Area gets spectacular publicity in cuisine magazine article

Last May, Camille Fontenot got a phone call from St. Landry tourism asking for a favor. That favor led to some spectacular publicity in the September/October issue of Louisiana Cuisine & Culture magazine.
The call came on a Thursday, on May 16. The St. Landry tourism director said four chefs from different areas of the state, along with the magazine photographer and publisher, would be at Chico Park for a three-day visit starting that Sunday. They had reserved three of the newly-refurbished deluxe cabins for the visitors to stay in.
They would need help coordinating the provision of boats, food and other requirements. Wondering why St. Landry was given the project because the park is in this parish, Fontenot told her, “Let me do the whole thing.”
She got her staff together to let them know what was happening, then called the publisher of the magazine, Susan Ford, and then called Jesse Muse, someone she often calls when in a pinch.
Muse told Fontenot he would call a buddy and “We’ll have it all set up.” No stranger to last minute emergencies, he is a volunteer fire fighter and often cooks at large gatherings, including large fund raisers featuring the New Orleans Saints.
Muse arranged for motors for the rental boats at the park. He also acted as a guide to the chefs, showing them where the best fishing areas of the lake were, and what kind of fish could be found in various areas of the lake.
Muse made a big impression on the chefs in their area of expertise: food.
Each of the participating chefs wrote short articles to accompany recipies of dishes they specialize in preparing.
Chef Austin Kirzner, executive chef at the Redfish Grill in New Orleans, wrote in his article that “the most delicious dish I ate all weekend was the Sauce Piquant Mr. Muse made for us Sunday night.”
Chef Jason Brady, owner and executive chef of Wine Country Bistro in Shreveport, wrote Muse “made the weekend a success.”
Muse also guided the chefs to Paul’s Meat Market, and the magazine publisher was so impressed, she decided to have a separate story about that business in the same issue of the magazine that just came out.
Chef Dustie Latiolais, with Crawfish Town USA in Henderson, wrote that, “I was surprised at the wide array of smoked meats in the local markets in Ville Platte.”
Other chefs who were at Chicot Park last May were Cory Bahr, owner and executive chef at Restaurant Cotton and Nanna in Monroe, who wrote that he appreciated “the opportunity to meet the people of Ville Platte and experience their hospitality and way of life.”
Bahr also described why the experience at Chicot State Park was valuable for their professional development as well as a personal experience. “I always learn something when I hang out with a group of chefs from different regions; these all had tons of passion and personality. It was a great gathering.”
Fontenot, the chamber and tourism director here, and others arranged for a memorable first evening at Chicot Park for the visitors. The article describes how Muse “set up his cooking rig late Sunday afternoon and started sausage and tasso sauce piquant. Then people started showing up with beer, soda, cocktail makings, and covered dishes. Renee Brown and Ray Jason, local caterers, brought their Catfish Evangeline. There was a pot of meatballs simmering in local manufactured Jack Miller’s Barbeque Sauce that was so good Cory claims he got up twice in the night to eat a plateful.”
During that Sunday gathering at the park, Ford, the magazine publisher, said, during an interview, the magazine has a circulation mainly from Florida to Texas, but it also has readers in other parts of the country and overseas. She said about 400 magazines are sent to commissaries on U.S. military bases because of the large number of service personnel and their spouses who come from the magazine’s primary circulation area.
The magazine began publishing in April 2012 and Ford said it has a high subscription renewal rate of 85 percent. The magazine features at least 50 recipes per issue, mostly simple dishes that can be quickly prepared on a weeknight but also features more elaborate dishes for special occasions.
During that Sunday in May, Ford said she was very impressed with the cabins at the park and the hospitality of the people who hosted the visitors.
Chef Kirzner wrote in the article, “This was my first visit to Chicot State Park, and I can guarantee it won’t be my last. The park and the lake are beautiful.”