Emeril Lagasse to film at Darwin's on 4th

World-famous celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse will return to town next month to "kick it up a notch" at another one of Sarasota's most beloved restaurants: Darwin's on 4th.

Lagasse, arguably the original celebrity chef, will film a segment at the Peruvian gastro brewpub May 11 for his Cooking Channel program, "Emeril's Florida."

Lagasse and his show's producers stumbled upon Darwin's on 4th earlier this year while filming at Michael's On East, and they say they were drawn to chef and owner Darwin Santa Maria's culinary vision and inspiring immigrant success story.

"It's a great honor to be on the show," says Santa Maria. "I'm really excited, because for the first time, this episode isn't only going to be about cooking, but also about my roots and my upbringing. We'll be talking about how I came to this country as an immigrant and what inspires me to create new flavors for my food and craft beer."

Santa Maria says he was a huge fan of Lagasse when he was starting out as a chef, even before he became a household name.

"When I was starting out and watching his show, I always envisioned that I'd be with him someday," he says. 

Darwin's on 4th has skyrocketed to the upper echelon of Sarasota's culinary community since opening in 2012, earning several high honors, including "Best New Restaurant Golden Spoon Award" from "Florida Trend Magazine," the 2012 "Best Peruvian Chef in America"distinction by the Peruvian Embassy in Washington, D.C., one of the 2013 "Best Chefs America," a 2014"Award of Excellence" from Tumi, and he's hosted the prestigious James Beard Celebrity Chef Tour dinner three years in a row.

Santa Maria has come a long way, both physically and professionally, from Tarapoto, Peru. His food and craft beer now reaches every corner of the Sunshine State, and with the help of Lagasse's show and reach, the Sarasota chef extraordinaire will share his story with the rest of the country.