SHREVEPORT-BOSSIER, La. – Chef Hardette Harris, owner of Us Up North – Celebrating Louisiana Cuisine, has been named one of Louisiana Cookin’ Magazine’s 2025 Chefs To Watch. The annual recognition honors chefs who preserve and promote the state’s culinary traditions while introducing innovative approaches to Louisiana cuisine.
Harris, a James Beard Award semifinalist for Best Chef: South and creator of the Official Meal of North Louisiana, continues to champion the food heritage of the region through her work and advocacy.
“Being named one of Louisiana Cookin’s 2025 Chefs To Watch feels like a full-circle moment,” Harris said. “When I created the Official Meal of North Louisiana in 2015, it was about honoring the generations of North Louisiana cooks who came before us and spotlighting our foodways. This recognition, along with becoming a 2024 James Beard Semi-Finalist and a 2017 Louisianian of the Year, is another way to shine light on their legacy and on the beauty of our region’s food culture.”
Harris developed the Official Meal of North Louisiana, established by the Louisiana Legislature through House Concurrent Resolution No. 88 in 2015, to formally recognize the traditional dishes that define the northern part of the state. The effort helped cement her role as a leading advocate for the culinary identity of Shreveport-Bossier and North Louisiana.
This year’s Chefs To Watch list also includes Peter Nguyen of Banh Mi Boys in Metairie, Andrew Caskey of Bad Wolf Barbecue in Ruston, Amanda Cusey of The Terrace in Lake Charles, and Rob Mistry of Gautreau’s in New Orleans.
Representing Shreveport-Bossier, Harris featured Pot Likker with Cracklin’ Cornbread at the event, celebrating the flavors that continue to shape the region’s food culture.