NCRLA

North Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Association

NCRLA Chef Showdown

2021 NCRLA Chef Showdown

Presented by Got To Be NC Agriculture
Monday, August 9, 6 – 8:30 p.m.
The Angus Barn’s Bay 7, Durham, NC
Open to the public!

The NCRLA Chef Showdown, presented by Got To Be NC Agriculture,
is North Carolina’s premiere culinary and mixology competition of the year.

The 2021 competition begins with 48 chefs cooking their way through one of four preliminary rounds across the state, the first step on the road to the win for the coveted titles of NCRLA Chef of the Year and NCRLA Pastry Chef of the Year. Preliminary judges’ scores narrow the field of competitors to 20 chefs who will cook for the win in one of two semifinal regional rounds of competition. The same 20 chefs move on to cook for the public and a chance at People’s Choice honors at the August 9, 2021 Grand Finale in Durham, NC.

Chefs competing in the NCRLA Chef Showdown preliminary rounds include:

  • Abby Tetterton, Timberlake’s Restaurant at Chetola Mountain Resort | Boone, NC
  • Alex Franson, The Durham Filling Station | Durham, NC
  • A. Marie Barefield, Sweet Spot Studio | Charlotte, NC
  • Amanda Ezzell, Ezzell’s | Warsaw, NC
  • Andres Prussing, Charlotte Marriott City Center | Charlotte, NC
  • Ann Marie Stefaney, Southminster Senior Living | Charlotte, NC
  • Ashleigh Fleming, Blue Jay Bistro | Littleton, NC
  • Chayil Johnson, Community Matters Café | Charlotte, NC
  • David Swing, Young Cardinal Café & Co. | Winston-Salem, NC
  • Eamonn Kelly, Trali Irish Pub | Raleigh, NC
  • Evan Parker, Bluewater Waterfront Grill | Wrightsville Beach, NC
  • Gerald Hawkins Jr., Gaston Country Club | Gastonia, NC
  • Glen Whittaker, Brookdale Senior Living | Raleigh, NC
  • James Patterson, McConnell Golf | Wilmington, NC
  • John Tharp, Bleu Cusine Inc | Winston-Salem, NC
  • Katsuji Tanabe, LM Restaurants | Raleigh, NC
  • Kevin Ruiz, The Rockford | Raleigh, NC
  • Kyle Fletcher, Craft Concepts Kitchen | Cary, NC
  • Logan Wright, The Club at Longview | Waxhaw, NC
  • Mallory DeNunzio, Heirloom Restaurant | Belmont, NC
  • Mark Mishalanie, The Honeysuckle at Lakewood | Durham, NC
  • Massimo Mannino, Nino’s Cucina Italiana | Greenville, NC
  • Matthew Martin, Freshlist | Charlotte, NC
  • Matthew Rivers, Timberlake’s Restaurant at Chetola Mountain Resort | Boone, NC
  • Matthew Shepard, Yafo Kitchen | Charlotte, NC
  • Myles Scaglione, Heirloom Restaurant | Belmont, NC
  • Phillip Platoni, Southminster Senior Living | Charlotte, NC
  • Richard Carter, Catering Works/North Carolina Museum of Art | Raleigh, NC
  • Richard Miller, Five Loaves Catering | Winston-Salem, NC
  • Rob Clement, Meshugganah | Charlotte, NC
  • Ryan Kline, Zambra Wine & Tapas | Asheville, NC
  • Ryan Lawton, The StateView Hotel | Raleigh, NC
  • Saif Rahman, Vidrio | Raleigh, NC
  • Sam Allen, Wentworth & Fenn | Charlotte, NC
  • Sam Hart, Counter | Charlotte, NC
  • Sam Hernandez, Farmers and Merchants | Wendell, NC
  • Sam Smith, Sugar Island | Surf City, NC
  • Savanna Brodar, Kimpton Tryon Park Hotel | Charlotte, NC
  • Sera Cuni, The Root Cellar Café | Chapel Hill, NC
  • Tad Balio, Barrique | Goldsboro, NC
  • Tiesha Whittaker, Buttermilk Boutique | Clayton, NC
  • Trey Prescott, The Prescott Restaurant | Kernersville, NC

The 2021 NCRLA Chef Showdown preliminary rounds will be held:

  • April 26 – Carteret Community College Culinary School | Morehead City, NC
  • May 17 – Central Piedmont Community College Culinary School | Charlotte, NC
  • June 7 – Bobby Boy Bakeshop | Winston-Salem, NC
  • June 14 – Wake Technical Community College School of Baking & Pastry Arts | Raleigh, NC

The preliminary rounds of competition are for chefs and judges only and are not open to the public; however, we can’t wait to have you join us for the Grand Finale in Durham on August 9, 2021.

Joining us for the Grand Finale, these six talented NC mixologists, each representing an individual North Carolina distillery, will shake and stir things up for the crowd. In the process they will compete for People’s Choice honors and the title of 2021 NCRLA Mixologist & Distillery of the Year:

  • Colleen Hughes representing Sutler’s Spirits Co. | Winston-Salem, NC
  • David Schmidt representing The Hackney Distillery | Washington, NC
  • Larisa Yanicak representing Mayberry Distillery | Mount Airy, NC
  • Max Barwick representing Fainting Goat Distillery | Greensboro, NC
  • MJ Weber representing Durham Distillery | Durham, NC
  • Rhea Buck representing Muddy River Distillery | Belmont, NC

Tickets for the August 9 NCRLA Chef Showdown Grand Finale go on sale June 21, 2021. Mark your calendars now. This is an event you won’t want to miss. Join in the fun and you be the judge, as you taste and sip your way through this spectacular evening of local food and drink.

Rules

Sponsor

Tickets

Thank you to our 2021 sponsors!

Chef Showdown in the News