It is that time of the year again, in just a few weeks, the smell of caramelized onions, sizzling seafood and freshly squeezed citrus will begin filling the streets around River Oaks as over two dozen teams begin preparing the best recipes they have–competing for the coveted Men Who Cook & Men Who Mix trophy. This year’s event, taking place on May 17th from 6:30pm to 9:30pm, promises to be full of flavors, spirits and laughter as usual.
“We are especially excited about this year’s event,” says Rachael Dauzat, Executive Director at River Oaks. “Not only is it the fourteenth annual Men Who Cook and Men Who Mix, it is also River Oaks’ thirtieth birthday–and we will be celebrating in style. The event will feature more than 65 chefs and over 25 stations, a balloon release to celebrate the birthday and, of course you can’t have a birthday without a birthday cake. We have Atwood’s Bakery making us a fabulous cake to celebrate this momentous occasion.”
The winners at the Men Who Cook & Men Who Mix event are determined by the amount of tips the teams receive in their individual tip jars. Last year’s Top 3 Winners will all be participating again, making for a much anticipated showdown of champions, even though Dauzat says “there is always a newcomer that will shake things up a little and few teams can claim a victory several years in a row.”
The 2013 Winning Teams were:
1st Place: Dr. Jonathan Hunter, Tony Martin & Scott Sanders (Oasis Healthcare/Lagniappe Home Health Team) with “A Nod to Nola”: Smoked grillades over fire roasted corn grits, topped with Marchand de Vin Sauce and roasted red pepper…finished with a Sazerac shooter.
2nd Place: Dr. Bradley Kirzner & Sam Gassiott with “Walking Tacos”.
3rd Place: Dr. Chad Norton & Dr. James Parrish with “The Santortini”.
Tickets for Men Who Cook & Men Who Mix are available through River Oaks by calling (318) 473-2670. Individual tickets are $50.00 each and $500 for a reserved table. “If we have tickets left the night of the event, they will be available at the door for $60.00, but that is a big ‘if’. We limit the event to 500 attendees and we have sold out in advance for the last three years,” cautions Dauzat. “I’m looking forward to another amazing Men Who Cook, especially in combination with the thirtieth birthday celebration for one of the anchoring arts organizations in Central Louisiana.”
The 2014 Men Who Cook & Men Who Mix are:
- Nick Williams & Alejandro Porras – Central Louisiana Home Health
- Dr. Jonathan Hunter, Scott Sanders & Tony Martin – Lagniappe Homecare & Riverside Hospital
- Dr. Chad Norton, Dr. Raj Sachasinh & Dr. James Parrish
- Dr. Christian Wold & Dr. Howard Wold
- Judge Shannon Gremillion & Jeff Draughon
- Sam Gassiott & Dr. Brad Kirzner
- Kyle Randall & John Gunter – Word of Mouth Café
- Adam Rhodes, Matt Stroderd & Ben Cooper
- John Maxey, Sean Kirkland, & Jack Brame – Red River Bank
- Dr. J. Michael Smith & Dr. Tate Peterman
- Eddie Ponce, David Betchley & Rodrigo Rodriquez – Mi Tierra
- Justin Giallonardo, Tom Giallonardo & Nathan Holder – D’Argent Companies
- Brodie Paul & Team
- Gary Guillory & Harvey Guillory – England Oaks
- William Albritton, Lance Lopez & Jason Hawk – Crossfit Alexandria
- Kevin Corbyn, Rigby Maupin & David Broussard
- Jason Lavergne, Mike Jeansonne & Gary Bonnette
- Kevin Chapman – The Roux Spoon
- Brad Smith, Andy Beebe & Scott Townsend
- George Reech & Taylor Ward – John Ward Hardware
- Mike Gallagher, Dr. Mark Lemaire & James Curcio
- Matt DeRose & Stephen Reed – Inglewood Farms
- Dr. Richard Brasher & Tommy Brasher – Alexandria Pediatric Dentistry
- Jeremy Lee, Jady Regard and James Wallace – Jerry Lee & Company
- Dr. Michael Leddy, Dr. Kevin Garrigan & Ken McKenzie
- Dr. Robert Fontane, Dr. Eric Daniel & Brandon Monceaux
- Paul Moreau, Rob Garcia, Bill Wallace & Kenny Smith
- Chris Roy, Jr., Jim Villard & Ralph Covington
- Chris Soprano, Charles Soprano & Rick Ducote
