Food Prize 2024 | Celebrating Rising Chefs in the Ark-La-Tex

Things are heating up, so come and get it!

How You Can Select the Next Great Chef:

Society of the Golden Fork is a dinner series — Spring Session and Summer Session — consisting of six (6) chefs each.
To join the Society, sign up for the waitlist so that you can be notified when passes are available.
Purchase a pass to one of the two Sessions. Your pass includes admission to all of the dinner events in the corresponding Session. Passes are non-transferable for individual dinners.
Society Members attend the dinners and score each of the chefs.
Based on the scores of Society members, two chefs each from the Spring and Summer Sessions will advance to the Food Prize Finals.
The general public will vote for a fifth chef by public vote on prizefest.com.
Each of the five Finalist Chefs each will be paired with a National Celebrity Chef. The chef teams will compete at Come and Get It! during Prize Fest on Friday, October 18, 2024. A panel of judges will chose the Grand Prize Winner.

Comedy Prize is more than good looks and humor.

Making people laugh is hard, making comedy a career is harder. What makes the Comedy Prize competition worth your time?

1) We pay every Comedian Finalist to perform, give you Prize Fest VIP Lounge passes with free food and drink for the weekend, plus a hotel room for two nights. At Prize Fest, you are star talent and we treat you as such.

2) We bring in real, working comedy professionals who are looking for talent and we put you in the same room with them to connect and network — they don’t just see you from the stage.

FOOD PRIZE IS PROUDLY SPONSORED BY

Society of the Golden Fork: Spring Session

Spring Session will take place between April 14 and May 24, 2023.

The location for Golden Fork dinners will be revealed to passholders via email before each event.

Chef Ryan Gillespie

Bossier Parish School for Technology and Innovative Learning

Friday, April 14

Ryan has over 20 years in the industry, with over 10 years as Executive Chef in casinos, including The Rio All-Suites Hotel and Casino (Las Vegas, Nevada), Harrah’s, Horseshoe Hotel and Casino, Boomtown, Casperkill Country Club (Poughkeepsie, NY), Cortland Colonial Restaurant and Ballroom (Cortland, NY), and Boston Mills & Brandywine Ski Resorts (Peninsula, OH). He currently trains future chefs and culinarians at Bossier Parish School for Technology & Innovative Learning (BPSTIL).

Chef Anthony Felan

Owner/Executive Chef Fat Calf Brasserie

Monday, April 17

Anthony is a graduate of Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in San Francisco. His love for Louisiana and family brought him back home in 2010 where he joined Wine Country Bistro as Executive Chef. In 2017, he opened his food truck Fat Calf Boucherie, and in 2019, he and his wife, Amanda opened Fat Calf Brasserie a farm-fresh and slow food concept with a French influence that Chef Anthony is well known for.

Chef Chris Hayes

Executive Chef, The Smoking Oyster

Tuesday, April 25

Chris is a culinary consultant and an entrepreneur with a heart for the community. He was born in Shreveport and fell in love with cooking by watching his elders joyfully prepare food for family gatherings growing up. Chris began his career in the culinary industry at the age of 15, working as a dishwasher at a local pizza restaurant. Following graduation from Grambling State University, he enrolled in the Culinary Arts program at Louisiana Technical Community college. He went on to work in a host of northwest Louisiana’s top hotels, restaurants and gaming venues. He would then accept an executive chef position in New Orleans, Louisiana. In January of 2017, the hit Food Network television show, “Cooks vs. Cons” extended him an offer to appear on the show and ultimately won the competition.

Chef Robyne Moore

Chef, Island Vibes

Thursday, May 11

Chef Robyne serves up authentic Jamaican cuisine with her mobile restaurant Island Vibes. She attributes her unique palate to being brought up in a diverse New Jersey neighborhood. Moore delivered pre-made meals in until she stumbled upon a Farmer’s Market where set up a full kitchen. When she found out their daughter would be having her first baby, she relocated to Monroe three weeks before the pandemic. Moore found a home in the Milam Street Kitchen Incubator & Community Kitchen (MSKICK) in Shreveport where they prepared meals for the community. She has since added service in her food truck.

Chef Dylan Teekell

Co-Chef, Ghost Ramen

Tuesday, May 16

Dylan comes from a family of restaurateurs in Shreveport, but has carved his own path working back of house in many local eateries before teaming up with Chef Jon Ortiz at The Noble Savage Tavern. Following their success with ramen nights at Noble Savage, the pair started Ghost Ramen which opened a food truck at The Lot in downtown Shreveport. In 2022, Ghost Ramen started a residency at Stray Cat bar in downtown Shreveport where it operates Thursday-Saturday with late night ours each week.

Chef Val Benn

Executive Chef, The Pearl

Wednesday, May 24

Val is a newcomer to the Food Prize family. First starting as Head Chef at The Noble Savage before making a new way at the upcoming Shreveport oyster house “The Pearl”, Val is hungry to make a name and a mark on the food scene.

Society of the Golden Fork: Summer Session

Summer Session will take place June 9-July 15, 2023.

The location for Golden Fork dinners will be revealed to passholders via email before each event.

Chef Cindy Johnson

Owner, Southern Faire

Friday, June 9

Chef Cindy comes from a long line of Southern and Country Cooks. Growing up she had daily culinary instruction from her mother, Joan Gleason. In 2011, Chef Cindy Gleason Johnson received her MBA from Centenary College where she focused on creating a food and coffee business. In 2014, Cindy left a 30 year career in Marketing to follow her heart and go full throttle into food. Her first venture was a pop-up business as Cafe Camellia, which ultimately became what is now known as Southern Faire.

Chef Hardette Harris

Owner, Us Up North

Saturday, June 17

Chef Hardette Harris created the official meal of North Louisiana, only the second official meal in the United States, unanimously passed during the 2015 Louisiana Legislative session. She invites you to her table to enjoy a few dishes from the official meal to experience authentic food of the rural American south. The culinary experiences are designed to treat you like family. You will enjoy an old fashioned southern meal served family style and learn how to prepare hot water cornbread or pick and wash greens.

Chef Megan Chavez

Owner, Prepped Up Meals

Monday, June 26

Megan is a busy mom, wife, business owner, and chef. She has been cooking since she was six with her grandma who taught her the importance of organic food long before it was trendy. Megan has traveled the world to experience ingredients. She loves cooking healthy food that makes people feel great, but she’s not afraid to use a little (or a lot!) of heat, salt, and fat when the occasion calls for some big smiles.

Chef Brandon Sooter

Executive Chef, Bella Fresca

Monday, July 10

Brandon was born in Marshall, Texas and has spent the last 20 years making a name for himself in the Shreveport culinary scene. He began cooking after his parents divorced to help his mom out and never really stopped. He worked his way up through the kitchen ranks before making a name for himself in the community. He was invited to help open the kitchen at downtown’s renovated Noble Savage Tavern before becoming the Executive Chef at Bella Fresca.

Chef John Strand

Owner, Accents Personal Chef Service

Saturday, July 15

John entered the U.S. Army at only 17 and gained classic culinary education and experience during his 24 years of service. Upon Strand’s retirement, he settled in the Shreveport-Bossier area, and in 2006, he created Accents Personal Chef Service, a testament and reflection of his world travels. His personal and intimate food experiences are exclusively tailored to each client who enjoy fine dining the way it was meant to be.

Chef Tootie Morrison

Owner, Earnestly Tootie’s Chef Services

Monday, July 24

Tootie is the owner-chef of Earnestly Tooties Chef Services. In 2015 she became the Louisiana Food Prize Battle for the Golden Fork champion, appeared on the Food Network, and was recognized as one of Louisiana Life Magazine’s Great Louisiana Chefs of 2017. Tootie would go on to win Food Prize twice more in 2020 and in 2021.

Get on the Food Prize Waiting List

Get notified when Summer Session passes go on sale! If additional spots open for passes or to individual dinners, you will also be notified.