Things are heating up, so come and get it!

Summer Session Dinner Passes On Sale Now!

How You Can Select the Next Great Chef:

Society of the Golden Fork is a seasonal dinner series, with Spring and Summer sessions, each featuring a curated group of six chefs.
Purchase a pass to one of the two Sessions. Your pass includes admission to all of the dinner events in the Session purchased. Passes are non-transferable.
Society Members attend the dinners, listen to the chef stories, eat multi-course meals, and celebrate local food culture.
Once attendees have attended the dinners of their Session, they will score each of the chefs based on criteria such as creativity and execution.
Based on the scores of Society members, six chefs (three each from the Spring and Summer Sessions) will advance to the Food Prize Finals.
Each of the six Finalist Chefs each will be paired with a National Celebrity Chef. The chef teams will compete at Come and Get It! during Prize Fest which takes place October 14-18, 2026 in Shreveport, Louisiana.

FOOD PRIZE IS PROUDLY SPONSORED BY

Society of the Golden Fork: Summer Session

Summer Session will take place in June and July 2026.

The location for Golden Fork dinners will be revealed to passholders via email before each event.

Chef Jasmine Cherry

Monday, June 1

Born and raised in Houston, Texas, Jasmine brings bold Southern flavors and a deep-rooted passion for cooking wherever she goes. A proud graduate of the Art Institute of Houston, her love for food began early, side by side with her mom in the kitchen where she first discovered the joy of soulful Southern cuisine.

Now based in Shreveport for over five years, Jasmine serves as the Executive Chef at the Noble Savage, with over 15 years of industry experience. She is also the owner of Boujee Bites LLC, a boutique catering company that blends creativity with comfort.

Chef Abelardo de los Santos

Monday, June 15

Born in the vibrant city of Oaxaca, Mexico — affectionately known as La Verde Antequera — Abelardo, better known as Lalo, carries the rich culinary heritage of his homeland with him into every kitchen he enters.

Lalo’s professional journey began over a decade ago under the mentorship of Chef Gabriel Balderas, owner of Zuzul Coastal Cuisine and El Cabo Verde. Guided by Chef Balderas’ expertise and passion, Lalo developed not just the technical craft of cooking, but a deep and enduring love for the culinary arts — a dedication that is reflected in every dish he creates.

Chef Oscar Davis

Sunday, June 21

A Shreveport native with a lifelong love for the kitchen, Oscar’s culinary journey took him from Louisiana Technical College all the way to Detroit, where he trained alongside Chef Wolfgang Puck at MGM Grand Detroit and studied pastries under Chef Nicholas Orlandino at the iconic Whitney Mansion.

After becoming a partner in Motor City Chop House and the Suit and Tie Food Group, Chef O eventually found his way back home, returning to Shreveport to lead the kitchen at Frank’s Pizza Napoletana — bringing with him a wealth of experience and a passion deeply rooted in the city that raised him.

Chef Kelsie Mayeaux

Monday, July 6

Born and raised in Mamou, Louisiana, Kelsie’s love of cooking is as deeply rooted as her Cajun heritage. Food has always been at the heart of her sense of family and belonging, and it is that soulful foundation that continues to drive her passion in the kitchen.

A proud Shreveport resident for the past decade, Kelsie honed her craft over seven years at Gibbons Fine Grill before stepping away to focus on her next chapter as a chef. With a lifetime of flavors and traditions to draw from, she brings a warmth and authenticity to her cooking that is uniquely her own — and she’s just getting started.

Chef Dalia Willis

Monday, July 13

Dalia is a Puerto Rican chef who has proudly called Shreveport, Louisiana home for the past 15 years. Her cooking is rooted in the bold, traditional flavors of Puerto Rico, enriched by the Southern influences and vibrant community she has embraced here in Louisiana — a unique culinary voice shaped by two rich and soulful traditions.

For Dalia, food has always been about culture and connection. Every dish she creates tells the story of where she comes from and the life she has built, and she brings that sense of meaning and heritage to everything she puts on the plate.

Chef Sanela Tomic

Sunday, July 19

Sanela is the co-owner of Bella Fresca and Sauvage, and a beloved fixture in the Shreveport culinary community for over 28 years. After a successful career in marketing, she fully embraced her lifelong passion for cooking — bringing a culinary voice shaped by her Balkan heritage and refined by decades of life in Germany and the United States.

For Sanela, food is the language of love, heritage, and connection, and every guest who walks through her doors is welcomed as family — a tradition now carried forward by her sons Igor and Sasha, who have joined the venture and represent the next exciting chapter of the family business.

Society of the Golden Fork: Spring Session

Spring Session will take place between April 9 and May 28, 2026.

The location for Golden Fork dinners will be revealed to pass holders via email before each event.

Spring Session Sold Out!

Chef Darrielle Stephens

Culinary Arts Instructor, Bossier Parish Community College

Thursday, April 9

Chef Darrielle Stephens is a Southern Cajun chef with a passion for mastering and teaching a wide range of culinary techniques. He is the proud owner of Stephens Family, which he has operated for the past 11 years, and currently serves as a culinary instructor at Bossier Parish Community College. In the classroom and the kitchen, she brings real-world experience and a deep respect for Cajun tradition to the next generation of chefs.

Chef Ryan Gillespie

Culinary Arts Instructor, Bossier Parish Community College

Saturday, April 18

Chef Ryan Gillespie has over 20 years in the industry with over 10 years as Executive Chef in casinos, including The Rio All-Suites Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Harrah’s, the Horseshoe Hotel and Casino, Boomtown, Casperkill Country Club in Poughkeepsie, NY and more.
Currently, Gillespie trains future chefs and culinarians at Bossier Parish School for Technology and Innovative Learning (BPSTIL)

Chef Monique Armand

Milam Street Kitchen Incubator & Community Kitchen (MS KICK)

Thursday, May 14

Chef Monique “Mosa” Armand is the founder of Sassi Catering and a former Food Prize competitor, first recognized in 2016 as a rising voice in Shreveport’s food scene. A 2022 Escoffier School of Culinary Arts graduate, she provides private chef and catering experiences and serves as Executive Director of the Milam Street Kitchen Incubator & Community Kitchen (MS KICK) at Southern University at Shreveport, supporting local food entrepreneurs while expanding her brand.

Chef Chelsea Girard

Mae & Co. / Heron

Monday, May 18

With five years of experience, Chelsea values teamwork, adaptability, and joy in the kitchen. Influenced by her family’s tradition of gathering around the dinner table, she believes in food’s power to bring people together. On her days off, she enjoys fishing, hiking with her dogs, and tackling home improvement projects.

Chef Steve Villapondo

Fat Calf Brasserie

Sunday, May 24

Chef Steve Villalpando is a passionate culinary artist based in Shreveport, Louisiana, dedicated to celebrating bold flavors and family. With 13 years in the kitchen, Chef Steve has built a reputation for creativity, technical skill, and a deep appreciation for the rich culinary traditions of South America cuisine.

Chef Jacob Mouser

The Chop Shop

Thursday, May 28

Jacob Mouser is a chef at The Chop Shop in Shreveport, LA, cooking with a deep respect for the whole animal & the work that brings food to the table. He cooks seasonally, wastes as little as possible, & believes every part has a purpose if treated with care. His approach is hands-on & thoughtful—using fire, knife, & time to make food that’s honest, comforting, & full of flavor. Jacob cooks to honor the animal, support the people who raised it, & serve food he’s proud to stand behind.

Get on the Society of the Golden Fork Wait List

Get notified when Society passes go on sale! If additional spots open for passes or to individual dinners, you will also be notified.