Louisiana Culinary Institute Alumni Spotlight: Chef John Reason

Chef John Reason, is currently a commercial fisherman and chef in Baton Rouge Louisiana. He served 16 years active duty in the United States Army and medically retired due to injuries sustained from combat in Iraq. But that does not keep him down or discouraged one bit.

Since retiring from service Reason has been a commercial fisherman as well as a grill cook at Backroads Steak and Seafood in Slaughter, Louisiana. It was this experience that led him to apply to Louisiana Culinary Institute in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and was hired on as the Executive Chef at Central City Steak and Seafood in Central, Louisiana and Backroads Steak and Seafood in Slaughter Louisiana.

While at LCI, Reason was selected and hired to work at the Masters in Augusta, Georgia as the lead grill cook in Calamity Jane's Restaurant. Chef John also placed as the Wild Caught Catfish Board Member for the Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board, became a Pro Staff Member for ArrowTech Archery, a Pro Staff Member for Orca Coolers, and now the Demonstration/Consult Chef for Louisiana Seafood Direct Shop and Delcambre Seafood Direct Shop in New Iberia, Louisiana.

"My future plans are to start my own show where I can hunt, fish and demonstrate cooking wild game and seafood in various ways for both restaurants and at home. I also want to bring more invasive species to the dinner table. I love working with the Asian Carp, and love seeing what I can do and how I can create new dishes that taste great," says Reason.

Recently Chef John was awarded the Top 25 Best Chefs of Louisiana for 2020 and nominated for Small Town Chefs Award for Country Roads Magazine.

From Music to Kitchen Mastery: Student Spotlight on Ben Messina

By Charlie Ruffolo • March 25, 2026

Some people know from childhood exactly where they're headed. Ben Messina took a different route. He started college as a music major, took a gap year to find his footing, and leaned on his brother's encouragement before landing exactly where he was always meant to be: a professional kitchen . Now a senior in the Savory program at Louisiana Culinary Institute (LCI) in Baton Rouge, Ben is weeks away from graduating in May 2026. He arrived at LCI with a love of cooking and a family connection to food. He's leaving with a world-class culinary foundation, a mentor who pushed him to be his best, and a dream of opening multiple restaurants of his own one day. His story is proof that the path to a culinary career doesn't have to be a straight line. Is It Too Late to Change Careers and Go to Culinary School? For Ben, food has always been part of the family fabric. Growing up in Baton Rouge, he spent time in the kitchen with his grandmother, learning to make snickerdoodles as a kid. Those early memories planted a seed. But Ben initially followed a different passion. He'd played trumpet and piano since a young age, so he enrolled at Southeastern Louisiana University to study music. It wasn't long before the questions started creeping in: "What am I actually going to do with a music degree?" He took a gap year to figure it out. And the answer, when it came, was simple: go back to his other love. Cooking. His brother, who owns a food truck, had been encouraging him to consider culinary school. More specifically, he encouraged Ben to look at LCI. And then, without warning, he signed him up for a campus tour.

Leadership and Culinary Skill: Why Being a Great Cook Isn't the Same as Being a Great Leader

By Charlie Ruffolo • February 26, 2026

Being a great cook isn’t enough. Explore how LCI develops culinary leadership skills that prepare students for real-world kitchen management and career growth.