The 1st Annual Gumbo Gladiators competition was a huge success. More than 25 teams entered the contest and they cooked 10 seafood varieties of gumbo and 22 non-seafood gumbos. The event attracted more than 1,000 people to Festival Plaza to taste the gumbo varieties. 

I was thrilled to be one of the judges along with former Governor Buddy Roemer, Randal Reeder from the 'Killin and Grillin' TV show, Gerald Savoie, the owner of  “Savoie’s The Catering Place” in Shreveport, and Orlando Chapman owner of Brother's Seafood. The winning gumbo in the seafood category went to the Spicey Crab team and the non-seafood winner was Roux the Day. They each won $400. The people's choice award went to Gumboo-Ya, who won $250.

Congrats to all the teams and a big thanks to all of the folks at Volunteers for Youth Justice who organized the event.

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