Lt. Governor Jay Dardenne and the Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board are hosting the 11th annual Great American Seafood Cook-Off at 11:30 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 2, in New Orleans. Eighteen chefs from throughout the U.S. will compete for the highly coveted crown honoring the best seafood chef in the nation.

The event will be held at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center and is open to the public. Tickets are $5 in advance at the Broad Street, Arabella Station, Veterans Memorial (Metairie) and Towne Center (Baton Rouge) Whole Foods locations, or $10 at the door.

Many states hold their own cook-offs in spring and early summer to qualify chefs to compete in New Orleans. Participating chefs in this year’s event will represent Alabama, Alaska, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Utah and Virginia.

“I'm thrilled to be competing against, and cooking alongside a group of America's most talented chefs,” Chef Larry Delgado of Texas said. “To have been selected to represent the Great State of Texas is an honor and privilege. I have a lot of fun experimenting with a variety of great seafood. Louisiana knows seafood, so New Orleans is the perfect city for the competition.”

The Great American Seafood Cook-Off, which is dedicated to promoting sustainable and domestic fisheries, first took place in the summer of 2004 when New Orleans chef John Besh took the title. The 2013 Cook-Off Crown went to chef David Crews from Mississippi. Chef Crews prepared a Southern Nicoise Salad featuring lump crab meat and seared tuna.