SHREVEPORT, La. — Shreveport chef Niema DiGrazia is taking the region’s culinary story to Chicago as part of a tourism marketing effort tied to new nonstop air service between Chicago and Shreveport Regional Airport.
Visit Shreveport-Bossier hosted an invitation-only dinner Monday at Muhajir, a new Chicago restaurant from chef Zubair Mohajir. The event brought DiGrazia and Mohajir together for a collaborative dinner aimed at introducing media and meeting planners to Shreveport-Bossier’s dining scene.
The dinner was part of Visit Shreveport-Bossier’s Diverse & Delish campaign, which highlights local chefs, family-owned restaurants and culinary traditions across the region.
DiGrazia, owner of Niema’s West African & Caribbean Cuisine in Shreveport, incorporates West African, Caribbean and New American influences into her cooking. Originally from Sierra Leone, she was named a Louisiana Cookin’ Chef to Watch in 2022 and has appeared on Food Network’s “Beat Bobby Flay.”
Mohajir, who was born in Chennai, India, draws on themes of migration, memory and cultural exchange at his Chicago restaurant. The restaurant’s name comes from an Arabic word for immigrant.
The chefs prepared a family-style menu inspired by the historic Spice Road and discussed the cultural traditions and personal experiences behind their dishes.
The Chicago event also served as a tourism and economic development promotion for Shreveport-Bossier, with Visit Shreveport-Bossier using the gathering to build relationships with travel media and meeting planners.
The outreach comes as nonstop service between Chicago and Shreveport Regional Airport gives the tourism organization direct access to a major visitor market.
Visit Shreveport-Bossier is also scheduled to participate Wednesday in Taste LA in Chicago, where DiGrazia will join chefs from across Louisiana. The events are part of the organization’s effort to increase awareness of Shreveport-Bossier among Chicago travelers and meeting professionals.
The Diverse & Delish campaign promotes the region’s mix of Southern, Cajun and Creole cooking along with Black culinary traditions and internationally influenced restaurants.