Chef Emeril Lagasse Samples Restaurants in Osceola County on Emeril’s Florida

Media Contact:
Elizabeth Ray
FRLA Press Secretary
850.224.2250 x255
ERay@FRLA.org

(Tallahassee, FL) – The Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association (FRLA) is proud to present this week’s episode of Emeril’s Florida airing on Sunday, February 2, 2014, at 2:30 p.m. EST on the Cooking Channel. In Sunday’s episode titled, “Getaway, Go Eat and Giddy Up,” celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse tours some of the best restaurants in the Osceola County area.

“The Kissimmee area represents one of the Sunshine State’s most popular destinations and the venues featured in this episode are the cream of the crop,” said Carol Dover, President and CEO of the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association. “Viewers will get the chance to see Chef Emeril sample the dynamic culture in Central Florida, ranging from rich western-style traditions to worldly inspired flavors, and in turn will showcase experiences that people of all ages can enjoy.”

Emeril begins the episode with a visit to the Omni Orlando Resort at ChampionsGate, one of the top resorts in the Kissimmee area.  He tours the resort and ends up at Zen, a restaurant on property, where he meets Executive Chef Robert Ash and samples authentic peking duck and some creative sushi offerings. Then Emeril visits Chef’s John’s Place, a small restaurant where Chef John Walker and his wife Carmon have built up a loyal following over their time in the Kissimmee area. While there, he samples some of Chef John’s most popular dishes including his mouthwatering BBQ.

Next, Emeril stops by Graze, a restaurant in the community of Harmony that mirrors the environment in which it is located. The people behind Graze are advocates of the eat-local movement and develop seasonal menus based on available foods from the top local farms in the area. Emeril wraps up the episode with the Kempfer Family, longtime residents and owners of Kempfer Cattle Company, a 25,000 acre ranch located in Deer Park, Florida that has been in the ranching business since 1898. The Kempfer Cattle Company is also a proud supporter of Silver Spurs Rodeo held twice a year inKissimmee to illustrate the history and the legacy of the cattle industry in this part of Florida. The show reruns on Monday, February 3rd at 9:30 a.m. EST and Thursday, February 6th at 11:30 a.m. EST.  Please check local listings.

Emeril’s Florida Season Two is a 13-episode series highlighting the Sunshine State through the eyes of Emeril on-location with a focus on food, cooking, events and activities around the state. Throughout the second season, Emeril will be visiting Florida’s top restaurants and resorts. He will also prepare some of his favorite recipes which often will feature some of the best seafood Florida has to offer. The program is sponsored by the FRLA and VISIT FLORIDA. For additional information on the series, including links to previous episodes, please go to the Cooking Channel website here. For a preview of Sunday’s episode, click here.

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About the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association
FRLA’s mission is to ‘Protect, Educate and Promote’ Florida’s hospitality industry – which represents a $71.8 billion industry, 23% of Florida’s economy, $4.3 billion in sales tax revenue, and over one million employees, making it Florida’s largest employer. It is Florida’s premier non-profit, hospitality industry trade association. FRLA safeguards the needs of the hospitality industry, improves the business climate, promotes the highest levels of quality and safety for our patrons, provides legislative advocacy, and eases navigation of government regulation. The Association represents and serves more than 10,000 independent and household name members, suppliers, and theme parks.