News Release

20 years of blues, community and fighting hunger 

The Delta Music Experience Louisiana Pavilion adds the DME French Quarter Marketplace and expands the Taste of Louisiana 

Featuring New Orleans celebrity Chef Cris Pasia and
DME founder/producer Amanda Gresham

PORTLAND, Ore., (June 12, 2007) — Due to popular demand, world-class Chef Cris Pasia, proprietor of the pre-Katrina Streetcar Bistro in New Orleans and a protégé of renowned Chef Paul Prudhomme, will return to the 2007 Safeway Waterfront Blues Festival, presented by First Tech Credit Union, as the festival’s visiting celebrity chef in the Delta Music Experience Louisiana Pavilion.

“Chef Cris was a huge hit at last year’s festival. Blues fans raved that his bread pudding was the best they’d tasted. We’re excited that he is returning,” says Clay Fuller, festival coordinator.

Chef Cris will take part in the festival’s expanded Taste of Louisiana Pavilion. Chef Cris’s festival menu includes Crawfish Monica, Chicken and Andouille Gumbo, Louisiana Crab Cakes, Hello It's Monday, Jambalaya and Bread Pudding.

New this year is the Gulf Coast Fish Shack with chef Joe Jack.

In addition to savory fare, the DME Louisiana Pavilion introduces the DME French Quarter Marketplace, bringing the New Orleans French Market to Portland, it will feature beads, boas and crafts from New Orleans as well as Loretta’s New Orleans Authentic Pralines— famous throughout the nation. (Amanda Gresham, founder of the Delta Music Experience, and Loretta were two of the New Orleans business owners selected to be on the Ellen DeGeneres show and met while taping her Mardi Gras special.)

The Delta Music Experience Louisiana Pavilion is where blues fans can purchase any remaining tickets for the festival’s nine DME Blues Cruises. Also discover how the activities of DME create an interest in and appreciation for the Louisiana Delta’s music, culture and cuisine through music and travel experiences. To add to the cultural experience, art aficionados can view art from the Royalblues Art Gallery of New Orleans and other displays.

Gresham’s Royalblues Art Gallery and Chef Cris’s Streetcar Bistro were among the victims of Hurricane Katrina’s flood.

"The Taste of Louisiana Pavilion brings a rich, cultural experience to Portland. We are delighted to welcome Chef Cris, Amanda Gresham’s DME (Delta Music Experience) and Royalblues Art Gallery, Gulf Coast Fish Shack, and Loretta’s New Orleans Authentic Pralines to this year’s festival,” says Clay Fuller, festival coordinator.

About Chef Cris Pasia: Born in the Philippines, Chef Cris Pasia started cooking at age 7 and learned to cook so well that he ran the restaurant development program for a large hotel chain in Hong Kong and the Middle East. Chef Paul Prudhomme met Chef Cris and Choleta Pasia while traveling in Hong Kong. Impressed with their professional and ethical approaches to cooking and work, Chef Paul soon brought them to New Orleans, where Cris worked for eight years in all aspects of Paul’s businesses. Ultimately, Cris and Choleta opened their own restaurant, Streetcar Bistro, where Chef Cris became known for combining Asian heritage with bold Louisiana flavors. 

About Amanda Gresham: Amanda Gresham was born and raised in California. She graduated from American University in Washington, DC. Gresham’s love of blues music, photography and Louisiana culture led her to move to New Orleans where she opened the Royalblues Gallery in the heart of the French Quarter in 2004 and launched the Delta Music Experience, producing unique musical vacations to build appreciation and support for Louisiana music, culture, art and cuisine. After hurricane Katrina, Gresham closed the Royalblues Gallery, but continued it online at AmandaGresham.com. She produces Delta Music Experience trips throughout the year.

About Oregon Food Bank: Oregon Food Bank is a nonprofit, charitable organization. It is the hub of the Oregon Food Bank Network, a statewide network of 20 regional food banks and 884 hunger-relief agencies serving Oregon and Clark County, Wash. Last year, OFB distributed more than 34.3-million pounds of food.

About festival sponsors. The 2007 Safeway Waterfront Blues Festival is presented by First Tech Credit Union. Major sponsors are iQ Credit Union, The Oregonian A&E, KINK.fm, Good Neighbor Pharmacy, PacificSource Health Plans, FedEx Freight, DaimlerChrysler Truck Financial, Miller Brewing, Delta Music Experience and Land Rover.

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