Local chef competes in Great American Seafood Cook-off

Lake Charles, LA (KPLC) - A local chef at the Villa Harlequin restaurant in Lake Charles represented Louisiana in the Great American Seafood Cook-off Saturday.

Amanda Cusey, the executive chef at the Villa Harlequin, won the Louisiana Seafood Cook-off in June. She was one of 14 chefs from across the country competing.

Saturday’s competition was won by Chef Erin Miller of Urban Hearth in Cambridge, Massachussetts.

Saturday’s event was being held inside the Morial Convention Center in New Orleans.

HERE SHE GOES!!! Chef Amanda Cusey of The Villa Harlequin, Louisiana Seafood Queen, is competing in the Great American Seafood Cook-Off! 🎉👑 Best of luck, Chef! #GASCO22 #VisitLakeCharles
Posted by Visit Lake Charles on Saturday, August 6, 2022

The winner will be announced this afternoon.

The Louisiana Seafood Promotion & Marketing Board (LSPMB) produces the cook-off every year to highlight the importance of local restaurants using local seafood.

According to the state’s Department of Health, Louisiana is one of the nation’s top producers of oysters, crab, shrimp and crawfish. LSPMB reports between 80 and 90 percent of the seafood Americans eat is imported, half of that being farm-raised.