It’s North Carolina’s Culinary & Mixology Competition of the Year, presented by GotToBeNC. It’s an annual event I am proud to produce for the North Carolina Restaurant & Lodging Association, otherwise known as the NCRLA.
This is the 8th year for this statewide NCRLA Chef Showdown competition. This year 84 chefs and mixologists started out competing in one of five culinary preliminary rounds and one of two mixology preliminary rounds held at community college culinary schools and mixology venues across the state. Top scoring chefs and mixologists then advanced to semi final rounds of competition. The 2024 competition culminates on Monday Aug 26 in Durham, NC for this years NCRLA Chef Showdown Grand Finale.
Here’s What To Expect
Know that there will be plenty to eat and drink! Each savory plate, dessert, cocktail and mocktail and drink will feature local NC products, produce and proteins. In fact, this year chefs throughout the competition supported as many as 500 different North Carolina farmers and producers as they cooked their way through the preliminary and semi final rounds.
On Monday Aug 26, 15 chefs, 5 pastry chef and and six mixologists representing six NC distilleries will face off for the titles of NCRLA Chef of the Year, Pastry Chef of the Year, and Bartender & Distillery of the Year. New this year, there is also an award for Mocktail of the Year.
As many of you may know, I was fortunate to be a part of the panel of judges for the 2024 NC Wine competition. As a salute to many of those winners, at the Chef Showdown Grand Finale, each savory and pastry dish will be paired with an award-winning NC wine, thanks to the NC Wine & Grape Council.
Each of the mixologists will be crafting cocktails featuring the spirits of their partner distilleries and will be serving the most extraordinary mocktails as well. We’ll also have an array of Pepsi products including their new Bubly Sparkling waters and two varieties of Fullsteam Beer will also be available.
Carolina Cooker Cast Iron Raffle
And, here’s a fun added addition to the evening. All competition season long, chefs have been cooking with beautiful cast iron pots and pans from Carolina Cooker. Now that they’ve been lovingly used by our chefs these pans can’t go back on retail shelves, so the team at Carolina Cooker is giving them away
It’s all included in the price of admission. Once you pick up your nametag at the registration desk, you’ll find the Carolina Cooker table to the right of the stage. Simply enter your name in a raffle for a chance to win one of the now well-seasoned cast iron pans our chefs have been cooking with all season long.
NCRLA Chef Showdown People’s Choice Voting
While our official team of judges makes the big decisions for the evening, as a Chef Showdown guest, you get to be the judge as well. You’ll vote digitally for all your People’s Choice favorites for Best Savory Plate, Best Dessert, Best Cocktail and Best Mocktail. Please bring your cell phone (and make sure it is charged) to vote virtually with the crowd.
The evening starts at 6 pm and the ambulatory tasting and all the fun begins as soon as your walk in the door. There are 26 different stations situated upstairs and downstairs at Bay 7, so there is a lot to sip and sample.
People’s Choice Voting is open from 6-8 pm. Peoples Choice and Top Title Awards are announced beginning at 8:15 pm and the evening ends at 8:30.
Please Make Plans to Join Us
it’s the most fun you will have on a Monday night in August. Read more, meet the competitors, call your friends, make plans and get tickets now at the official NCRLA Chef Showdown website, here. Proceeds go to support the NCRLA and thereby, the North Carolina Hospitality Industry. #TellThemHeidiSentYou