The Got to Be NC Competition Dining Series, a single-elimination tournament highlighting the best of the Carolina’s food, agriculture, and culinary talent, is gearing up for its Battle of Champions series in which six top North Carolina chef teams will battle it out to take home the coveted annual championship title. Foodies from around North Carolina and beyond are invited to attend the five live dinner events November 11 to 20 in Raleigh, savoring the full-service, six-course meals and serving as judges.
The six chef teams competing in the Got to Be NC Competition Dining Series Battle of Champions each won their local series to earn a place in the championship. The bracket includes:
November 11 Dinner
Team Egg Heads from Durham: Scott Schabot, Keith Calise and Tad Balio, Another Broken Egg Café chefs.
Team Sedgefield Culinary Crushers from Greensboro: James R. Patterson III, Sedgefield Country Club executive chef; Isaac Spencer, Sedgefield Country Club chef; and Tim Alston Sedgefield Country Club lead cook.
November Dinner
Team Ceviche’s from Wilmington: Sam Cahoon, executive chef of Ceviche’s in Wrightsville Beach; and Edson Juarez and Eric Smith, sous chefs at Ceviche’s.
Team Vidalia Boom from Winston-Salem: Sam Ratchford, co-owner and executive chef at Vidalia Restaurant in Boone; Julius Kalman, Vidalia Restaurant co-owner; and Jason Walsh, Vidalia Restaurant chef.
November 13 Dinner
Team Radical Range Riders from Charlotte: Adam Reed, owner and chef at Sante' of Matthews in Matthews; Terra Ciotta, culinary instructor and chef at Artisan Restaurant in Charlotte; and Jess Cochran, culinary instructor at Central Piedmont Community College in Charlotte.
Team Mirepoix from Raleigh: Franz Propst, executive chef at Peak City Grill & Bar in Apex; Ryan Summers, chef at Chef's Palette Restaurant and Bar in Cary; and Tom Halik, chef and proprietor at Main Street Grille Café & Bakery in Wake Forest.
November 18 Dinner
November winning team versus November 12 winning team
November 20 Grand Finale Dinner
November winning team versus November 18 winning team
Each of the Battle of Champions dinner events, just as at all dinners throughout the year-long series, includes two chef teams battling it out preparing three courses centered on a featured North Carolina ingredient that is revealed only an hour before they start cooking that day. Unlike any other cooking competition, attendees vote on each dish using their smart devices, and ultimately help determine who moves on to the next round and who goes home. New to the competition this year, the creation of All-Star Dream Teams allows chefs from different restaurants to partner together for the three-person teams, upping the potential caliber and creating a more fun and competitive atmosphere for all.
“This year’s Battle of Champions is certain to bring dynamic competition and delicious food throughout the five dinner events,” says Jimmy Crippen, Competition Dining Series founder and host. “The level of culinary talent and exceptional creativity in each of our 2016 local series blew us away and we can’t wait to see what these skilled chef teams serve up in the annual championship. Foodies won’t want to miss this ultimate culinary showdown.”
As they move on to the Battle of Champions, the six chef teams will all compete for bragging rights and a grand prize of $4,000 in cash and prizes. Each winning team member will also take home a handcrafted chef knife by Ironman Forge and a 40-quart Grizzly cooler, compliments of Joyce Farms. All Battle of Champions events are held at NC State’s Dorothy & Roy Park Alumni Center located at 2450 Alumni Dr. in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Tickets for the November 11, 12, 13, and 18 battles are $119 each, and tickets for the grand finale battle, November 20, are $139 each.
