Market Maker database connects consumers to farm fresh food … Todd Graves receives Restaurateur of the Year award

Connecting farm and table: Louisiana Market Maker, a new online database for finding farm-fresh produce and off-the-boat seafood, is the latest effort to connect hungry individuals and restaurant kitchens with those catching fish and growing crops nearby. A program of the LSU AgCenter, it’s a free, Google-based search program with more than 1,500 Louisiana farmers, ranchers and seafood producers in the system. Click here to read the whole story, and click here to check out the database for yourself.

Raisin’ restaurants: The most prestigious Louisiana restaurant industry honor—Restaurateur of the Year—was awarded to Todd Graves, Founder and CEO of Raising Cane’s Restaurants, Aug. 11 at the Louisiana Restaurant Association’s Five Star Futures Gala. In 15 years, Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers has grown from that first location outside LSU to more than 130 restaurants in 16 states. Raising Cane’s now ranks as one of the fastest growing privately-owned companies in the United States. Past Restaurateur of the Year honorees have included Leah Chase, John Besh, Greg Reggio, John Folse and Paul Prudhomme.