Golf isn’t the only thing heating up in Pinehurst this week. While folks are out there working on their short game, we had our forks in hand for the most flavorful competition in town – the NCRLA Chef Showdown, presented by Got To Be NC.
On Monday, April 7, we kicked off Season Nine with a culinary preliminary round at Sandhills Community College School of Culinary & Pastry Arts. Trust me, the chefs brought their best swings to the kitchen.
Just like in golf, finesse matters in the kitchen and in a competition.
For the culinary students in the house this day, watching our chefs and picking up some great tricks of the trade on plating and prepping was the culinary version of “walking the course.”
This first round of culinary competition was a hole-in-one thanks to our fabulous trio of judges. They are each seen here with their favorite pieces of Carolina Cooker Cast Iron. Check out the NCRLA Chef Showdown instagram and the Facebook page in the days and weeks ahead to get recipes from this talented trio and hear more about why these chefs love and selected each of the pans they are holding as their favorites.
Meet this round’s NCRLA Chef Showdown Judges
- From, left, Pastry Chef Emily Parker, owner of Sweet Violets in Greenville NC and NCRLA’s reigning Pastry Chef of the Year
- Chef Sera Cuni of Café Root Cellar (Chapel Hill & Pittsboro, NC), who also founded Feed Well Fridges in Chatham County
- Chef Erin Durkee, Chair of Sandhills School of Culinary & Pastry Arts in Pinehurst, NC
Together, they kept their eyes on the prize and their forks, spoons and knives at the ready.
To start our time together we all met for dinner at Ashten’s in Southern Pines. Chef Matt Hannon, a long time supported of the NCRLA Chef Showdown is at the helm in the kitchen at Ashtens and we loved spending the evening with him. Keep an eye on the NCRLA Chef Showdown and on my social media feeds for a reel about the dinner at Ashten’s soon.
A Mille Mercis…
Massive thanks to our Judges’ Table Sponsor, the Pinehurst, Southern Pines, Aberdeen Area CVB, and to Pinehurst Resort for lodging our crew in style. And, a heartfelt round of applause to all of our incredible 2025 sponsors across North Carolina, each one help make this whole delicious journey possible.
If you are planning to travel this way, here’s a pro tip. Keep your eye out for one of North Carolina’s best peach crops to come from the Sandhills region of the state this summer. The harvest is a bit of a hidden gem, but worth the drive to go buy from local peach farmers. You can read more here about a trip I made several years ago.
#TellThemHeidiSentYou
NC Wine is our 2025 Sip and Swirl Sponsor and with that sponsorship, they are not only connecting with chefs about cooking with great NC Wines, and serving more North Carolina wine in their respective restaurants; but are also providing wine for our Judges’ Dinners ( typically held the Sunday night before each competition) or our Judges’ Wine Down sessions the night of each round of competition, where the judges and the team can all relax and talk about the day.
The evening after this round of competition, we “Wined Down” on the covered porch and listened to the pouring rain at the Pinehurst Resort with delicious pours from Shelton Vineyards in Dobson NC and Dynamis Estate Wines in Jonesville NC.
Now let’s talk about the talent
These seven chefs stepped up to the line and absolutely crushed it. The dishes were creative, flavorful, and filled with local love—this round alone featured ingredients from 51 different North Carolina farmers and producers. That’s what we call a sweet spot.
Here’s who wowed us this week. All the chefs and their sous. Go to their restaurants or their places of business, see (and taste) all they are doing and let them WOW you as well. #TellThemHeidiSentYou
Pastry Chef Kenneth J. Williams, Royal Cheesecake & Varieties Raleigh NC, left; Chefs Kevin Stratton, The Depot on First, Knightdale,NC, center. And Chef Richard Martin, Porters Neck Country Club, Wilmington NC, on the right.
Chefs John Tharp, Spotted Cow Steakhouse, Winston-Salem NC left; and Myles Scaglione, Dot Dot Dot, Charlotte NC, top center. Chef Josh McGee, Y’all Company, Winston-Salem NC, right; and Chef Taylor Halley, The Wine Feed, Durham NC, bottom center
But, What Did They Cook?
We were all blown away watching these chefs slice, sear, and sauté their way through the competition. Every plate was a celebration of North Carolina’s culinary scene. I can’t show you the finished plates just yet. That big reveal will have to wait till the end of all five preliminary rounds in the middle of June. But, to whet your appetite, here’s a little taste of the fun, flavor and a few of the local products and produce in a quick photo recap.
But, That’s Not All!
This was just the opening round. We’ve still got four more culinary preliminaries to go! Plus two more mixology prelims, before we narrow down the field. Then we’re headed toward the green and into the semi-final rounds. Think of it like the front nine of a championship round: lots of action left to play.
From there, only 18 savory chefs and 8 pastry chefs will advance to one of two culinary regional semi-finals. It’s here that they’ll cook head-to-head for a coveted spot in the Grand Finale. Meanwhile, our mixologists, each paired with a North Carolina distillery, will be shaking things up as only 12 mixology teams move on. They’re crafting cocktails and mocktails, aiming to be one of just six teams to make it all the way to the finish line.
NCRLA Chef Showdown Awards & Accolades
All roads lead to the Grand Finale on August 4, 2025. This is when the top competitors will take the stage at Bay 7 in Durham NC. This is the only round open to the public. Tickets will be on sale soon. Make plans now. It’s always a sellout, with more than 500 guests tasting, sipping, and cheering on their favorites. At the end of the night, we’ll be crowning the 2025 NCRLA Chef of the Year, Pastry Chef of the Year, Mixologist of the Year, Distillery of the Year, and the creator of the Mocktail of the Year. Think of it as our own version of the green jacket ceremony; but with a whole lot more local butter and bourbon.
But wait, there’s more. At the Grand Finale, the crowd gets in on the action, too. Every finalist will serve up tasting portions of their semi-final dishes and drinks. Attendees will cast their votes for the 2025 People’s Choice Awards, powered by Sysco. This year’s public picks will include awards for Best Savory Dish, Best Dessert, Best Cocktail, and Best Mocktail.
And then there’s a little something extra for the dairy lovers in the room. Thanks to The Dairy Alliance, we’re also celebrating the creative use of North Carolina cow’s milk dairy products with the 2025 Undeniably Dairy Awards. Dairy isn’t required, but when it shows up in a dish or drink in a big way, it’s got a shot at winning one of four special honors: Best Savory Dish, Best Dessert, Best Cocktail, and Best Mocktail. Each one recognized by the judges for the best use of local dairy products in each category.
Coming Up Next….
So keep your eyes peeled and your forks handy. This competition is just getting started—and trust me, every round is going to be a real crowd-pleaser. Next stop: Ronda, NC. Here we trade in cutting boards for cocktail shakers at Piccione Vineyards and the first mixology preliminary round. You won’t want to miss a drop.
Follow along at @ncrlachefshowdown on instagram and Facebook for all the behind-the-scenes fun. We’re just getting into the swing of things!
Good work, Heidi. Given the location of this showdown, perhaps you should call the competitors “IRON Chefs.”