New Orleans will serve as the starting point for the James Beard Foundation’s upcoming Taste America culinary series, bringing chefs from across the country to the city for a national kickoff event on Wednesday, Sept. 16, at The Josephine.
Presented by American Express and Resy, Taste America will travel to 20 cities across the United States as part of the James Beard Foundation’s effort to showcase independent restaurants and the chefs and food professionals who help shape their communities. The New Orleans event will open the series with a walk-around tasting featuring all 20 chefs selected for this year’s TasteTwenty cohort.
The TasteTwenty is the foundation’s annual group of chefs considered among the emerging talents helping define the future of American dining. Each participating chef will operate a tasting station during the New Orleans event, offering guests a dish reflecting their individual cooking style, restaurant and community. Beverage stations and sponsor activations will also be featured throughout the evening.
The decision to launch the national series in New Orleans places the city’s longstanding culinary influence at the center of the program. James Beard Foundation CEO Clare Reichenbach described New Orleans as an ideal starting point because of its place in American food culture and said the event will give guests an opportunity to experience dishes representing culinary traditions from around the country in a single evening.
“New Orleans has long been at the heart of America’s culinary story, making it the ideal setting to launch our national Taste America series,” Reichenbach said. She added that bringing all 20 TasteTwenty chefs together will provide “a snapshot of American food culture at its most vibrant” while supporting the foundation’s work with independent restaurants.
New Orleans restaurateur Dickie Brennan, of the Dickie Brennan Family of Restaurants, will serve as chairman of the local host committee. Brennan said the event provides an opportunity both to welcome chefs from across the country and to showcase the hospitality and restaurant culture that have long been central to New Orleans.
“Our culinary community is built on tradition and hospitality, and hosting this event gives us a chance to celebrate the chefs and restaurants who make New Orleans such a special place to dine and live,” Brennan said.
The host committee brings together a wide cross-section of the New Orleans restaurant and hospitality industry. Participants include Sara Brennan of Bellegarde Bakery and The Commissary; Jacqueline Blanchard of Sukeban; Frank Brigtsen of Brigtsen’s Restaurant; Geordie Brower III of the Dickie Brennan Family of Restaurants; Ana Castro of Acamaya and Casimiro; Edgar “Dook” Chase IV of Dooky Chase’s Restaurant; Christa Cotton of El Guapo Bitters; and Mia Devillier of Devillier Hospitality Group and La Petite Grocery.
Also serving on the committee are Alice Glenn of New Orleans & Company; Kaitlin Guerin of Lagniappe Bakehouse; E.J. Lagasse of Emeril’s; Donald Link of Link Restaurant Group; Ti Martin of Commander’s Palace; Nikki Mills of Pêche Seafood Grill; Effie Richardson of Dakar NOLA; Lindsay Ross of the Dickie Brennan Family of Restaurants; John Shoup of Great Chefs Television; and chef Susan Spicer of Rosedale.
Now entering its 14th year, Taste America is designed to connect diners with chefs and restaurants while raising money for the James Beard Foundation’s broader work within the food industry. Proceeds from the series support foundation programs aimed at strengthening independent restaurants and promoting a more sustainable and equitable food system.
For New Orleans, the Sept. 16 kickoff also represents something larger than another stop on the culinary-event calendar. By choosing the city to launch a 20-city national series and bringing the entire TasteTwenty class together for the occasion, the James Beard Foundation is once again placing New Orleans near the center of the conversation about where American food has been and where it is heading.
