Chef Duke LoCicero Wins Iron Chef Battle in the Chrome Kitchen


New Orleans, LA-Chef Duke LoCicero, owner/chef of Café Giovanni in
the world-famous French Quarter and his motorbike building partner,
Bill Dodge of Bling's Cycles, took the top honor during the first
ever Iron Chef competition held May 7-10 in conjunction with the
New Orleans Bike Fest. The culinary battle took place in the
"Chrome Kitchen" that was housed within the Ernest Morial
Convention Center, located in downtown New Orleans. The duo beat
out several top local chefs including chef Brian Landry of
Galatoire's, chef Glen Hogh of Vega Tapas Cafe and chef Tory
McPhail of Commander's Palace to claim the title.

Sponsored by the Louisiana Seafood Promotions and Marketing Board,
each dish featured Louisiana shrimp as the key ingredient in
addition to a "secret" ingredient. Chef Duke's winning dishes
included pan seared Louisiana Gulf shrimp, Louisiana lemon fish and
scallops over vegetable risotto, topped with a mango salsa; and
Voodoo BBQ Shrimp, Louisiana Gulf shrimp coated with a spicy
Asian-inspired sauce that featured Southern Comfort and Barq's
Rootbeer, two of the "secret" ingredients.

"I have heard about Chef's Duke's Voodoo BBQ Louisiana Shrimp for a
while, and after getting a chance to taste the dish, it's no wonder
he won!, said Ewell Smith, Director of Marketing for the Louisiana
Seafood Promotions and Marketing Board. "I'm very proud of chef
Duke and all of our amazing chefs.. the competition was tight for
sure," he added.

Café Giovanni specializes in contemporary Italian-New Orleans
cuisine. Professional live opera singers perform every Wednesday,
Friday and Saturday nights. Chef Duke serves his award-winning
cuisine for lunch every Friday from noon until 3 p.m. and for
dinner Monday thru Sunday from 5:30 until 10pm. Reservations are
recommended but are not required. Giovanni is also available for
private parties and special events and can accommodate up to 200
guests. For more information call 504-529-2154 or visit
www.cafegiovanni.com.