A Riverfront Getaway Worth the Drive
Part one of a multi-post travel series from the road of the 2026 NCRLA Chef Showdown.
There are always a lot of balls in the air as we make our way through a 2026 NCRLA Chef Showdown season, and somewhere in the middle of it all I realized I have never really told you about the places we have been along the way. It has been a long and winding road across North Carolina, full of adventure, lovely places to rest our heads, good food, and even better people. That road is every bit as much a part of the 2026 NCRLA Chef Showdown story as the competition itself. Now our six 2026 mixology and 20 culinary finalists are set (meet them all here). The September 2 Grand Finale is just a week away, so, this is the perfect moment to double back and walk you through a couple of our stops this season.
But first, I would be remiss if I didn’t ask, if you have your tickets to the 2026 NCRLA Chef Showdown Grand Finale in Durham NC. If not, then take a moment to get them here.
Then, come along as today we head east to The Hackney and Washington, NC. Next, we’ll go south to Wilmington, North Carolina.
Both travel destinations are worth the drive, and both gave me plenty of reasons to send you their way.
On the Road to the Hackney and Washington, NC
I started at home in Charlotte NC and pointed the car east on a Monday in June, following US-264 to the spot where the Tar River widens into the Pamlico. That is where you find Washington, North Carolina, the town founded in 1776 and often called the Original Washington, the first city in the country to take George Washington’s name.
Tom and I had just been in town the month before, to celebrate our 20th anniversary with dinner at The Hackney in May.
Making a second trip in June for the competition was a lovely recap of more of the same plus there was the competition
This round of competition was the first of two 2026 NCRLA Chef Showdown Mixology preliminary rounds. The date: June 1 at The Hackney. It landed just after Chef Jamie Davis had wrapped on his 2026 Passion Series of dinners, an event worth putting on your calendar for next year. You can find more info on the Passion 26 here.
My team and our trio of preliminary round mixology judges came for the competition, but stayed for the food, the waterfront, and a boutique hotel that turned the weekend into a real getaway. And there were hotdogs, as well…
This was a treat I did not plan on. This real taste of Washington NC food history was the food writer’s happy coincidence/occupational hazard waiting for me the morning after the competition. Hotdogs at Bill’s in Washington. Keep reading, more on that below.
The 2026 NCRLA Chef Showdown Mixology Competition at The Hackney
Here is how the round went, and why I am telling you to put this hidden gem of a North Carolina riverfront town on your list. It’s a #TellThemHeidiSentYou kind of place.
We kicked off our 10th season with two spirited culinary preliminary rounds,- first in Morehead City and Beaufort, NC; and then in Charlotte, NC. And we were off to a record-setting start. In June of 2026, the spotlight swung to North Carolina’s top mixologists. The first of two Mixology Competition preliminary rounds got underway on Monday, June 1, at The Hackney in Washington.
Six mixology teams competed in this first round, each pairing a North Carolina mixologist with a North Carolina distillery. Through the day the mixologists presented their competition cocktails and spirit-free cocktails, while the distillers talked through their spirits and poured the judges samples of what went into each drink.
Meet the NCRLA Chef Showdown Mixology Preliminary Round Judges
Putting every pour to the test was a panel of past champions who would return on June 22 for round two of the mixology preliminaries at Merle’s in Wilkesboro, NC/ At the NCRLA Chef Showdown preliminary round Mixology Judges table were:
- Sarah McCabe of The Longleaf Hotel in Raleigh, our 2025 Mixologist of the Year
- Stephanie Elliott, co-owner of Merle’s in Wilkesboro and our 2023 Mixologist of the Year
- Madeline “Maddie” Fox, co-owner of Easy Talk in Winston-Salem, married to David Bowen, our 2022 Mixologist of the Year.
With So Many Thanks to our Sponsors
A day like this runs on the generosity of our sponsors.
Longtime title sponsor GotToBeNC, the North Carolina Department of Agriculture, was on hand spreading the word on eating and drinking local.
Remedy Cocktail Company of Holly Springs, NC was our Judges Table sponsor, offfering a world of locally crafted bitters to each of our mixology contestants. While spice pantry sponsor Spicewalla offered competitors a selection of herbs, spices, rubs, and blends to fold into their competition drinks however inspiration struck.
NC Wines member Botanist & Barrel in Cedar Grove, NC ( which also keeps a tasting room in Asheville) helped our team and judges toast a successful day when the shaking and stirring was done.
Our lodging sponsor was West Main in Washington, NC. This is an historic, newly renovated boutique hotel with a bourbon bar at the first level and the most amazing rooms. It’s just a short walk from The Hackney and a wonderful place to stay, sleep and dream when next you visit Washington NC.
The Best Reason to Come: A Meal at The Hackney
The cocktails and spirit-free cocktails were not the only thing turning heads on this day of competition. Between pours and presentations, Executive Chef Jamie Davis sent out plate after plate of local flavor for the judges and my team to enjoy, and this, more than anything, is why I am telling you to make the drive.
The Chef Behind the Kitchen: Jamie Davis
If you have not eaten Jamie’s cooking, here is the shorthand. He is a 2024 James Beard Award finalist for Best Chef: Southeast, cooking out of a restored 1922 former bank building in the heart of downtown Washington, NC. He has been a competitor and a judge for our Chef Showdown culinary competitions as well. And, more than that, and most importantly, he has also become a good friend. His menu is seafood-led and Southern eclectic. It fits on a single page, and it changes with the season. He has the most respect for and offers a ton of support to local farmers and fishermen, as is evidenced on his menus. And, he is an ambassador for NC Catch, which tells you how seriously he takes sourcing from local waters.
The cocktails and mocktails were not the only thing turning heads this day of competition. Between pours and presentations, Executive Chef Jamie Davis, sent out plates of local flavor for the judges and my team to enjoy.
If you have not eaten Jamie’s cooking, here is the shorthand. He was a 2024 James Beard Award finalist for Best Chef: Southeast, cooking out of a restored 1922 former bank building in the heart of downtown Washington. I first wrote about destination dining at The Hackney back in 2023, and everything that drew me in then still holds true today.
On The Menu at The Hackney
The menu is seafood-led and Southern eclectic, it fits on a single page, and it changes with what the season. Jamie is also an ambassador for NC Catch, which tells you how seriously he takes sourcing from local waters.
If you know me, you know I am a sucker for soft shell crabs (or softies, as the locals call them.) Jamie Davis is a master at a lot of things in the kitchen; and, for me, his, in season, soft shells are at the top of that list. Like much of what he does, he lets the locally sourced proteins, produce and products speak for themselves. You don’t need to do much when you start with great product. Jamie, doesn’t add much, he simply treats it right. Accenting the flavors and shining a spotlight on all the local.
When Tom and I came to Washington for our anniversary, our dinner began with an apperitif of soup and cornbread. Just a bite and a sip but it set the tone for more to come. It was May and I would have been crazy not to have ordered soft shells, so you know I did. Tom enjoyed another local fish. Honestly I don’t remember what it was, but it was delicious. Napped with an amazing sauce that topped the fresh seafood off just right. Somewhere in between the cornbread and the crab, there were oysters on the half-shell to share. And, of course, crafted cocktails featuring the Hackney Distillery’s 1000 Piers Gin, from the bar. We soaked in all in, enjoyed and wished the evening didn’t have to end.
And then, I got to do it again!
I count myself lucky that when we came for the competition in June, I got to eat at The Hackney once again. Nick Sanders, co-owner of The Hackney, runs the Hackney Distillery. Late in 2025, Nick had offered the restaurant as one of our 2026 competition venues. As a part of it all I had asked Jamie if he could provide some little bites for the judges. There just has to be food between all the cocktail tasting. When I said “Little Bites”, Susanne Hackney Sanders, co-ower of the restaurant and distillery, reminded me that Jamie always over delivers.
Here is what happened next:
We started the day with the most amazing cheese biscuits. THIS is how they bake cheese biscuits in North Carolina’s Beaufort County. Truth told, Jamie didn’t bake these. Instead he went and picked them up for us at an iconic little Washington NC called Mom’s Grill. Mom’s is located at 1041 John Small Ave. Don’t miss it. When you go to Washington, you simply must have one of these biscuits. The dough surrounds the cheese and its baked inside. Its not a light way to start your day, but it sure is a delicious one.
Then, with our first break, Jamie served soft shells and I was as happy as a clam! The judges were too! Served with a side of Tidewater Grain Co Carolina Gold Rice and perfectly cooked local veggies, they were fabulous!
The Perfect Pork Chop Followed
The competition resumed with two more competitors, each presenting cocktails made with NC spirits and crafted spirit-free cocktails. Then, Jamie came out with another course for the judges. The most beautiful grilled pork chops, served with local clams, white beans and perfectly turned seasonal veggies.
If this recap doesn’t have you pulling up The Hackney website right now to make dinner reservations of your own, I don’t know what will. When you call or text to reserve your table, be sure to #TellThemHeidiSentYou
Where We Stayed: The West Main
A competition day this good deserves a place to land that matches it, and West Main did exactly that.
The West Main sits on the corner of Market and Main in the heart of waterfront Washington, a short walk from The Hackney. It opened after a careful two-year restoration of a historic downtown building, and it shows. There are six individually designed rooms, two suites and four studios, with original details preserved throughout.
An elevator was even worked into the old architecture. Owners Warren Allen and Katherine Moravec also run the 1906 Bistro & Bourbon Bar on the ground floor.
When you go be sure to check out the collection of bourbons behind the bar.
We had dinner there the Sunday night before the day of competition on Monday.
Why Visit The Hackney and Washington, NC
Washington rewards the drive. The town leans into its history as the Original Washington, and the reborn downtown ( where you will find both The Hackney and West Main) gives you a walkable stretch of independent shops, breweries, restaurants, and live theatre, all within a few blocks of the waterfront on the Pamlico. And here’s a fun fact: There is no “Uber” or “Lift” service here, but there is a great Golf Cart Taxi Service that is glad to take you anywhere you’d like to go in the downtown area, if you don’t want to walk. All you have to do is tip the driver!
While you are in Washington NC, definitely plan to stroll the downtown shops. And check in at several of the area’s coffee shops too. We all loved the Washington Cafe for coffee and matcha drinks, sandwiches and these giant Oatmeal Cream Pies!
Take a walk to down to the river and stroll along the water, relax in the waterfront park and don’t miss the North Carolina Estuarium. This interactive museum holds an amazing amount of history and information all about the importance and environmental impact of North Carolina’s estuaries and rivers.
After all the shopping and touring and learning more about the area, be sure to save room for hotdogs. Or you can do what we did and have a hotdog or two to start the day!,
The Rest of the Story: Breakfast at Bill’s
I promised you a hotdog story, so here it is.
The morning after the competition, judge Sarah McCabe, the 2025 NCRLA Mixologist of the Year and mixologist at the Longleaf Hotel in Raleigh NC, and I walked over to Bill’s Hot Dogs, a Washington institution that has been frying dogs in lard since 1928. Yes, you read that correctly.
Bill’s sits at 109 Gladden Street, a short walk from the Washington waterfront. The restaurant has kept the formula simple for close to a century: hot dogs, sausage dogs, chips, and drinks. Takeout only, no seats. Pro Tip: What ever you do, do not ask for ketchup.
The dogs, which are fried in lard, slide hot into a steamed bun. Toppings include mustard and an almost creamy secret recipe white bean chili. And a optional side of slighty sweet, not too creamy slaw. The chili and mustard come tucked underneath the dogs, not on top, so everything melts up into the bite. Of course, the mustard and chili are actually optional too, but you should just order these dogs fully loaded. We loved the addition of the slaw.
We each ate two. It was 8 a.m. Such is the life of a food and travel writer. I love it!
Want to see our tasting for yourself? Follow me and keep an eye out on my Instagram , Facebook and YouTube channels this week and watch the video review of Bill’s Hotdogs here.
Come See How the Road Ends
Washington NC was just one stop on my summer’s long and winding road. A road leads to one place: the September 2, 2026 Grand Finale. This is where our finalist chefs and mixologists shake, stir, plate, and compete for the year’s top honors, and it is the best seat in the house for everything the 2026 NCRLA Chef Showdown has been building toward all season.
Tickets to the 2026 NCRLA Chef Showdown Grand Finale, September 2 at Bay 7 at the American Tobacco Campus in Durham, are on sale now.
Come celebrate our 10th year with us and kick off Labor Day weekend in style.
And check back tomorrow for part two of this series, when the road takes us south to Wilmington.
More About Heidi Billotto
Whenever you see these five little words “Tell Them Heidi Sent You” (with or without the hashtag), know that they are my personal seal of approval. It means I have been there, I believe in the folks behind it, and I am sending you their way with my whole heart. So go on… make reservations at The Hackney and West Main today. Have coffee at the Washington Cafe, order a cheese biscuit at Mom’s Grill, go eat a hotdog at Bill’s, visit the Estuarium, enjoy the waterfront; and #TellThemHeidiSentYou
Heidi Billotto is the Executive Producer of the NCRLA Chef Showdown, a widely popular annual event benefiting the NCRLA and directly giving back to North Carolina’s hospitality industry. Heidi Billotto is a culinary storyteller, educator, and on-air expert who brings local food to life wherever she goes. She connects small family farmers, independent producers, and regional makers to the people, plates, and media outlets that showcase their work, then shows her readers and followers how to bring those ingredients home to their own tables. Known for her deep relationships, genuine curiosity, joyful style, and sincere passion for all she does, Heidi elevates local food culture on the regular through cooking, teaching, travel, and media.
Listen to the Jeff and Jamie Feed podcast for a great interview with Heidi here.