G.U.L.F. Chef Council

Culinary leaders in the New Orleans area.

The G.U.L.F. Chef Council is made up of culinary leaders in the New Orleans restaurant community. These chefs commit to one year on the council, promotional events with G.U.L.F. and bi-annual updates on the program.

Chef Ryan Prewitt, Chef Council Chair

Ryan began his culinary career in the farmer’s markets of San Francisco, where a burgeoning interest in food developed into a full-blown career. After spending time working for chefs Robert Cubberly and Alicia Jenish at Le Petite Robert Bistro, he moved to New Orleans to work with Chef Donald Link at Herbsaint, where he proved to be a quick study, became Chef de Cuisine in 2009 before subsequently moving on to oversee culinary operations at Link Restaurant Group as Executive Chef for the company.

A member of the Fatback Collective, Ryan has learned new traditions and techniques from many talented BBQ pitmasters, traveled to Uruguay to study traditional open-fire cooking, and observed grilling techniques in Spain – experiences that culminated in the opening of Pêche Seafood Grill alongside Chefs Donald Link and Stephen Stryjewski.

Passionate about local sustainable seafood, Ryan maintains an active presence in the greater seafood industry, working with various local organizations such as Audubon GULF and the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana to promote Gulf seafood and sustainable fishing practices in the region.

Chef Cory Bahr

Recipient of the Restauranteur of the Year Louey Award, Chef Cory Bahr is the Owner & Founder of Parish Restaurant and Owner-Operator of Heritage Catering in Monroe, Louisiana, where he was born and raised. Parish Restaurant pays homage to what is most important to Cory — community, culture, and culinary heritage — presenting an inventive take on classic Southern dishes, utilizing live fire cooking that infuses all of the flavors, technique and heritage of his beloved Delta region. As a culinary and economic leader in Louisiana, Cory is deeply invested in conservation methods for sustainable foods, and as an advocate for the sustainable seafood movement, Cory promotes sustainable consumption practices to create a more stable fishing industry for both Gulf fisherman and for the future of Gulf seafood.

Chef Michael Nelson

Arriving in New Orleans in July 2005, Chef Michael Nelson brought with him experience from the Culinary Institute of America in Napa Valley, and restaurants in Chicago and Seattle. He quickly rose through the ranks at GW Fins, where he was named Executive Chef in 2015. For almost a decade, Chef Michael has made it his mission to increase the sustainability of seafood through better utilization of the entire fish, creating innovative butchering techniques to increase the yields of fish served. He is a vocal proponent of this approach to seafood sustainability and coined the term “Ocean Conservancy Cuts” to denote dishes on the menu that utilize parts of the fish “beyond the fillet.” Most recently, his innovations in seafood have also led him to focus on dry aging fish to create exciting new specialty cuts.

Chef Marcus Jacobs

With over a decade of cooking experience in Ohio, California, Japan, and New Orleans, Chef Marcus Jacobs helms two New Orleans restaurants alongside his partner, Caitlin Carney: Marjie’s Grill, a casual eatery combining open fire cooking techniques and local ingredients with flavors inspired by the street food of Vietnam, Thailand, and Laos; and Seafood Sally’s, a neighborhood seafood joint serving up a variety of Gulf seafood. Marcus and his team are strong supporters of the community, working alongside organizations and individuals to champion for sustainability and the use of local ingredients, support the seafood industry, uplift local businesses, and promote diversity and equity within the local hospitality industry.

Chef Dana Honn

Chef and owner of two New Orleans restaurants, Carmo and Café Cour, Dana is a vocal advocate for ocean health and conservation, coastal restoration, sustainable seafood, and the use of local ingredients – a passion that extends to his support of local farmers and fishers. A frequent chef, educator and presenter at local, national, and international events, Dana is also the founder of the Tropical Foodways Institute, launched in 2013 with a primary function of acting as a conduit for research, education and resources relating to the cuisine and culture of the tropics, its history and preservation.

Chef Alex Harrell

Hailing from southeastern Alabama, Chef Alex Harrell was inspired to pursue his career as a chef after working at a small, beachside seafood restaurant owned by a family friend, eventually starting his New Orleans culinary career under the mentorship of Susan Spicer at Bayona in 1998. Over his career, Alex has worked at some of New Orleans’ most well-known restaurants, eventually accepting a position as Executive Chef at Southern Hotel’s Gloriette restaurant in Covington. Alex is a champion for the use of fresh, local ingredients and a fervent supporter of small businesses and sustainable fisheries in the region, an attribute that can be seen throughout the whole of his culinary career.

Chef Brian Landry

Brian Landry is a New Orleans native, passionate chef, supporter of regional foodways, and dedicated conservationist of Gulf seafood. Brian is the Chef/Owner of QED Hospitality, a restaurant operations management group that runs Jack Rose Restaurant, the Bayou Bar, Hot Tin rooftop bar and the Silver Whistle Café within the Pontchartrain Hotel in New Orleans; Marsh House restaurant, L.A. Jackson rooftop bar & restaurant and coffee shop Killebrew at the Thompson Nashville in Tennessee; and The Kitchen Table restaurant at the James B. Beam Distilling Company in Clermont, Kentucky. Along with business partner Emery Whalen, Brian oversees all operations and the expansion of the QED brand. With a passion for local seafood that stems from his childhood, Brian promotes the use of Louisiana seafood as a member of the Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board, and pays homage to Louisiana’s coastal, indigenous cuisine by cooking with the freshest local ingredients.

Chef Sue Zemanick

Born and raised in Pennsylvania, Chef Sue Zemanick knew from the young age of 15 that she wanted to be a chef, eventually enrolling at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, where she graduated at the top of her class and worked as an intern in the seafood department. Sue followed her passion for cooking with fish and seafood to New Orleans, where she found immeasurable inspiration that has influenced her cooking and the flavors she loves to work with, eventually opening Zasu in 2019. Throughout her career, Sue has advocated for the utilization of fresh, seasonal ingredients and fish, working to help sustain the Gulf Coast and its seafood, and support local fishers.

Chef Susan Spicer

Recipient of the 2023 Ella Brennan Lifetime Achievement in Hospitality Award, longtime New Orleans chef Susan Spicer began her cooking career as an apprentice to Chef Daniel Bonnot at the Louis XVI Restaurant in 1979, subsequently traveling throughout Europe and California before returning to New Orleans, where she has launched multiple restaurants: Bayona, Rosedale, and Mondo at MSY. As a chef and restaurateur, Susan is an avid supporter of the local community, acting as a mentor to many up-and-coming chefs throughout the years, and frequently engaging with local businesses and organizations to champion Gulf Seafood and sustainability efforts.

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Sponsored and coordinated by Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission.
Authorized by the five Gulf state marine resource management agencies.
NOAA Award #NA10NMF4770481.