Excitement is growing for Chattanooga’s must-attend social event to support the Tennessee Aquarium’s mission-critical work. Join us onThursday, September 19th for culinary wit and wisdom delivered with a generous portion of entertainment. Two captivating, live cooking shows will be presented within the intimate IMAX Theater setting.

These “must-see” shows are paired with two dining options:

• One is a lunchtime matinee, complete with reception, gourmet box lunch and dessert buffet which includes time to meet and greet the chefs.
• The other is an evening affair including cocktails & appetizers. Enjoy an elegant seated seafood dinner – prepared on site by some of Chattanooga’s top chefs and served in one of the Aquarium’s galleries - followed by a dessert reception with the chefs.

Celebrity chef Virginia Willis is described as a classically-trained, truly Southern chef who mixes fun into the approachable recipes she creates. Willis is known as an acclaimed cookbook author, TV producer and Southern Living contributor. She has also appeared on Food Network’s “Chopped.” Two chefs, with two different approaches, will serve up the “Decapod Duel,” an engaging cook-off exploring the culinary possibilities of shrimp and crayfish. Expect Southern sizzle with a Creole twist as Celebrity Chef Virginia Willis shares the IMAX stage with highly acclaimed New Orleans Chef Susan Spicer.

Chef Susan Spicer is a one-woman industry in New Orleans. The award-winning chef has been featured in numerous publications from Food and Wine, Saveur, Bon Appetit, Travel and Leisure and the New York Times. Spicer was also inducted into the James Beard Foundation’s Who’s Who of Food and Beverage in America. She will bring some authentic New Orleans flavor, from her top-rated French Quarter restaurant, Bayona, to Serve & Protect.