Lafayette’s ABSOLUT® Best Martini Competition and Gala

The Healing House: Hope for Grieving Children recently hosted their extremely popular ABSOLUT - Best Martini Competition and Gala. The annual fundraising event pits local restaurants against each other as they battle it out for the coveted title of “Lafayette’s ABSOLUT® Best Martini”.

This year’s participating restaurants included Tsunami, Bon Temps Grill, Bonefish Grill, Chuy’s, Ruffino’s, Fezzo’s, Walk On’s, and Zea’s

Over an eight-week period, the “Tini” Tuesday Tour visited each of the eight participating restaurants where patrons and Healing House supporters could savor this year’s signature martinis and cast their votes for the People’s Choice Award by way of tips and contributions.

At the end of the eight week tour, Healing House supporters and competing restaurants gathered at the DoubleTree by Hilton Lafayette for the grand finale. Partygoers sampled martinis from all eight restaurants and cast their final votes for the Lafayette’s ABSOLUT® Best Martini – 2017, as they danced the night away and participated in live and silent auctions.

The People’s Choice Awards were determined by totaling the tipped votes received during the tour along with money collected by voting at the gala. All eight teams did incredibly well with their unique Martini creations and the amount of money raised; and at the end of the night, the People’s Choice Awards went to:  

3rd place Zea Rotisserie & Bar

2nd place Ruffino's on the River

WINNER: Walk-On's Bistreaux & Bar (Lafayette)

The Judges’ Choice Awards were selected by a panel of local community leaders in a blind taste testing session; and the winners of the Judges Choice Awards for Lafayette’s ABSOLUT Martini 2017 are:  

3rd place - Ruffino's on the River

2nd place Chuy's 

1st place Fezzo's Seafood, Steakhouse, & Oyster Bar (Broussard)

All proceeds from the event benefited The Healing House, a local non-profit organization that provides grief support for children dealing with the loss of a loved one. If you are interested in learning about the services offered by the Healing House or how you can volunteer or support this wonderful organization, visit Healing-House.org or call 337.234.0443.