Back row (left to right): Jimmy Crippen, Serge Falcoz-Vigne, Dean Thompson, Scott James, Steve Zanini, Chris Hill, Lemar Farrington, James Clark, Lawrence Willard
Front row (left to right): Sean Fowler, Jake Wolf, Sokun Slama, John Childers, Brian Battistella, Regan Stachler, Chad McIntyre ~ Photo Courtesy Competition Dining NC
Want to try food prepared by some of the best Chefs in the Triangle? The Got To Be NC Competition Dining Series event, Fire In the Triangle, dining events kick off July 8th and conclude on August 19th. The 15 dining events will be hosted at 1705 Prime, the area’s premier private event space owned by Rocky Top Catering at 1705 East Millbrook Road, Raleigh, NC 27609 (Map).
HOW IT WORKS: Chefs from across the Triangle region were invited to apply for the competition. Paying guests will savor each course in a blind tasting alongside a panel of culinary and celebrity judges in a series of 15 dinner competitions. Each evening, two restaurants “battle” it out side-by-side in a single elimination format. Guests savor a six-course menu (three dishes from each chef without knowing whose food they’re tasting) created around a “featured” ingredient. For each dinner, the ingredient will come from a North Carolina farmer or artisan producer. The featured ingredient is revealed to the chefs only an hour before they start cooking, and it must be used in each of the three courses.
The preliminary match-ups are listed below with each chef heading a team of three:
July 8: Herons at the Umstead Hotel and Spa, Cary vs. Capital Club 16, Raleigh
July 9: Washington Duke Inn, Durham vs. Battistella’s, Raleigh
July 10: Little Hen, Apex vs. 518 West, Raleigh
July 15: Flights, Raleigh vs. The Carolina Inn, Chapel Hill
July 16: Midtown Grille, Raleigh vs. La Residence Restaurant & Bar, Chapel Hill
July 17: The Oxford, Raleigh vs. Bia Restaurant, Raleigh
July 22: Market Restaurant, Raleigh vs. New Southern Kitchen, Whiteville
July 23: Mandolin, Raleigh vs. Jimmy V’s, Cary
July 29: Battle between winner of July 8 and July 9
July 30: Battle between winner of July 10 and July 15
August 5: Battle between winner of July 16 and July 17
August 6: Battle between winner of July 22 and July 23 (quarterfinals)
August 12: Battle between winner of July 29 and July 30 (quarterfinals)
August 13: Battle between winner of August 5 and August 6 (semifinals)
August 19: Battle between winner of August 12 and August 13 (finals)
From Battle Goat Cheese Event ~ Photo Courtesy Competition Dining NC
The goal of the Got To Be NC North Carolina Competition Dining in its second year is part of a larger movement. Because we are all chefs, farmers, or diners, our mission is to connect and celebrate this community through a dynamic, entertaining experience.
Sponsors include the North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services, Pate Dawson-Southern Foods, OUR STATE magazine, Certified Angus Beef, Pepsi Bottling Ventures and Swisher Hygiene.
Ostrich Tartare, Fried Egg, Pickled Red Onion, Shaved Fennel, Arugula, Globe Radish, Black Garlic Aioli ~ Photo Courtesy Competition Dining NC
Diners, alongside culinary and guest judges, will rate each dish and determine who moves on to the next round and who goes home. At stake in each series is a grand prize of $2,000, a handmade chef knife by Ironman Forge in Charlotte, and the coveted “Red Chef Jacket.” The runner-up receives $500. Tickets for dinners cost $59 excluding beverage, tax and tip. The semi-final and final ticket prices are $69. Diners can attend as many dinners as they like. Tickets are on sale now at CompetitionDining.com. Hurry. Tickets are going fast and several nights are already sold out!
The Triangle Explorer 