You'd be hard pressed to find a city better suited than New Orleans to host an event called the Great American Seafood Cook-Off, which I attended this weekend. The fourth annual gala, held during the Louisiana Foodservice Expo, was a celebration of domestic seafood from the bayou and beyond — and it keeps getting bigger and better each year. The competition was stiff, but crowning a winner was obviously less important than simply being there.

After suffering unthinkable losses due to Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the Crescent City seems renewed and its inspirational citizens intent on moving forward; their indomitable spirit is infectious. For them, seafood is comfort food.

"After the storms, the resolve of our chefs and fishermen has been phenomenal," says Ewell Smith, executive director of the Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board, who served as emcee of the two-day culinary competition. Smith repeatedly thanked everyone who came to New Orleans from all corners of the country. But we should be thanking Smith and the great people of Louisiana for rolling out the welcome mats.

The Ernest N. Morial Convention Center was crammed with characters like the tuxedoed Harlon Pearce (a.k.a. James Bond) of Harlon's LA Fish in Kenner, La., who really knows where to get good grub (you haven't lived until you've tried the charbroiled oysters at Drago's in Metairie).

And then there was Florida's competing chef, George Stella, the former star of The Food Network's "Low Carb and Loving It," who once tipped the scales at 470 pounds. He now weighs less than half of that, thanks to his commitment to eating healthful foods like seafood — and a huge smile. Few seemed to be having a better time than him.

But what I'll take home, besides the great memories and weight gain, is a deep appreciation for the character of New Orleans, a sweltering city where seafood is the undisputed king.

Thank you, James Wright Assistant Editor SeaFood Business