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Logen Crew Will Represent Utah at Great American Seafood Cook-off

 

SALT LAKE CITY -- After impressing judges in the Utah Selection Competition with a dish featuring Utah trout, Logen Crew earned the right to compete against some of the best seafood chefs in the country in New Orleans.

 

Crew, the Executive Chef of Current Fish & Oyster in Salt Lake City, will travel along with sous chef Amanda McGraw to New Orleans to compete in the Great American Seafood Cook-off Aug. 6. Their travel expenses are being covered by the Utah Restaurant Association.

 

Crew defeated four other chefs in the Utah Selection Competition held Tuesday at the Harmons City Creek demonstration kitchen in downtown Salt Lake City. They included Matt Anderson (Kimi’s Chop & Oyster), Matt Lake (Alamexo), Frederick Perez (Del Mar al Lago), and Lorin Smaha (Freshies Lobster Co.).

 

“This showed that Utah’s food scene is on the rise. We have really talented chefs, and we can get great, fresh seafood at our restaurants,” Crew said. “I’m especially excited to show what can be done with the Utah trout.”

 

A panel of four judges selected the winners. They included Utah Lt. Gov. Spencer Cox, Utah Restaurant Association President Melva Sine, Rico’s Brand owner and Utah’s Own member Jorge Fierro, and Evan Francois, Executive Chef for Harmons City Creek.

 

"Our chefs are part of Utah's attractiveness to businesses and tourists. Their creativity never fails to impress,” Lt. Gov. Cox said. “Although we are a landlocked state, our chefs can readily get fresh fish and they excel in preparing exceptional seafood dishes. The dishes prepared this year were outstanding and I am looking forward to seeing how Logen fares at the Great American Seafood Cook-off."

 

To win the state title, Crew presented the judges with Utah trout prepared four ways. Judges were particularly impressed with the complexity of the dish and the use of local ingredients.

 

The Great American Seafood Cook-off is hosted by the Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board. Lieutenant governors are invited to choose a chef from their state, although no inland state has ever won the competition. The cook-off emphasizes the use of domestic, sustainable seafood as well as local ingredients.

Logen Crew is available for interview or studio appearances prior to the national competition. Interviews or studio appearances with the other competing chefs can also be arranged. For more information, contact Josh Loftin, 801-245-7205 or [email protected].