Chuck Eats Returns For Seconds
Chuck Eats Restaurant Week ran from Friday, Jan. 19 through Sunday, Jan. 28. In its second year, Visit Lake Charles teamed up with 35+ restaurants to offer a diverse array of prix fixe menus.
A prix fixe menu offers a fixed-price, multi-course dining experience. Instead of choosing individual dishes, the restaurant provides a set menu with courses like appetizers, main courses and desserts. Diners pay one fixed price for the entire meal, allowing them to experience a diverse selection of expertly crafted dishes chosen by the chef.
Participating restaurants included the following: 121 Artisan Bistro, 1910, Area 337, Bodega Wine Dive, Casa Mañana, Golden Nugget’s Chart House, Chicken Salad Chick, COFFEE:30, Coolers Icehouse, Cousin’s Lebanese Cuisine, Crying Eagle Brewing Company, The Golden Doors Event Center, Insane Sausages, Jeanne’s Bourbon Street BBQ, Ju’Elles Café, L’Auberge Casino Resort’s Drago’s Seafood Restaurant, Ember Grille & Wine Bar, Johnny Sánchez and The Sportsbook at L’Auberge, Luna Bar & Grill Downtown and Luna Bar & Grill South, Maplewood Burgers Lake Charles and Maplewood Burgers Moss Bluff, Nina P’s Cafe, Panorama Music House, Paul’s Rib Shack Barbecue, Pincher’s Crawfish & Daiquiris, Pujo St. Cafe, Restaurant Calla, Rikenjaks Brewing Company, Rotolo’s Pizzeria, Southern Spice Restaurant & Grill, The James 710, The Max, The Terrace at Lake Area Adventures, The Villa Harlequin, The Village Coffeehouse, Tia Juanita’s Fish Camp and Zeus Mediterranean Kitchen.
Visit Lake Charles Launches VLC-TV
This month, Visit Lake Charles launched a new YouTube series, VLC-TV, aimed at capturing and showcasing the best of Southwest Louisiana to educate viewers and promote our region.
In its first season, episodes will be released once a month. The series will spotlight everything from lively Mardi Gras celebrations to the scenic beauty of the Creole Nature Trail All-American Road. Viewers can also look forward to discovering the charm of downtown Lake Charles and the local cuisine, including an episode on crawfish.
“VLC-TV is an initiative that will enhance how visitors experience and connect with Southwest Louisiana,” said Timothy Bush, chief marketing officer of Visit Lake Charles. “This series will bring the unique and diverse attractions that make our region a must-visit destination to your screen.”
Kathryn Shea Duncan, senior director of social media/communications, will host the series. She will guide viewers through each episode with Brady Renard, director of content/video marketing, skillfully capturing every moment behind the lens.
To join this visual journey, subscribe to the Visit Lake Charles YouTube channel.
Louisiana Food & Wine Festival Wins Festival of the Year Award
This month, the Louisiana Travel Association (LTA) introduced the Louisiana Food & Wine Festival as the Festival/Event of the Year winner during its Annual Meeting in New Orleans. Visit Lake Charles nominated the festival for the award.
Each year, LTA presents the Louey Awards to honor and showcase individuals and organizations that have made outstanding contributions to the Louisiana tourism industry.
The inaugural Louisiana Food and Wine Festival attracted more than 3,000 attendees from 14 states, Canada and Prince Edward Island; the event was lauded for its exceptional value and benefit to the local economy. The festival also donated $7,500 to SOWELA and $10,000 to United Way of Southwest Louisiana.
Brady Renard Graduates from LTLA
During LTA’s Annual Meeting in New Orleans, Brady Renard, director of content/video marketing, was recognized as one of the 2023 Louisiana Tourism Leadership Academy (LTLA) graduates. Renard successfully completed LTA’s training program designed to continue educating the next generation of tourism professionals. He was one of 30 graduates who were honored.
“As we applaud our graduating class, we can’t help but be proud of each of their bright futures ahead. Throughout this program, each candidate has shown immense growth and passion for the tourism industry,” said Chris Landry, LTA President and CEO. “We are excited to welcome the next class of leaders in the tourism industry and look forward to watching our graduates continue to develop in their careers.”
VLC Team Updates, New Hires
Visit Lake Charles announced Matt Young’s role change from director of association sales to director of public relations and welcomed two new sales team members, Emily Treme and Morgan Dodd.
Treme has joined the sales team as director of association sales, replacing Young. She will concentrate on boosting convention sales and expanding business for association group meetings and tradeshows.
Dodd joined the sales team as meeting sales manager. In her new role, Dodd will lead efforts to promote Lake Charles as a destination for social, military, education, religious, fraternal and corporate meetings.
New Board Members at Visit Lake Charles
Visit Lake Charles is proud to announce the recent appointments of Richert “Ricky” Self and Jay Kumar to the board of directors.
Self, selected by the Calcasieu Parish Police Jury, is the executive director at the Port of Lake Charles. Kumar is a third-generation hotelier passionate about entrepreneurship and represents the City of Sulphur. Both are proud McNeese State University graduates.
“Self and Kumar bring a wealth of knowledge to the board,” said Kyle Edmiston, president and CEO of Visit Lake Charles. “With extensive experience in strategic leadership, port management, hospitality, and entrepreneurship, their contributions will continue to help us elevate Southwest Louisiana as the premier destination it is.”
VLC is governed by an 11-member board of directors, with Kane Mitchell as the 2024 board chair, Mike Buckley as vice chair and Shonda Manuel as secretary/treasurer.
