Raleigh foodies, local chefs compete for your taste buds
RALEIGH (WTVD) -- The Got to be NC competition dining series aims to find the best chefs in North Carolina. Teams of Raleigh chefs are competing from July 11 - July 24 in a competition dining series where audience members are the judges.
It's a head-to-head, tournament-style team competition featuring a six-course meal, all of it centered on a secret ingredient. That ingredient and the contest are meant to highlight and explore North Carolina agriculture and the state's food scene.
See who's on the Raleigh chef here.
You can check out tickets for the completion here.
Check out dishes from last year's competition.
ABC11 covered the Competition Dinging Series earlier this summer when it came to Durham. We followed up with a Q and A with Steven Goff, one of the chefs getting ready to compete in Raleigh.
Tell us a little bit about your culinary background in Raleigh? Where and what do you cook?
Goff: I'm new to Raleigh, I moved here in August to help open Standard Foods as the butcher, before that I owned a restaurant in Asheville called the King James Public House. Currently I organize dinners in the triangle for The Blind Pig Supper Club, and I'm building a local food/meat-centric food truck that should be operational by November.
What do you think the competition dining series is all about?
G: The competition dining series is about highlighting N.C. chefs and products and bringing them together to network and showcase their products and talents to guests.
Have you ever participated before? Why are you participating this year?
G: Yes, I participated 2 years ago in Asheville, N.C. and last year I was a runner up in Charlotte. I'm new to Raleigh so I'm hoping it will be a good way to network with some other locals I haven't met before.
Who are you participating with and/or against?
G: I'm participating with my friend Geoof Seleen from Piedmont Biofarm in Pittsboro, and another friend Chris Valenzula from western Carolina. I know Geoff from volunteering with the Jamie Kirk Hahn Foundation and I know Chris from working together on The Blind Pig Supper Club.
How are you preparing for the competition?
G: I usually just read up on some different culinary techniques before the competition, you typically don't want to stray too far from your repertoire on a stressful day like that. Set yourself up for success.
What do you think about the NC homegrown aspect of the completion?
G: I love it! That's why I participate every year because I'm proud of our state, its chefs, its artisans, its products, and its foodways. I'm all about keeping cash in your own economy/community as much as possible and the quickest way to insure we keep growing as a food community is to support each other.
Why should people be excited about the dining series?
G:It gives people a chance to come to one dinner and taste the food of multiple chefs as well as learn about some cool local products."
What are your hopes as a participant, win or lose?
G: I just want to have fun and build relationships with my teammates, our competitors, and the food producers we will meet as well as help get the word out about my new project, the Brinehaus Meat and Provisions food truck.
What do you want to share/want people to know?
G: Please come out and support me... and help spread the word about some good local products.
