At just 20 years old, Craig Lawson Jr. is a rising culinary star in the Capital Region. Lawson is a private chef and owner of the year-old startup ChowDown Kitchen.
Since graduating from Baton Rouge Community College’s culinary arts program in May, he has kept busy catering events in the Capital City and in New Orleans, enticing his Instagram followers with appetizing food photos and cooking for hungry athletes, 225 Dine details in a Q&A with Lawson.
Lawson has cooked for LSU running back Leonard Fournette and women’s basketball player Jenna Deemer, among others. Fournette was the first athlete he has cooked for.
“I hit him up on Instagram about cooking for him, and he actually replied,” Lawson says. “I did not expect him to respond at all. I commented saying, ‘If you ever need a private chef, hit me up,’ and he really hit me up.”
Lawson cooked shrimp pasta, baked chicken, and broccoli and cheese for Fournette. He says athletes are picky eaters, who have to be forced to eat vegetables.
“Some of the athletes I’ve cooked for hate vegetables. But they’re all really chill,” he says.
Read the full Q&A with Lawson, and make sure you get your fill of local culinary news each week by signing up for the free 225 Dine e-newsletter.
