Southern Hospitality: Stella Artois & Black Restaurant Week Enlist Ludacris For ‘Luda’s Cookout’, Sizzling Summer Picnic Party Ensues [Exclusive]

Stella Artois recently hosted the summer’s hottest cookout during Atlanta’s Black Restaurant Week alongside a Chicken And Beer-bringing rapper.

On Wednesday, Ludacris attended “Luda’s Cookout” at Piedmont Park where guests followed their forks to one of five stops in Stella Artois’ “Let’s do Dinner: Summer Series.”

The beer brand that boasts that it’s synonymous with unique dining experiences, partnered with the legendary entertainer/brand ambassador for the sizzling summer picnic that included food from six handpicked restaurants; Blk N Blu BBQ, Life Bistro, Apt 4B, Sugarhi, Not as Famous Cookie Co. and Ludacris’s Chicken And Beer.

Guests enjoyed a variety of dishes that were pleasing to the palette including crab cakes, mac and cheese, beef sausage, beef ribs, shrimp and grits, Grandma’s oxtail stew, spicy jerk shrimp, butter pecan cookies, pound cake topped with beer battered chicken, and Luda’s fried chicken with bourbon.

The exclusive affair also featured sounds from The Kid Mave who got line-dancing guests on their feet while they sipped Stella Artois’ original and sugar-free lager.

In addition to enjoying the music and delights at the pop-up dining event, attendees heard from Ludacris who reflected on Black people’s history of unique storytelling through food.

“My Chicken And Beer restaurant is here today and I’m very thankful that we’re a part of Black Restaurant Week because Black food tells a story,” said Ludacris. “We all know that it talks about our history. I’ve been fortunate to travel all over the world and the greatest thing is wherever I go is being able to taste the creativeness of what we do as Black people because things have been handed down from generation to generation.”

“I just want y’all to come together and really enjoy this,” he added. “It’s about Atlanta, it’s about culture, it’s about everyone enjoying themselves.”

Like Ludacris, Black Restaurant Week founder Warren Luckett agreed and emphasized that the cookout was a way to celebrate the contributions of Black culinary arts, especially in ATL.

“This is a vision that we started back in 2016,” said Luckett after introducing his managing partners Falayn Ferrell and Derek Robinson. “We started back in 2016 and we only had 25 restaurants the first year that we did Black Restaurant Week. We are so pleased to announce that over the past nine years, we’ve been able to highlight over 5,000 Black-owned, restaurants, caterers, and food trucks; all types of professionals from around the culinary industry.”

Ultimately “Luda’s Cookout” served as a reminder that in addition to having a rich musical history, the capital of the Peach State has a vibrant food scene that simply can’t be ignored.

The event was one of five pop-up dining events in Stella Artois’ “Let’s Do Dinner: Summer Series” and if you’d like to take part in the fun, it’s coming to Chicago on Aug. 28 and New York on Sept. 19.

Stella Artois will turn up the heat in Chi-Town by hosting a 300+ person Hot Ones Challenge, where guests will take on the wings of death at an event featuring Sean Evans and special guests. In NYC, customers will get the opportunity to connect with global icons and Stella Artois ambassadors for a memorable evening filled with delectable food, entertainment, and connection.

Enter to attend at www.stellaartois.com/letsdodinner.