Got to Be NC Competition Dining Series Heats Up in Charlotte with Eight Dynamic Chef Teams

Statewide Culinary Tournament Returns to the Queen City with Seven Dinner Events Aug. 8 to 28

Charlotte, North Carolina – The Got to Be NC Competition Dining Series, a single-elimination tournament highlighting the best of the state’s food, agriculture and culinary talent, is back in Charlotte hosting a local series of interactive battles Aug. 8, 9, 11, 22, 23, 25 and 28. It will pit eight highly competitive chef teams against each other for the seven dinner events, which will be held at the Bonterra Dining & Wine Room.

This year’s Charlotte series will once again feature two separate brackets, and the winners of each will battle it out in a finale to name one local champion. Tickets are available now at competitiondining.com/events/charlotte. The finale is already sold out and the remaining events are expected to sell out quickly.

Every Got to Be NC Competition Dining Series dinner event includes two chef teams battling it out, each preparing three courses centered on a featured North Carolina ingredient that is revealed just before they start cooking that day. Ticketed guests get in on the action, savoring a full-service, six-course meal without knowing which chef prepared which plate. Unlike any other cooking competition, attendees vote on each dish using their smart devices, and ultimately help determine who moves on to the next round and who goes home. New to the competition this year, the creation of All-Star Dream Teams allows chefs from different restaurants to partner together for the three-person teams, upping the potential caliber and creating a more fun and competitive atmosphere for all.

The Charlotte brackets include:

• Aug. 8 Dinner

o Team 3 COOKS from Waxhaw: Paul Verica, owner and chef at Heritage Food & Drink; Joseph Bonaparte, executive director at the International Culinary Institute of Myrtle Beach; and Ashley Boyd, pastry chef at 300 East in Charlotte.

o Team Radical Range Riders from Matthews: Adam Reed, owner and chef at Sante' of Matthews; Terra Ciotta, culinary instructor and chef at Artisan Restaurant in Charlotte; and Matthew Sganga, owner and chef at the Stone Table in Monroe.

• Aug. 9 Dinner

o Team Bistro127 from Hickory: Shawn Bank, executive chef at Bistro127; John Edwards, sous chef at Bistro127; and Jeff Croft, assistant sous chef at Bistro127.

o Team Vicious and Delicious from Charlotte: Ryan Forte executive chef at Southminster; Phillip Platoni, chef de cuisine at Southminster; and Brigitte Oger, owner at Craft Cakes in Charlotte.

• Aug. 11 Semifinal Dinner

o Aug. 8 winning team versus Aug. 9 winning team

• Aug. 22 Dinner

o Team Luciano’s from Charlotte: John Soilis, executive chef Luciano’s Ristorante Italiano; Daniel De Dios Guerrero, chef de cuisine at Luciano’s Ristorante Italiano; and Giovanni Bassi, sous chef at Luciano’s Ristorante Italiano.

o Team Fahrenheit from Charlotte: David Feimster, executive chef Fahrenheit; Rachel Child, pastry chef at Fahrenheit; and Lewis Carter, sous chef at Fahrenheit.

• Aug. 23 Dinner

o Team Heirloom from Charlotte: Clark Barlowe, chef and proprietor at Heirloom; Zack Gragg, executive sous chef at Heirloom; and Ann Marie Stefany, pastry chef at Heirloom.

o Team Les Trois Petit Cochon from Fort Mill: Neil Bratton, executive chef at Fish Market Bar and Grill; Jon Ernst, executive chef at Café Monte in Charlotte; and Wade Waller, former executive chef at Standard Brewing Co. in Maryland Heights, Missouri.

• Aug. 25 Dinner

o Aug. 22 winning team versus Aug. 23 winning team

• Aug. 28 Finale Dinner

o Aug. 11 winning team versus Aug. 25 winning team

“We never second guessed coming back to Charlotte for the Got to Be NC Competition Dining Series this year,” said Jimmy Crippen, Competition Dining Series founder and host. “It’s our fourth year in the Queen City and we’re proud to have such a great connection with both the local culinary talent and diners here. We’re excited to see some familiar faces in the chef lineup along with newcomers, and can’t wait to taste the delicious dishes that are sure to come from each of these skilled teams.”

The 2016 Got to Be NC Competition Dining Series schedule includes local tournaments where chef teams vie for a title in Charlotte, Raleigh, Durham, Winston-Salem, Greensboro and Wilmington. The six winning teams each receive a grand prize of $2,000 in cash and prizes, and each member receives a handcrafted knife by Ironman Forge, an autographed cookbook by master French baker Lionel Vatinet of La Farm Bakery, the coveted “Red Chef Jacket” provided by ALSCO and a spot to compete in the annual Battle of Champions in November.

All Charlotte events are held at Bonterra Dinning & Wine Room located at 1829 Cleveland Ave. Tickets for the Aug. 8, 9, 11, 22, 23, 25 battles are $59 each, and tickets for the local finale battle, Aug. 28, are $69 each. Reservations are open now at www.competitiondining.com/events/charlotte.

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®, Freshness from North Carolina Waters, Joyce Farms, Goodnight Brothers, Pepsi Bottling Ventures, ALSCO, Swisher Hygiene and local and regional partners throughout the state. The goal of the series is to celebrate 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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