CHARLOTTE, NC (Jan. 11, 2012) - Chef Emeril Lagasse's new restaurant, e2 emeril's eatery, opens Thursday, Jan. 26 at the Levine Center for the Arts in uptown Charlotte. The casual American eatery will serve dinner Monday - Thursday from 5 to 10 p.m., and until 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday…
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Chef Emeril Lagasse is the chef/proprietor of e2 emeril's eatery in uptown Charlotte as well as 12 other award-winning restaurants including three in New Orleans (Emeril's, NOLA and Emeril's Delmonico); four in Las Vegas (Emeril's New Orleans Fish House, Delmonico Steakhouse, Table 10 and Lagasse's Stadium); two in Orlando (Emeril's Orlando and Emeril's Tchoup Chop); and three in Bethlehem, Pa. (Emeril's Chop House, Burgers And More by Emeril and Emeril's Italian Table).
Emeril is a national TV personality who has hosted more than 2,000 shows on the Food Network. He is also the food correspondent for ABC's Good Morning America, in addition to his popular TV food shows Emeril Live and The Originals with Emeril, both airing on Cooking Channel. In September, he launched his latest program, Emeril's Table, on Hallmark Channel. Emeril recently joined Top Chef Texas - season nine of Bravo's hit food series Top Chef - as the show's newest chef and restaurateur at the judges' table.
A best-selling author, Emeril's creative approach to Creole cuisine is best summarized as "new" New Orleans cooking, which is also the title of his first cookbook. Fifteen more cookbooks have followed, including his recent Sizzling Skillets and Other One-Pot Wonders.
In 2002, Emeril established the Emeril Lagasse Foundation to support children's art and educational programs that inspire and mentor young people. To date, the Foundation has given more than $5 million to children's causes. Lagasse's restaurant company in New Orleans, Emeril's Homebase, houses culinary operations, a test kitchen for recipe development and a boutique storefront for his signature products.
Originally from the Northwest, cooking has always been an influence in Justin Sells life. Growing up on the Pacific-Rim cuisine of the Northwest, simplicity and cleanliness were big influences. These simple principles helped him develop a natural harmony and respect for ingredients, but ultimately led him to New Orleans to discover the bold, rustic flavors and seasonings of Louisiana's native cuisine.
His first stint with Emeril was in 1999 as a cook and saucier at Emeril's Restaurant in New Orleans. He worked under Lagasse to craft the restaurant's house made sauces, soups and specials for his flagship restaurant in the Warehouse district.
In 2001, he continued to follow his passion to pursue his career and took up posts at restaurants in Austin, Texas, including executive sous chef at DemiEpicurious and chef de cuisine of Uchi.
In 2005, he took the position of chef de cuisine at Snake River Grill at L'Auberge du Lac Casino Resort in Lake Charles, LA.
In December 2010, Chef Justin rejoined Emeril's and moved to sunny South Florida, where he was took up the post of chef de cuisine of Emeril's Orlando at Universal CityWalk.
Today, he leads the kitchen team at the Chef Emeril's new Charlotte restaurant, e2 emeril's eatery in Uptown, where he strives to maintain Chef Emeril's standards for flavorful, delicious cooking and integrates North Carolina's great local products in to his daily menus.
Jeff Wakem hails from Providence, RI, and a family with deep ties to food and hospitality. Meals and holiday celebrations centered around the family table - these daily rituals, coupled with his first job as a pizza maker at a small family-owned Italian restaurant, would inspire his life long love of people and food.
While attending Johnson & Wales University, Chef Emeril's alma mater, Wakem explored the culinary arts and earned an associates degree, before pursuing a bachelors in Hotel, Restaurant & Institutional Management.
Following college, Wakem made Orlando his home and he has been influential in the burgeoning restaurant scene here over the past 15 years. In 1996, he was recruited by Walt Disney World to manage the operations at their nightlife destination Pleasure Island. In 2000, he joined Darden Restaurant Group at their Bahama Breeze concept and worked in management positions at the company's flagship Orlando location.
In 2004, Wakem worked with Darden to help launch their newest restaurant Seasons 52. He assisted with the development of the concept until March 2010, when he was recruited by Emeril Lagasse to lead the operations of his Asian-Polynesian restaurant Emeril's Tchoup Chop at Loews Royal Pacific Resort as general manager.
Today he welcomes guests to the Emeril's family at Chef Emeril's new restaurant in Uptown Charlotte, as he shares Lagasse's signature warm style of hospitality and ensures diners get the most out of their dining experience at e2 emeril's eatery.