The North Carolina Restaurant & Lodging Association announced 12 chefs from western North Carolina competing in the second of three regional semifinals leading up to the third annual NCRLA Chef Showdown, presented by Got to be NC Agriculture.

Due to strong interest, NCRLA introduced three regional semi-final rounds — the second to be held Monday, June 4, at Highland Avenue in Hickory, N.C.—prior to the main NCRLA Chef Showdown event on Monday, Aug. 27, at Aria at Founders Hall in the Bank of America Center in Uptown Charlotte, N.C.

Regional chef competitors will prepare and serve tasting-sized portions, which will be judged by three culinary experts scoring on presentation, taste, and use of local ingredients from North Carolina. The 21 highest-rated chef and pastry chef competitors across the three regional competitions will progress to the finals to compete for the coveted titles of “NCRLA Chef of the Year” and “NCRLA Pastry Chef of the Year.”

The regional semifinal events are closed to the public. However, NCRLA is granting access to local media.

The savory chefs are:

  • Matthew Shepard, McNinch House Restaurant, Charlotte, N.C.
  • David Quintana, Dot Dot Dot, Charlotte, N.C.
  • Travis Myers, Willow’s Bistro, Winston-Salem, N.C.
  • Thomas Marlow, Mimosa Grill, Charlotte, N.C.
  • Chris Coleman, Stoke Charlotte at the Marriott City Center, Charlotte, N.C.
  • Luca Annunziata, Caffe Sienna at the Holiday Inn Center City, Charlotte, N.C.
  • Richard Gras, The Ritz-Carlton, Charlotte, N.C.
  • Myles Scaglione, Heirloom Restaurant, Charlotte, N.C.
  • The pastry chefs are:
  • Brook Crider, The Dugout Sports Bar and Grill, Hendersonville, N.C.
  • Anika Rucker, Fahrenheit, Charlotte, N.C.
  • Samantha Allen, The Fig Tree, Charlotte, N.C.
  • Miranda Brown, The Asbury at the Dunhill Hotel, Charlotte, N.C.

The judges are:

  • Paul Malcom, Associate Professor, Johnson and Wales University; Co-owner and Chef of Streamline Kitchen food truck, Charlotte, N.C.
  • Mark Allison, Director of Culinary Nutrition, Dole Nutrition Institute, Kannapolis, N.C.
  • Caroline Delaney, Co-Founder, Muddy River Distillery, Belmont, N.C.
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