Gordon and Emeril Lagasse met one night when Shep had dinner at a restaurant called Commanders Palace, where Emeril worked for 7 ½ years. Emeril had given Shep a complimentary champagne and cognac in Shep's to-go cups. Gordon took an instant liking to Emeril and wanted to make sure that Emeril would be one of his clients when he started his agency to manage chefs in the food industry.
