Fall River’s own celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse is just as famous for his bold personality as he is for his incredible cooking.

His iconic catchphrase, “Bam!,” is instantly recognizable, but the story behind it is even better.

In true Emeril fashion, “Bam!” wasn’t planned; it just kind of happened during the chaotic filming of his cooking shows. Here’s how he explained it:

"If you can believe this, we were shooting eight shows a day. At least three or four before we'd break for lunch. We'd do a show, the food would go on the table. A lot of food. And then the crew, we'd break for lunch, and they would whack the food out, man. They would just be, there would be nothing left. However, what was left was lack of brain power, right? And so what happened, sleeping, sleeping, so bam, that's how it came about, was to kind of wake everybody up." — Emeril Lagasse

What started as a simple way to jolt his tired crew awake during marathon shooting days turned into the catchphrase that defines his energetic style. “Bam!” became the perfect way to bring some extra spice and excitement to his cooking – and it’s stuck ever since.

Emeril’s SouthCoast Roots

Emeril hasn’t forgotten where he came from.

In 2024, the culinary legend paid a visit to his old stomping grounds here on the SouthCoast, checking out some of the area’s most-loved spots.

He stopped by Mirasol’s Café in Dartmouth to grab their famous Chippi, made an appearance at The Back Eddy in Westport, and even checked out a few restaurants to do a little research for a new Portuguese restaurant he's opening up in New Jersey with his son.

READ MORE: Every SouthCoast Restaurant Visited by Emeril Lagasse

Needless to say, fans were thrilled to see him back home and showing some love for the local businesses.

Between his legendary recipes, his visits back to the SouthCoast, and of course, his unforgettable “Bam!,” Emeril Lagasse proves that his roots and passion for food will always go hand in hand.

Join Emeril Lagasse at These Beloved SouthCoast Restaurants and Businesses

From authentic Portuguese dishes to Chinese classics to some of the best wine around, here's a list of every local restaurant and business celebrity chef and Fall River native Emeril Lagasse visited on his April 2024 SouthCoast tour.

Gallery Credit: Gazelle

SouthCoast Restaurants Celebrities Have Visited

Stars live in and visit the SouthCoast frequently, which means many of them end up at local restaurants. Here are appearances from some favorites.

Gallery Credit: Gazelle

Top 10 Celebrity Sightings Across the SouthCoast

There have been an awful lot of movies filmed on the SouthCoast in recent years, bringing lots of big-name actors with them. Whether they came for filming or swung through to sit at the beaches, we have had our fair share of star sightings in the area. Here are our top 10 celebrity sightings ... so far.

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