I think dishes that incorporate seasonal, locally grown produce, eg., seasonal fish/shellfish (shrimp, crawfish, oysters, etc) offer many possibilities. Anything local to be honest...Think Wisconsin--dishes incorporating cheese, cream or butter. I'm thinking wild dandelion greens and shitake mushrooms, sauteed in butter and deglazed with a bit of heavy cream and white wine (you could add crab meat, fresh fish, etc), stuffed into one of those patty shells or a meatpie/empanada, baked/broiled or grilled, brushed with melted butter or olive oil and topped with a good grated parmesan and chopped fresh chives or scallions.

Summer is right around the corner, and one of my favorite dishes is ceviche. It's light, fresh and crisp. One could incorporate many different elements, like sweet, sour, spicy, idk. He could fry his own tostadas, which could be an awesome selling point.