Chef Greg John of the Greensboro Country Club Appears on WFMY's Good Morning Show

Chef Greg John of the Greensboro Country Club appeared on the WFMY's Good Morning Show Monday. Watch the video here for his recreations of two dishes he made during the Competition Dining Series.

Chef John Bobby of Noble's Grille wins Battle Ostrich

Battle of the Winston-Salem Titans quickly turned into Battle Ostrich once the secret N.C. ingredient was revealed. Chef John Bobby of Noble's Grille defeated Chef Tim Grandinetti of Spring House Restaurant, Kitchen & Bar in this battle of creativity and heart. Read Nik Snacks blog about Battle Ostrich for more details.

Chef Gregory John of Greensboro Country Club wins Battle Grits & Mustard

The second preliminary Fire in the Triad dinner took place Wednesday night. Chef Gregory John of Greensboro Country Club defeated Chef Jared Keiper of The Tavern in Old Salem in Battle Grits and Mustard. Read the latest blog post from Nik Snacks for a recap of the evening.

Southern Roots Prevails in Battle Poulet Rouge

Nik Snacks will be providing nightly recaps of the Fire in the Triad battles. Read her latest blog about Battle Poulet Rouge, Southern Roots v. Undercurrent. Chef Wes Patterson of Southern Roots prevailed in this battle of creativity and comfort food.

Red Stag Grill’s Adam Hayes Crowned “Got To Be N.C.” Competition Dining Series Fire on the Rock Champion

Hayes will advance to the Final Fire championship in November

The heat was on April 30 as two of Western N.C.’s premier chefs battled it out during the “Got To Be N.C.” Competition Dining Series Fire on the Rock finals. Chef Adam Hayes and his team from Asheville’s Red Stag Grill took home the bragging rights after six fierce courses split with Vidalia’s Sam Ratchford of Blowing Rock.

The competition was certainly fiery between the two WNC chefs—in one of the closest Competition Dining battles yet, the winner was determined by merely three-tenths of a point. At the end, Hayes took home the coveted “Red Chef Jacket,” and will advance to the Final Fire series in November 2013 to vie for the 2013 championship title and a cash prize.

At Blowing Rock’s Meadowbrook Inn & Suites, over 120 diners immersed themselves in the night of deliciousness while they eagerly awaited the final results from event host and founder, Jimmy Crippen. Crippen discussed the day’s events with each chef before revealing the scores for all six courses.

Competition Dining challenges the chefs to use featured ingredients grown or produced in North Carolina.  This battle, Old Mill of Guilford Grits and Midnight Moon Moonshine were the chosen components to bewitch the judges and a full house of diners. The chefs were required to use both ingredients in all three dishes, and were not privy to the secret ingredients until noon on competition day.

Both chefs came to impress. Hayes’ first dish was a spicy tempura lobster crab roll, that featured grit “rice” and a collard green wrap, N.C. shrimp ceviche, sugar snap, carrot and shiitake cashew salad, blueberry moonshine mirin, and Annatto chilli oil. He followed that with his highest scoring dish, his blueberry moonshine brined venison tenderloin, which had a Southwestern rub and was served with chipotle golden grits with Ashe County Cheddar, crispy broccolini, blueberry moonshine demi, and basil-mint chimchurri. He finished the competition with a moonshine crispy rice treat that featured strawberry moonshine panna cotta, sweet grit cream, Guilford Grit meringue, moonshine macerated fruits, and a blueberry moonshine balsamic glaze.

Ratchford claimed the highest scoring dish of the night with a rosemary thyme smoked pork tenderloin finished with a blueberry moonshine barbeque sauce, and accompanied by strawberry moonshine Brussels and snow pea slaw, rapini yellow grit remoulade and sweet potato grit crouton.

Diners and culinary judges alike cast their votes through the new “Competition Dining” voting app, available on Apple and Android mobile devices, which allowed them to rate each dish as it was presented. Diners and judges without smartphones filled out voting ballots during dinner.

The heat of the competition will continue May 14 as sixteen of the Triad’s best chefs battle it out during Fire in the Triad in Greensboro at the Empire room. Interested in attending? Tickets can only be purchased at http://www.competitiondining.com/events/fire-in-the-triad.

Ratchford Brews Up Winner, Outgasssssses Dean to Advance to Fire on the Rock Final

Love the battle recaps from David Rogers as much as we do? Check out what he has to say about the Fire on the Rock-Blowing Rock finale here.

Vidalia’s Sam Ratchford Wins “Got To Be N.C.” Competition Dining Series Fire on the Rock-Blowing Rock

Ratchford will take on Asheville’s Adam Hayes of the Red Stag Grill in Fire on the Rock Finals

The heat was on April 24 as two of Blowing Rock’s premier chefs battled it out during the “Got To Be N.C.” Competition Dining Series Fire on the Rock-Blowing Rock finals. Chef Sam Ratchford and his team from Vidalia took home the bragging rights after six fierce courses split with Twig’s John Dean.

Ratchford will move on to the Fire on the Rock finale April 30 at the Meadowbrook Inn & Suites against Asheville’s Adam Hayes from the Red Stag Grill, and battle for the coveted “Red Chef Jacket.” The winner will advance to the Final Fire series in November 2013 to vie for the 2013 championship title and a cash prize.

At Blowing Rock’s Meadowbrook Inn & Suites, over 120 diners immersed themselves in the night of deliciousness while they eagerly awaited the final results from event host and founder, Jimmy Crippen. Crippen discussed the day’s events with each chef before revealing the scores for all six courses.

Competition Dining challenges the chefs to use featured ingredients grown or produced in North Carolina.  This battle, Blind Squirrel Beer and Wild Ramps were the chosen components to bewitch the judges and a full house of diners. The chefs were required to use the Blind Squirrel Beer in all of their three courses and the ramps in just two. They were not privy to the secret ingredients until noon on competition day.

Both chefs came to impress. Ratchford’s first dish was duck confit egg rolls and ramp cole slaw with Nut Brown vinaigrette, Tripel blackberry barbeque sauce, and ramp-watercress chimichurri. He followed that with his highest scoring dish, his marinated Certified Angus Beef petit filet, which featured Nut Brown battered onion rings, Belgian Tripel braised collards, red wine pickled ramps, ramp oil, Nut Brown demi and ramp cornbread. He finished the competition with Tripel banana ice cream cake. The cake featured a Tripel banana beer bread crust, Nut Brown caramel, fruit coulis, spiced walnuts and banana scallops.

Dean’s highest scoring dish of the night was his German apple ramp cake with Nut Brown salted caramel ice cream, cashew brittle and pomegranate coulis.

Diners and culinary judges alike cast their votes through the new “Competition Dining” voting app, available on Apple and Android mobile devices, which allowed them to rate each dish as it was presented. Diners and judges without smartphones filled out voting ballots during dinner.

Interested in attending the April 30 Fire on the Rock finale as the heat of the competition continues? Tickets will sell out fast, so get your tickets now by visiting http://www.competitiondining.com/events/fire-on-the-rock-blowing-rock.