BATON ROUGE, La. – Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser claimed success during a recent mission to Charleston, South Carolina, for the Louisiana in the Low Country Restaurant Night. The Lt. Governor, the Louisiana Office of Tourism, and the Louisiana Travel Promotion Association partnered with Garden & Gun magazine to bring eight acclaimed Louisiana chefs to Charleston to spice things up in the kitchen of eight area restaurants. The Louisiana and Charleston chefs collaborated for weeks to transport diners to the Bayou State with dinner menus inspired by the cultural influences of both areas. Despite the impending threat of Hurricane Matthew, and an evacuation order being called by South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, restaurants in Charleston reported that nearly 25 percent of their reservations for Tuesday, October 4, were specifically to participate in the culinary mashup.

“The partnerships formed during our Louisiana in the Lowcountry Restaurant Night will be beneficial to helping increase the number of visitors to our state.” said Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser. “While we enjoyed meeting new friends and forming those bonds, we are sending our thoughts and prayers to all those impacted by Hurricane Matthew. Charleston is much like Louisiana in that we both treat people like family. After meeting people in the Charleston area, it’s clear that great tasting food is not the only thing that brings people together, also a sense of community and watching out for your neighbor. Charleston is much like Louisiana in that we both treat people like family. That’s just what we experienced during our time in the Lowcountry.”

“We would like to thank the people of Charleston for their hospitality, especially given the circumstances that were beyond our control,” said Assistant Secretary Kyle Edmiston. “The turnout throughout the night at all eight restaurants was overwhelming. I am confident our chefs left a lasting impression on the people of the Lowcountry, inspiring them to come to Louisiana and experience our distinct flavors and culture first hand. Garden & Gun staff, and diners alike in all eight restaurants, raved about our chefs and their dishes.”

Many of the participating chefs featured dishes highlighting Louisiana seafood provided by the Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board.