Emeril Lagasse

Emeril Lagasse’s first marriage was to Elizabeth Kief in 1978. The marriage lasted eight years and the couple had two children together.

He married Tari Hohn a fashion designer in 1989. This marriage lasted seven years before they divorced in 1996.

On May 13, 2000, he married Alden Lovelace; a real estate broker. He has two children from this third marriage; a son named Emeril John Lagasse IV and a daughter; Meril Lovelace Lagasse.

Emeril Lagasse was born on October 15, 1959, in Fall River, Massachusetts, to Emeril John Lagasse, Jr, and Hilda Medeiros. He is of French-Canadian ethnicity from his father’s side and of Portuguese ethnicity from his mother’s side.

The passion for cooking began all at home at a young age when he imbibed the art of food preparation from his mother, Hilda. Soon he was seen mastering bakery skills at a Portuguese bakery where he worked as a teenager.

Upon completing high school studies, Lagasse joined the elite Johnson and Wales University, in 1978, to pursue his passion, which earned him lucrative offers from classic restaurants in Boston, New York, and Philadelphia.

To broaden his culinary skills he travelled to Lyon and Paris, France, from where he picked up the art of standard French cuisine. Soon after, he joined the renowned ‘Commander’s Palace’ in 1982, as the Executive Chef and served there for almost eight years.

After serving at the Commander’s Palace, Emeril Lagasse decided to set up his first restaurant named ‘Emeril’s’, in 1990, in New Orleans, which was followed by ‘NOLA’ restaurant two years hence.

In 1995, Lagasse started the ‘Emeril’s New Orleans Fish House’ in Las Vegas, inspired by his ‘New New Orleans’ cooking style.

In 1998, Lagasse set up another eatery, ‘Delmonico’, in the historic Garden District of New Orleans. A year on, he added two other to the chain of his restaurants including one at the Universal Studios CityWalk and another at Las Vegas.

On June 8, 2000, Lagasse stepped into the domain of grocery products with a deal with B&G Foods, introducing a wide range of dry grocery items – pasta sauces, salsas, marinades under the brand ‘Emeril’s’.

’Emeril’s Gourmet Produce’ introduced in 2004, is another among his brands of fresh food items offering fresh herbs, mix salad blends, and heirloom tomatoes, exclusively prepared by Pride of San Juan

His hard work and zeal for mastering culinary skills have earned him several accolades including critical acclaims and best ratings; making his restaurants a top choice for food lovers across America.

The ‘Emeril’s’ restaurant won the first of many recognitions way back in 1990 when it was awarded the Restaurant of the Year’ in ‘Esquire’ Magazine‘ by John Mariani.

In 1991, the James Beard Foundation awarded him the title of ‘Best Southeast Regional Chef’.

His commitment and culinary expertise led him to win the ‘Executive of the Year’ award by Restaurants & Institutions magazine in 2004.

The ‘Food Network’s’; South Beach and Wine Festival rewarded him with the ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’, in 2009, for his contributions to the culinary industry.