On Saturday, March 21, Southern Palette: Food and Drink Experience will transform downtown Baton Rouge into a celebration of Southern culinary creativity. Set beneath the oak trees of Lafayette Park and the Shaw Center campus, the event will feature more than 30 chef tents alongside fine wine and top-shelf spirits stations. Guests will be able to stroll through the park sampling dishes, sipping craft cocktails, and meeting the chefs and mixologists shaping today’s Southern food scene.

What makes Southern Palette especially exciting is the caliber of talent gathering in one place. The event brings together award-winning chefs, restaurateurs, culinary educators, and beverage innovators from across the region, creating an evening that highlights the depth and diversity of Southern cuisine.

Baton Rouge will be strongly represented throughout the event, showcasing the strength of the city’s culinary community. Chef and television personality Jay Ducote will be among the featured participants. Known nationally for his appearances on major cooking competitions and food television, Ducote has become one of Louisiana’s most recognizable culinary voices, celebrating the stories and traditions that define the region’s food culture.

Joining him is Chef Reid Henderson, whose refined approach to modern Southern cuisine balances thoughtful technique with seasonal ingredients and a deep respect for Louisiana’s culinary heritage.

Private chef and culinary entrepreneur Sophia Marie will also bring her soulful style of cooking to the event, known for creating intimate dining experiences rooted in hospitality and connection.

Representing LSU’s culinary leadership is Chef Jon Jackson, who oversees dining operations across campus while helping mentor and shape the next generation of chefs and hospitality professionals.

Longtime Baton Rouge restaurateur Jim Urdiales adds another layer of local flavor to the lineup. Known for blending his Mexican heritage with Louisiana ingredients, his cooking has helped create one of the city’s most distinctive restaurant concepts.

Executive chef Justin Lambert will also participate, bringing his creative interpretation of Southern cuisine shaped by years working in respected Louisiana kitchens.

At the City Club, Chef Cordell Walker has become known for crafting Louisiana-inspired dishes that blend local ingredients with global influences and refined technique, and he will showcase that perspective at Southern Palette.

The lineup also includes Chef Ciara Finley, a culinary entrepreneur whose work centers around thoughtful, ingredient-driven cooking and a strong sense of hospitality.

Chef Daniel Dreher, known for his work with seasonal ingredients and live-fire cooking techniques, brings both creativity and deep Louisiana roots to the event.

Chef Celeste Gill adds another important voice to the lineup, recognized for her dedication to hospitality and advocacy within the culinary profession.

Veteran chef William Wells, whose work in catering and hospitality spans decades in Louisiana, represents a wealth of experience and craftsmanship within the local food community.

Rounding out the Baton Rouge chefs is Jordan Ramirez, the creative force behind one of the city’s most innovative restaurant concepts, known for bold flavors and genre-bending cuisine that reflects the evolving Baton Rouge dining scene.

The Baton Rouge beverage community will also be represented by Alan Walter, a nationally recognized mixologist whose cocktail programs blend culinary creativity with classic technique. His work has earned recognition within the craft cocktail world and brings an elevated beverage element to the evening.

Several influential chefs from New Orleans will bring the spirit of the Crescent City to Southern Palette as well. Chef and restaurateur Farrell Harrison has spent decades building restaurants and developing menus that reflect the rich cultural influences of Southeast Louisiana.

Alex Harrell, who now leads one of New Orleans’ most exciting restaurant kitchens, is known for blending classic Southern flavors with a modern perspective and refined presentation.

Joining them is Aaron Burgau, a chef whose commitment to locally sourced ingredients and thoughtful technique has earned widespread recognition across the region.

From the Mississippi Gulf Coast, Chef Raven Allen brings a cooking style rooted in seafood traditions while blending Creole and Cajun influences inspired by her upbringing.

Representing the Mississippi Delta is Chef David Crews, whose cooking reflects a deep connection to regional ingredients and storytelling through food, transforming Southern staples into bold and memorable dishes.

Chef Orlando Amaro, based in Fairhope, Alabama, brings an internationally influenced culinary background shaped by years of training and leadership in kitchens across the country. His work emphasizes ingredient quality, sustainability, and creative technique.

The beverage program will feature standout cocktail professionals as well. Marie King, an internationally respected rum and tropical cocktail expert, is known for shaping influential beverage programs across the country.

Joining her is Luke Tullos, a spirits educator and industry consultant whose career has focused on elevating cocktail culture through education, hospitality, and high-quality spirits.

Chef Kenta Kamo adds an international perspective to the event. Raised between Japan and Baton Rouge, his career has taken him through award-winning Japanese kitchens and highly regarded restaurant concepts across the country.

From Lafayette, Chef Kelsey Leger represents the farm-to-table movement within Louisiana cuisine, known for creating vibrant dishes rooted in local agriculture and seasonal ingredients.

Lake Charles chef Amanda Cusey brings classical culinary training and a passion for Louisiana seafood that has earned her recognition in statewide culinary competitions.

From Ocean Springs, Mississippi, chefs Michael Paoletti and Stephanie Paoletti represent a dynamic culinary partnership, combining expertise in both savory cuisine and pastry to create memorable dining experiences rooted in Gulf Coast hospitality.

Chef Justin Flit brings the energy of Miami’s modern dining scene, known for inventive menus that combine bold flavors with contemporary American cooking techniques.

Chef Jarita Frazier-King adds another powerful perspective to the event, sharing a deep connection to Southern heritage cooking and storytelling through dishes inspired by family traditions and regional culture.

With more than 30 chef tents, premium wine and spirits stations, and live music overlooking the Mississippi River, Southern Palette promises an immersive evening celebrating the flavors, creativity, and community of Southern food.

Guests will be able to move from tent to tent sampling dishes, meeting chefs, and experiencing firsthand the passion and talent that define the South’s culinary scene.

Southern Palette: Food and Drink Experience takes place Saturday, March 21 at Lafayette Park and the Shaw Center campus in downtown Baton Rouge, bringing together some of the most exciting names in Southern food for one unforgettable evening.