NEW ORLEANS — ACG Louisiana, a regional chapter of the Association for Corporate Growth, has announced that it will present its Lifetime Achievement Award to chef Emeril Lagasse at a May 22 event at the Roosevelt Hotel.
Lagasse is the chef/proprietor of 10 restaurants, including four in New Orleans (Emeril’s, Meril, Emeril’s Brasserie at Harrah’s Casino, and Emeril’s Table at the MSY Airport). The number of local spots will increase to five when 34 Restaurant and Bar, Lagasse’s “love letter to Portugal,” opens later this year.
As a national TV personality, Lagasse has hosted more than 2,000 shows on the Food Network. Most recently, the Roku Channel released two original series: “Emeril Cooks” and “Emeril Tailgates.” In 2016, Amazon launched an original series featuring Lagasse called “Eat the World with Emeril Lagasse.” The series received five daytime Emmy nominations and won one for outstanding culinary program. The series was also a James Beard semifinalist. Lagasse has appeared as a guest judge on Bravo’s hit food series, “Top Chef.” He was a co-host for TNT’s first cooking series, “On the Menu,” and the 10th season of the “Rachael Ray Show.” He served as the food correspondent for ABC’s “Good Morning America.”
Lagasse is the bestselling author of 19 cookbooks, the latest titled “Essential Emeril: Favorite Recipes and Hard-Won Wisdom from My Life in the Kitchen.”
Throughout the years, Lagasse has received accolades and lifetime awards for his contributions to the American culinary industry. These include the “Distinguished Service Award” from Wine Spectator, the “Lifetime Achievement Award” from Food Network’s South Beach Wine & Food Festival, and the “Humanitarian of the Year” award from the James Beard Foundation. In February 2024, he was named honorary president of Bocuse d’Or Americas, a global culinary competition that will be held in New Orleans in June 2024.
In 2002, Lagasse established the Emeril Lagasse Foundation to support children’s educational programs that inspire and mentor young people through the culinary arts, nutrition, healthy eating, and important life skills. To date, the foundation has distributed over $19.3 million in grants benefiting children’s charities in New Orleans, Las Vegas and on the Gulf Coast.
Lagasse’s restaurant company, The Emeril Group, is located in New Orleans and houses culinary operations and a test kitchen for recipe development.
Lagasse’s restaurants outside of New Orleans include two in Las Vegas (Emeril’s New Orleans Fish House and Delmonico Steakhouse); one in Miramar Beach, Fla. (Emeril’s Coastal); and three restaurants at sea: Emeril’s Bistro 1396 on Carnival Cruise Line’s Mardi Gras ship, Emeril’s Bistro 1397 on the Carnival Celebration and Emeril’s Bistro 717 on the Carnival Jubilee.
