Chef Emeril Lagasse Tours Eccentric Florida Restaurants on National Television

Contact:
Elizabeth Ray
FRLA Communications Director
850.224.2250 x255
[email protected]

(Tallahassee, Fla.) The Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association (FRLA) is proud to present this week’s episode of Emeril’s Florida airing Sunday, January 10, 2016, at 2:30 p.m. EST on the Cooking Channel. In Sunday’s episode, “Tattoos, Rebels and a Rooster,” celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse visits three unique restaurants in St. Petersburg, Tampa and Boca Raton. Emeril rounds out the episode cooking Char Sui BBQ.

“Florida is known for restaurants with flare and this episode features some of our absolute favorites,” said Carol Dover, FRLA President and CEO. “We are thrilled to participate in this show, which showcases the Sunshine State’s hospitality industry and encourages viewers around the country to come savor flavorful experiences that are found nowhere else in the world.”

On this episode, Emeril’s first stop is Z Grille in St. Petersburg. There, he meets with owner and Executive Chef Zack Gross who opened the restaurant with his wife Jennifer in 2005. The menu features New American and Southwestern staples with an inventive SoCal twist. For Emeril, he prepares some of his signature dishes including 3 different kinds of deviled eggs: Beet Truffle Arugula/Tomato Basil Parmesan/California Avocado Bacon; along with Dr. Pepper Ribs: Kale Salad with Pork Belly; Achiote Chicken; and Black Grouper with Smoked Pimento Cheddar Cheese Grits and Old Bay Whipped Crème.

Next Emeril visits Rebel House, a restaurant in Boca Raton that’s a little out of the ordinary, which explains their rebel name and rebellious reputation. In 2012, when owners Mike Saperstein and Evan David opened Rebel House they enlisted a friend and local artist to plaster the centrally located space with rebellious sayings, paintings of rebellious figures, and even a few shadowbox pieces symbolizing various rebellious eras in history, all of which were made for the restaurant. Mike is the chef and he brings out some of their most popular dishes for Emeril to try including: House Made Charcuterie; Wahoo Crudo; Lambcetta; and Belle Glade Corn Pudding Brûlée.

Finally, Emeril heads to Tampa where two local guys and their rooster mascot have taken the dining scene up a few notches with their inventive cuisine. At Rooster & the Till he meets with the two owners who started hatching their own restaurant plan back when they met working at another restaurant. Emeril gets to sample some of the dishes that are making this a popular restaurant in Tampa including: Grilled Octopus; House-Made Tofu; Gnocchi; and Salmon Belly.

The show reruns on Monday, January 11 at 9:30 a.m. EST and Thursday, January 14 at 10:30 a.m. EST. Please check local listings.

Emeril’s Florida Season Four 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 fourth 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 FRLA and VISIT FLORIDA sponsor the series.

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.

Editor’s Note:
For photo and video requests of Emeril Lagasse with personnel from Z Grille, Rebel House or Rooster & the Till, photos of signature menu items and recipes of featured dishes, please contact Elizabeth Ray at [email protected] or 850.224.2250 x255.

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About the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association
FRLA is Florida’s premier non-profit hospitality industry trade association. Our mission is to ‘Protect, Educate and Promote’ Florida’s $82 billion hospitality industry which represents 23% of Florida’s economy and more than 1.1 million employees – making it the state’s number one industry. We offer regulatory compliance and food safety training needs (RCS and SafeStaff®); industry developed career-building high school programs (FRLAEF); sponsor the only event in Florida exclusively serving the restaurant and foodservice industry (FR&L Show, September 27-29, 2016 in Orlando); and we safeguard the needs of the hospitality industry by providing legislative advocacy. We represent and serve more than 10,000 independent and household name members, suppliers, and theme parks. For more information, go to www.FRLA.org and find us on Twitter @FRLAnews, Facebook and YouTube.