LETTER: Vermont chef wanted for seafood cookoff in New Orleans
Jun e8, 2026To the Community:
Lt. Gov. John Rodgers will select a Vermonter to represent the state at the 2026 Great American Seafood Cookoff in New Orleans next month. The nominee will receive $1,000 to offset travel, in addition to hotel accommodations.
Please nominate a chef by the close of business on Monday, June 15. The nomination should include a short paragraph on why the nominee is best suited to represent Vermont and their fellow Vermonters.
See the below email message from Louisiana's Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser for more information. Send your nomination to James.Ehlers@vermont.gov.
We all know that Lt. Gov. Rodgers appreciates good, healthy, local food, so let's show the rest of the USA our best!
James Ehlers,
Chief of Staff for
Lt. Gov. John Rodgers
Message from Louisiana Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser
On behalf of the Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board, I am reaching out to extend a special invitation to you and your state’s culinary community to participate in the 2026 Great American Seafood Cook-Off.
GASCO will take place July 25–26, 2026, in New Orleans, at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in conjunction with the Louisiana Restaurant Association Showcase. This nationally recognized culinary competition celebrates the incredible seafood traditions, regional flavors, and culinary talent found throughout America’s coastal and inland seafood-producing states.
As part of this premier event, we invite each state to send a representative chef to compete in the Cook-Off, and I am offering you the chance to make that selection on behalf of your state!
The first 13 chefs who commit to participate will receive a $1,000 stipend along with hotel accommodations during their stay in New Orleans, allowing them to focus on presenting the best of their state’s seafood and culinary heritage on a national stage.
At a time when domestic seafood, seafood transparency, and support for American fishermen have become increasingly important national conversations, this event serves as a powerful platform to showcase the value, quality, sustainability, and cultural significance of seafood harvested in the United States. We believe it is more important than ever for states to stand together in representing and promoting America’s domestic seafood industry. This exciting event not only highlights the extraordinary talents of chefs from across the country but it also fosters collaboration, camaraderie, tourism, and greater awareness surrounding the importance of supporting domestic seafood industries and the hardworking fishing communities behind them.
I am honored to extend this invitation to you to engage with your state’s culinary leaders and to participate in this prestigious national event.
Thank you for considering this opportunity. We look forward to the possibility of showcasing your state’s incredible culinary talent and seafood traditions in New Orleans during the 2026 Great American Seafood Cook-Off.
~ Billy Nungesser, Lieutenant Governor of Louisiana