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The show's executive producer, Matt Reichman, said prior to Wednesday's red carpet that one episode was shot with a focus on the city's ongoing recovery from Katrina. But the city has provided many other storytelling opportunities, such as its rich culinary traditions, its history and music. Among those included in the series is Kermit Ruffins, the jazz trumpeter known to cook up eats on a giant, curbside grill outside his New Orleans night club between sets. "The competition is nuts," Reichman said. "The chefs are talented and fierce, but there's a layer this season that captures the atmosphere of being in New Orleans that was a lot of fun. It really is an embarrassment the riches we had access to." Besh said he appreciates that the show ventured beyond New Orleans, to bayou-side communities such as Lafitte, Chalmette and north of Lake Pontchartrain. "Our food ways don't end at the city limits," he said. "You have to go out to the bayou, out to the country, to understand where our food comes from." Other New Orleans chefs making appearances in the series include Leah Chase, John Folse and Susan Spicer. The show is an Emmy and James Beard award-winning series. Previous host cities include New York, San Francisco, Seattle, Los Angeles, Miami, Chicago and Las Vegas. Mark Romig, chief executive of the New Orleans Tourism Marketing Corp., said it was only a matter of time before the show landed in New Orleans. "Food is one of the top reasons people visit New Orleans," he said. The show premieres Oct. 2 at 9 p.m. CDT.
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