Raleigh, North Carolina – Oct. 20, 2014 – The Got to Be NC Competition Dining Series, a tournament highlighting the best of the state’s food, agriculture and culinary talent, is gearing up for its Final Fire series in which five chefs from across North Carolina will battle it out to take home the statewide championship. Community members are invited to attend the tournament’s four live dinner events, savoring the six-course meal and serving as judges, from Nov. 19 to 22 in Raleigh. Tickets to these interactive battles go on sale Wednesday, Oct. 29 at 7 p.m. at www.competitiondining.com and are guaranteed to sell out quickly.

The five competing chefs won their regional series to move on to earn a place at Final Fire. It’s all part of the 2014 Got to Be NC Competition Dining Series, a single-elimination, Iron Chef-style challenge between local chefs across North Carolina. Regional series included Wilmington, Asheville, Greensboro, Raleigh and Charlotte, with eight to 16 talented chefs competing in each tournament.

The five winning chefs, representing some of the best North Carolina culinary talent, recently drew knives to determine the championship bracket for the upcoming Got to Be NC Competition Dining Series Final Fire, which is scheduled as follows:

• Nov. 19 Dinner: Fire on the Dock Champion Antoine Murray of Cape Fear Country Club in Wilmington, versus Fire on the Rock Champion Michelle Bailey of Season's at Highland Lake in Flat Rock

• Nov. 20 Dinner: Fire in the City Champion Jon Fortes of Mimosa Grill in Charlotte, versus Nov. 19 winner

• Nov. 21 Dinner: Fire in the Triad Champion Tim Thompson of Marisol Restaurant in Greensboro, versus Fire in the Triangle Champion Dean Thompson of Flights in Raleigh

• Nov. 22 Championship Dinner: Nov. 20 winner, versus Nov. 21 winner

Along with bragging rights, at stake in the Final Fire series is a grand prize of $4,000 cash, two handmade chef knives by Ironman Forge and a trip to the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone in Napa Valley, California, compliments of Kikkoman and the Pro Chef Program.

In each of the Final Fire dinner battles, just as each dinner throughout the year-long Got to Be NC Competition Dining Series, two participating chefs each prepare three courses centered on a secret or featured ingredient that comes from a North Carolina farmer or artisan producer. Featured ingredients are revealed to the chefs only an hour before they start cooking that day and must be used in each course.

At the dinner events, ticketed guests get in on the action, savoring the combined six courses without knowing which chef prepared each plate. Alongside culinary and guest judges, diners rate each dish using an interactive app, ultimately determining who moves on to the next round and who goes home.

“North Carolinians are really getting into these interactive events; we’ve had such an amazing response from fans across the state,” said Jimmy Crippen, Competition Dining Series founder and host. “With the level of talent competing, the four Final Fire dinner battles are sure to be extremely competitive and entertaining for everyone in attendance. It’s the culmination of the fun, creativity and talent we’ve seen throughout the year and we expect tickets to sell out really fast – in fact, last year’s Final Fire tickets sold out within eight minutes. Those interested should be online and ready when the tickets are released!”

All Final Fire events are held at Renaissance North Hills Raleigh, located at 4100 Main at North Hills Street. Tickets to attend the first three battles are $129 each excluding beverage, tax and tip. Tickets for the final championship battle are $139 each excluding beverage, tax and tip. Learn more and buy tickets starting Oct. 29 at 7 p.m. via www.competitiondining.com.

About The Got to Be NC Competition Dining Series

The Got to Be NC Competition Dining Series is sponsored by the NC Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services, Pate Dawson-Southern Foods, Certified Angus Beef®, Pepsi Bottling Ventures, the NC Wine & Grape Council, Hits Technology and local partners in each region of the state. The goal of the series is to celebrate local North Carolina products and agriculture, and to showcase the culinary ingenuity and talent across the state. For more information, visit www.competitiondining.com or get in on the conversation at www.facebook.com/competitiondining and @CompDiningNC on Twitter or Instagram.

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