If you’ve ever wanted to taste your way across North Carolina in one delicious evening, this is your golden ticket. The 2025 NCRLA Chef Showdown Grand Finale is happening Monday, August 4, 2025 from 6 to 8:30 pm. The spectacular culinary event takes place at Bay 7 in Durham, and it’s shaping up to be one heck of a party.
I’m talking cocktails, mocktails, sweets, savory bites; and the chance to meet some of the best culinary talent in the state. C’mon on in and join us!
Here’s the need-to-know, re: the NCRLA Chef Showdown Grand Finale
We’ve got 26 finalists in the room, all competing for top honors. These chefs, pastry chefs, bartenders and mocktail makers have been stirring, shaking, baking, and sautéing their way through a season of regional competitions. Scroll down to meet them all. On August 4, they’ll serve the very same dishes and drinks that wowed the judges! You’ll get to taste each and every one.
That’s right, your ticket includes all the food and drink, so come hungry; and be prepared to pace yourself. You’ll sample from station to station, sip a little of this & snack a little of that. Then, you’ll cast your votes for your favorite savory dish, dessert, cocktail, and mocktail in the People’s Choice Awards, powered by our friends at Sysco.
Top Honors Come at the End of the Evening
This year, we’re also proud to include a special set of honors from The Dairy Alliance. The Dairy Alliance is a longtime supporter of the Chef Showdown. They sponsor the prizes for the Best Use of Cow’s Milk Dairy in a savory dish, a dessert, and a cocktail or mocktail. Because who doesn’t love a good milk or cream-washed spirit, a rich cheese sauce, or a swoon-worthy buttercream?
The Dairy Alliance, supported by Southeast dairy farm families, works year-round to share the nutritional power of milk, cheese, and yogurt. I’ve done a lot of work for this great group of people. You can read more here and here; and there is more on their site if you look around while you are there. Just type “Heidi Billotto” in the search bar.
I love that they are involved in the Chef Showdown competition series. I also love the inspiration they have provided to all of the Chef Showdown competitors. With these awards, we can showcase local dairy and the work of North Carolina’s local dairy farmers, cheese makers and creamies in so many creative (and delicious) ways.
Carolina Cooker Cast Iron Giveaway
Don’t forget to swing by the Carolina Cooker Cast Iron Raffle Table while you are at the Grand Finale. All evening long, you can enter to win. The prize at hand? One of the beautiful cast iron pots or pans our chefs have been cooking with throughout the entire 2025 Chef Showdown season. Think of it as a delicious souvenir, only heavier. You’ll find the raffle setup just to the left of the stage. <ake sure to stop by, put your name in the pot (literally), and keep your fingers crossed!
Sip, Swirl and Sample – Wine Not?
New this year—and something I’m very excited about. It’s our first-ever NC Wine Bar! The menu features a dozen plus award-winning pours from the 2025 NC Wine & Grape Council competition. I had the pleasure of being one of the judges for the annual competition July 2025. There were over 300 entries. 250 different North Carolina wines placed with Silver and Bronze metals; while 26 different wines were gold metal winners. Nine individual wines got the coveted double gold honors.
That’s right, we’re talking wines, ciders, and meads from across North Carolina, all showcased at their very own tasting bar. Step up, sip, swirl, and discover something new. Do you lean towards crisp and white, bold and red, bubbly and bright, or delightfully off-dry. With more than a dozen selections on the menu, this is your chance to find a new favorite (or three or four).
🎟️ Tickets to the annual Grand Finale are $150 but heads up: you must be 21+ to attend. It’s worth every delicious bite. Call your foodie friends, make it a night, and snag your tickets before they’re gone. Click here to grab yours now.
Where to Stay for the Chef Showdown? I’ve Got Just the Spot
If you’re headed to Durham for the NCRLA Chef Showdown Grand Finale on August 4, here’s my insider travel tip.
Make a weekend of it and book your stay at The Durham Hotel. Traveling in or just craving a little staycation magic, this is the place to be.
The Durham is one of my absolute favorites. It’s a stylish mid-century modern boutique hotel tucked right in the middle of downtown. And, it’s an easy walk (or a quick drive) from Bay 7 at American Tobacco Campus, where all the culinary action will be going down.
They’ve thought of everything. From locally curated snacks in the rooms, fresh-ground Counter Culture coffee delivered right to your door in the morning. You order your blend the night before and hang the order sheet on your door!) And, there’s a wonderful lobby bar that’s equal parts café, restaurant, and cozy hangout.
Hot Tip: While you’re there, order the Marcola Coffee Tonic. It’s non-alcoholic, sparkling, and so delightfully different. Trust me, it’s practically a Durham rite of passage. I never leave town without grabbing one!
And don’t skip the rooftop bar. The views, the vibes — chef’s ki… (oops, scratch that!) Let’s just say it’s the cherry on top of your Chef Showdown getaway.
The best part? The Durham Hotel is offering 20% off for Chef Showdown guests on Sunday, August 3 and Monday, August 4, 2025.
✨ Book Your Reservations NOW! Simply Call 919-768-8830 and mention the NCRLA Chef Showdown rate.
#TellThemHeidiSentYou
Meet the 2025 Finalists and see what they created
Chef Taylor Halley, The Wine Feed, Durham
Pastry Chef Oscar Johnson, Jimmy Pearls Chesapeake Kitchen, Charlotte
Chef Tchnavia “Tché” Carter, Community Matters Café, Charlotte
Pastry Chef Josh Dobson, Peppervine, Charlotte
Chef Daniel Murray, Cypress Hall, New Bern
Pastry Chef Michael Beers, River Run Country Club, Davidson
Chef Keith Henning, Black Powder Smokehouse, Jamestown
Pastry Chef Luis Rojas, Charlotte Marriott City Center, Charlotte
Chef Chris Childs, Kaioken Labs, Charlotte
Chef Myles Scaglione, Dot Dot Dot, Charlotte
Chef Olajuwon Mason, Viking Dining/Aramark, Elizabeth City
Chef Whit Thomas, Mazi, Charlotte
Chef Mauricio Huarcaya, Gustu Peruano, Wilmington
Chef Khanh Hoang, Yo Xoi, Durham
Chef Kevin Stratton, The Depot on First, Knightdale
Chef Trenton Shank, Brier Creek Country Club, Raleigh
Chef Bobby McFarland, Glasshouse Kitchen, Durham
Pastry Chef Helena Larson, Indigo Road Hospitality, Raleigh
Chef Richard Carter, Catering Works, Raleigh
Chef Lance Cook, Forsyth Country Club, Winston-Salem
Mixologist Lauren Burkert (Free Range Brewing, Charlotte) partnering with Great Wagon Road Distilling in Charlotte
Mixologist Sarah Mccabe (The Longleaf Hotel, Raleigh) partnering with Cook’s Mill Whiskey in Raleigh
Mixologist Kayla Wenzel (Native Fine Diner, Greenville) partnering with The Hackney Distillery in Washington
Mixologist Travis James (Julep Contemporary Kitchen, Greenville) partnering with CRUSH Vodka in Greenville
Mixologist Natalie Takacs (End of Days Distillery, Wilmington) partnering with End of Days Distillery in Wilmington
Mixologist Sean Teague (Chief’s Modern Cocktail Parlor, Charlotte) partnering with Southern Artisan Spirits in Kings Mountain
And, these six crafted competition mocktails as well – so you’ll have two drinks to taste at each of their Chef Showdown Grand Finale bars!
So… how did we get here?
Great question—and honestly, one of my favorite parts of the story. The NCRLA Chef Showdown started back in 2017 with a simple idea from NCRLA President and CEO Lynn Minges: showcase North Carolina’s incredible chefs, bartenders, and pastry pros, and connect them with folks who love to eat and drink local (that’s you!). Then, Lynn reached out to me to help make it happen.
That first year it was a one night event. I’ve contracted with the NCRLA every year since then. The NC Department of Agriculture has been the title sponsor since the very beginning. A big part of this competition is supporting as many local NC farmers and producers as possible, in every dish and in every drink
And now, I’m proud to say The Chef Showdown has grown in some way every year. In 2025 we had 11 separate rounds of culinary and mixology competition across the state of North Carolina
Each spring and summer, we travel the state—from the mountains to the coast and everywhere in between—hosting preliminary and regional rounds in partnership with community colleges, craft distilleries, and locally loved restaurants. Judges taste, score, and debate (a lot). Chefs hustle. Dishes evolve. And now, after months of competition and creativity, we’ve narrowed the field to the final 26.
They’ve done their part. Now it’s your turn.
Come taste, cheer, and toast to the best in the biz, Monday, August 4, 2025 in Durham, NC.
I’ll be there with a fork in one hand and a cocktail in the other. Hope to see you there!
—Heidi