Chef Hoppie x Emeril Tailgates: From the Kitchen to the Table With Chef Emeril Lagasse

Some moments are bigger than the food.

Not because of what’s on the plate, but because of what the moment represents.

For me, one of those moments was being part of Emeril Tailgates, Season 3, Episode 7, streaming on The Roku Channel.

I’ve built my journey around food and sports. I’ve had the opportunity to bring those two worlds together in different ways throughout my career.

But stepping into the world of tailgating, BBQ, football, and sports culture showed me another side of that journey.

And getting to sit down with Chef Emeril Lagasse made the experience even more meaningful.

Because sometimes you have to stop and look around to realize just how far the kitchen can take you.

Entering the World of Emeril Tailgates

Tailgating has always represented something bigger than food.

It’s part of the experience surrounding sports. It’s about the culture, the community, the celebration, and everything that happens around the game.

That made Emeril Tailgates a natural space for me.

I had the opportunity to bring my sports performance and game-day approach into a world centered around BBQ, football, tailgating, and food.

Those things might look like different lanes from the outside.

For me, they’ve always been connected.

Food has a way of bringing people together, and sports create some of the biggest shared experiences we have. Put those two worlds together, and you get something that goes far beyond a meal.

You get culture.

You get community.

You get an experience people remember.

That intersection is a big part of what I love about being a Sports Chef.

Then I Got to Sit Down With Chef Emeril Lagasse

As meaningful as being part of Emeril Tailgates was, the moment that really stayed with me was getting to sit down with Chef Emeril Lagasse.

Chef Emeril is someone I respect deeply and consider one of the GOATs of the culinary industry.

To sit across from someone I have that much respect for and have the opportunity to share my story was an honor.

We talked about my journey, sports, BBQ, and the evolution of food and sports.

For me, that conversation represented more than simply being on television.

It was a moment to reflect on everything that had led me there.

The path.

The work.

The experiences.

The evolution.

And the realization that a career that started in the kitchen could eventually put me in a conversation with someone who has had such a major impact on the culinary world.

That was an eye-opening experience.

Not because of the name beside me.

But because of what that moment said about the journey.

When Food and Sports Collide

I’ve always believed there is something powerful about the relationship between food and sports.

Food isn't just something served while the game is happening.

It becomes part of the experience.

Think about what surrounds football.

The tailgates.

The BBQ.

The conversations.

The celebrations.

The people coming together.

The traditions.

Food becomes part of the identity surrounding the sport.

That’s why opportunities like Emeril Tailgates make so much sense for where my career has taken me.

I’m a Sports Performance Chef, but my work has never felt like it belonged in just one box.

Food is the foundation.

Sports are a major part of the journey.

And from there, the doors continue to open into culture, entertainment, brands, and television.

That evolution is something I’m proud of.

From the Kitchen to Television

When I think about the journey, I think about the progression.

I started in the kitchen.

The kitchen led me to athletes.

Athletes led me deeper into sports.

Sports opened doors into culture, entertainment, brands, and television.

And now, that journey has put me in rooms and conversations with culinary legends.

That’s something I never want to take for granted.

Because it’s easy to look at a television appearance and see the final product.

But I see the journey behind it.

I see the connection between all the different pieces.

Food.

Sports.

BBQ.

Culture.

People.

Experiences.

And the willingness to keep evolving.

That’s what makes a moment like Chef Hoppie x Emeril Tailgates meaningful to me.

It’s another chapter in a much bigger story.

The Honor of Being Heard

There’s something different about having the opportunity to share your story with someone you genuinely respect.

It makes you think about where you came from.

It makes you appreciate the road that got you there.

And it makes you think about where you’re going next.

Getting to talk with Chef Emeril Lagasse about my journey, sports, BBQ, and the evolution of food and sports gave me a chance to step outside of the everyday work and really appreciate the bigger picture.

I’m constantly thinking about the next move.

The next opportunity.

The next idea.

The next level.

But moments like this remind me to appreciate the chapters that have already happened.

Because the journey itself is part of the story.

The Kitchen Is Only the Beginning

One of the biggest things this experience reinforced for me is simple:

The kitchen can be the beginning of something much bigger.

A chef can exist in sports.

A chef can be part of entertainment.

A chef can be part of culture.

A chef can tell stories.

A chef can create experiences.

And a chef can stand alongside legends.

You don’t have to leave the kitchen behind to grow beyond it.

You can take what the kitchen taught you and bring it into new spaces.

That’s what I’m continuing to do.

Food will always be at the center of what I do.

But the possibilities around it continue to grow.

And that’s what makes this journey exciting.

From Chef to Sports to Something Bigger

I’m grateful for every opportunity that has allowed me to bring together the different parts of who I am.

The chef.

The Sports Performance Chef.

The person who loves sports.

The person who loves BBQ.

The person who believes food can be part of something bigger.

Emeril Tailgates gave me another opportunity to bring those pieces together.

And getting to share that experience with Chef Emeril Lagasse made it a chapter I’ll always remember.

Not because it was another television appearance.

But because it reminded me of something I’ve learned throughout this journey:

You never really know where your craft can take you.

You start with what you know.

You put in the work.

You keep growing.

And eventually, the doors can lead somewhere you never imagined.

The Journey Is Just Getting Started

When I look back at where I started, I’m grateful.

When I look at where the journey has taken me, I’m humbled.

And when I look ahead, I’m hungry for more.

The kitchen has taken me places I could only dream about.

From cooking for athletes to being part of sports culture, BBQ, television, and now sitting down with one of the culinary legends I respect, every chapter has added something to the story.

This isn't the destination.

It’s another chapter.

Another reminder that food can open doors far beyond the kitchen.

And I’m going to keep walking through them.

The kitchen may be where the journey starts—but it doesn't have to be where the journey ends.

The kitchen has taken me places I could only dream about.

And we’re just getting started. 🔥