Chef Chris Lema | Louisiana Seafood (2023)

Growing up in southern Louisiana, Chris Motto was surrounded by some of the best food in the country from a young age. Not a weekend went by without a barbecue, lobster stew, fish sandwiches or Sunday dinner at Grandma's. It was then that he began to see the power of good food to bring people together and celebrate life. Little did he know back then that helping out in the kitchen would lead to his future passion and career.
After graduating from high school, Motto moved to Baton Rouge to attend Louisiana State University, where he majored in political science. During his college days, he worked in several restaurants to fund his education, but he didn't stop there. She is constantly striving to learn more about food from all her work and travel colleagues, as well as chefs. Hard work pays off and has led to his current role as Executive Chef at Mansur's at The Boulevard, a simple and fine dining restaurant in Baton Rouge, where he has worked for the last 10 years.
He continues to enjoy countless hours in the kitchen, using the freshest locally sourced ingredients and seafood. He takes great pride in his ability to give back to the community and mentor younger chefs, increasing his passion for good food and what he has been fortunate to pass on to others; We're not just trying to push them to create great food, we're trying to help the city as a whole become a culinary destination. A happy chef makes a good gravy and it's obvious they're genuinely enjoying their career, with success in local culinary competitions like Slow Food Fall Heat, Baton Rouge Oyster Fest, Gulf Coast Taste Challenge and multiple Fete Rouge medals.
Chef Motto recently got a chance to show off his skills when he took part in the 18th season of Hell's Kitchen, which was watched globally by Fox. Working with chef Gordon Ramsay is one of his greatest achievements. Chef Motto remained true to himself and turned down a possible opportunity to move to Las Vegas. Choosing to continue what he started in Baton Rouge and sharing the wealth of knowledge he gained while working and filming in California. Chef Motto was recognized as part of the Forty Under 40 by Baton Rouge Business Report in 2018 and will continue to strive, as will the amazing chefs he surrounds himself with at major events like the Louisiana Seafood Cook Off and as chef-signed at the next March of Dimes cooking auction.