CHEF CORY BAHR

Cory Bahr is the Owner & Founder of Parish Restaurant and Owner-Operator of Heritage Catering in Monroe, Louisiana, where he was born and raised. Cory inherited a passion for the great outdoors and cooking—spending weekends at the family hunting camp, running fishing lines, and hunting whatever was in season. Parish, an homage to what is most important to Cory—community, culture, and culinary heritage—presents an inventive take on classic Southern dishes utilizing live fire cooking that makes use of all the flavors, technique and heritage of his beloved Delta region. He offers honest dishes with a strong sense of place, for which he has earned national recognition.

Cory is a culinary and economic leader in Louisiana, deeply invested in the conservation methods for sustainable foods. He is a Culinary Ambassador for the state of Louisiana, named the “King of Seafood” at the 2011 Louisiana Seafood Cookoff and The Great American Seafood Cookoff, of which he now serves as a host for the yearly events. Cory is on the Board of Directors for the Louisiana Travel Promotion Association and is the only non-New Orleans-based chef serving on the Audubon Nature Institute’s Gulf United for Lasting Fisheries Chef Council. As an advocate for the sustainable seafood movement, he promotes sustainable consumption practices which create a more stable fishing industry for both Gulf fisherman and for the future of Gulf seafood. 

Cory has been recognized for his culinary talents both regionally and nationally. He was a Food Network Star Finalist in 2017,he also Beat Bobby Flay, Food & Wine named him "People's Best New Chef" in America in 2015 and “People’s Best New Chef” Gulf Coast in 2014. He was named to the Taste of the South's "Taste 50” in 2015, and in 2012, Cory became a Food Network’s Chopped! Champion . Cory was also named to the list of Louisiana Cookin’ “Chef’s to Watch” in 2011.