Area chef competes in Fire on the Dock semi-final competition
Chef Clarke Merrell
of Circa 81 in Morehead City is competing in the Fire on the Dock
competition dining series now underway in Wrightsville Beach. He has
advanced to tonight’s semi-final round.
Submitted photo
Submitted photo
Published: Wednesday, March 27, 2013 at 00:03 AM.
MOREHEAD CITY — Could it be a Crystal Coast repeat?
Chef Clarke Merrell, owner of Circa 81 restaurant in Morehead City, heads to Wrightsville Beach today for his next Fire on the Dock battle confident in his team but not ready to make any bets on who will head to the final round.
Anything can happen in the kitchen.
“It’s anybody’s game; which is cool,” Merrell said during an interview Monday from his restaurant.
Fire on the Dock is part of the “Got to be NC” Competition Dining Series. Last year — the debut for Fire on the Dock featuring Eastern North Carolina chefs — the Crystal Coast made a strong showing. While the field of 16 chefs was heavy with Wilmington-area competitors, the finale featured Chef Andy Hopper, formerly of Chefs 105 in Morehead city, and Gerry Fong of Persimmons in New Bern with Hopper winning overall.
This week will tell if the final competition will feature another Crystal Coast duo.
Merrell and the Circa 81 team battles tonight with Chef Antoine Murray and the team from Cape Fear Country Club. On Thursday, Chef Fong and the Persimmons team take on Chef Josh Petty and the team for Sweet N Savory in Wilmington.
Merrell is excited to be in the semi-finals and has his eye on a finish in the final round after being eliminated last year in a close first-round battle.
“Last year, as soon as I was done I wanted back in,” Merrell said.
Merrell said it helped to know what to expect this year, but each competition is different. Fire on the Dock returned to the Wilmington area but this year is being held at Bluewater Waterfront Grill in Wrightsville Beach.
“I’d say I have a little more insight because I did it last year, but we’re cooking in a different facility this time so you have to relearn the operation,” he said.
And no matter how familiar you are with the kitchen, there’s always the challenge of not knowing the secret ingredient until the afternoon of the competition.
Competing chefs prepare three dishes using a secret North Carolina product revealed to them just hours before the battle.
“It’s kind of the nature of the competition. You don’t really ever know (what to expect),” he said.
The unknown adds to the excitement, he said, and each battle is an opportunity to showcase their skills for a dining room full of judges: some professional judges but most members of the general public looking forward to a good meal.
Competing with Merrell on the Circa 81 team are Ron Stack, sous chef, and Josh Macklin.
Merrell said the competition does an excellent job of highlighting North Carolina foods, the state’s independent restaurants and the chefs anxious to give their diners a taste of what they have to offer.
“It takes the product, the chefs and the diners and puts them all together,” Merrell said.
Restaurateur Jimmy Crippen began the competition in 2005 with Fire on the Rock held at Crippen’s Country Inn & Restaurant in Blowing Rock. Last year it expanded to include four regional events, with Fire on the Dock, Fire in the Triangle and Fire in the Triad joining Fire on the Rock. This year, Fire in the City in the Charlotte area joins the lineup.
Winners of each regional event go on to compete in Final Fire.
Follow the competition’s results on the website at competitiondining.com or by visiting the Facebook page.
Contact Daily News reporter Jannette Pippin at 910-382-2557 or jannette.pippin@jdnews.com.
Chef Clarke Merrell, owner of Circa 81 restaurant in Morehead City, heads to Wrightsville Beach today for his next Fire on the Dock battle confident in his team but not ready to make any bets on who will head to the final round.
Anything can happen in the kitchen.
“It’s anybody’s game; which is cool,” Merrell said during an interview Monday from his restaurant.
Fire on the Dock is part of the “Got to be NC” Competition Dining Series. Last year — the debut for Fire on the Dock featuring Eastern North Carolina chefs — the Crystal Coast made a strong showing. While the field of 16 chefs was heavy with Wilmington-area competitors, the finale featured Chef Andy Hopper, formerly of Chefs 105 in Morehead city, and Gerry Fong of Persimmons in New Bern with Hopper winning overall.
This week will tell if the final competition will feature another Crystal Coast duo.
Merrell and the Circa 81 team battles tonight with Chef Antoine Murray and the team from Cape Fear Country Club. On Thursday, Chef Fong and the Persimmons team take on Chef Josh Petty and the team for Sweet N Savory in Wilmington.
Merrell is excited to be in the semi-finals and has his eye on a finish in the final round after being eliminated last year in a close first-round battle.
“Last year, as soon as I was done I wanted back in,” Merrell said.
Merrell said it helped to know what to expect this year, but each competition is different. Fire on the Dock returned to the Wilmington area but this year is being held at Bluewater Waterfront Grill in Wrightsville Beach.
“I’d say I have a little more insight because I did it last year, but we’re cooking in a different facility this time so you have to relearn the operation,” he said.
And no matter how familiar you are with the kitchen, there’s always the challenge of not knowing the secret ingredient until the afternoon of the competition.
Competing chefs prepare three dishes using a secret North Carolina product revealed to them just hours before the battle.
“It’s kind of the nature of the competition. You don’t really ever know (what to expect),” he said.
The unknown adds to the excitement, he said, and each battle is an opportunity to showcase their skills for a dining room full of judges: some professional judges but most members of the general public looking forward to a good meal.
Competing with Merrell on the Circa 81 team are Ron Stack, sous chef, and Josh Macklin.
Merrell said the competition does an excellent job of highlighting North Carolina foods, the state’s independent restaurants and the chefs anxious to give their diners a taste of what they have to offer.
“It takes the product, the chefs and the diners and puts them all together,” Merrell said.
Restaurateur Jimmy Crippen began the competition in 2005 with Fire on the Rock held at Crippen’s Country Inn & Restaurant in Blowing Rock. Last year it expanded to include four regional events, with Fire on the Dock, Fire in the Triangle and Fire in the Triad joining Fire on the Rock. This year, Fire in the City in the Charlotte area joins the lineup.
Winners of each regional event go on to compete in Final Fire.
Follow the competition’s results on the website at competitiondining.com or by visiting the Facebook page.
Contact Daily News reporter Jannette Pippin at 910-382-2557 or jannette.pippin@jdnews.com.
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