My day job has been spilling into my nights, leaving little time for a food blog. So what food experience might be memorable enough to bring me back online? Fire in the Triangle!
If you aren’t familiar with the Competition Dining concept, imagine Iron Chef America with local, North Carolina ingredients. Two chefs battle it out with one, two, or even three secret ingredients. Unlike ICA, though, judging isn’t left up to the Pros. Yes, they get a vote. But so do the guests: local food bloggers and foodies, friends and family of the chefs, and anyone else adventurous enough to buy a ticket for a 6 course meal featuring a secret ingredient. The second twist that distinguishes Competition Dining from ICA? Guests and Pros don’t know who has prepared each dish until the end of the evening. So even if you attend to support your favorite local chef, you might be surprised by the scrumptious offerings of a competing chef.
I’ve attended events in both seasons of Competition Dining’s Fire in the Triad. Featured ingredients have ranged from Ashley Farms Poulet Rouge (Undercurrent vs. Southern Roots) to Pepsi (Crafted vs. J. Pepper’s) to Texas Pete (Bistro B vs. Liberty Oak). Honestly, I was hooked as soon as Jimmy Crippen sat me next to Fire in the Triad official blogger, Nikki Miller-Ka and Chef Jon Willis’s (Emerywood Fine Foods) family last year. (A side note: Don’t try to guess which chef creates each dish. Parents, spouses, and siblings have all guessed wrong…) These events are a food lover’s dream: creative food, fun company, and friendly competition.
I’ve had so much fun at the Fire in the Triad events that I bought first night and finale tickets for Fire in the Triangle before the chefs were even announced. That leap of faith landed me a spot between Pate Dawson Southern Foods President Dave Stansfield and Hits Tech‘s Chris and Jason at last night’s competition. (The string of great dining company continues!)
And the featured ingredient? Herons at the Umstead and Capital Club 16 battled with Got to be NC peaches from Thompson Orchards!
Since I left the flash off when I was talking pictures, I’ll point you to the official Battle Peaches results for pictures. As it turned out, my favorite dishes were all by Chef John Childers’ team from Umstead:
- Course 1 featured Peach Poached Shrimp with Crab Salad, Fennel, and Bread & Butter Peaches.
- Course 3 was Peach BBQ Chicken and Pork Belly with Peach Caramel, Charred Corn Salad, Slaw, Candied Peanuts, and Rosemary. I’m neither a chicken fan nor a pork belly fan, but even I cleaned my plate. The chicken was cooked perfectly, the pork belly added nice flavor, and the peach notes remained discernible even with all the complex flavors.
- Course 5 showcased Sweet Pickled Peaches with Salty Pecans, Chevre Donut, Caramelized White Chocolate, and Blackberry Cream.
That 5th dish? I dreamed about it last night. It was that good.
None of the dishes disappointed diners, though, and that’s half of the fun of Competition Dining. Guests get to experience North Carolina chefs’ most creative cooking, while enjoying (and learning about) North Carolina products.
If you haven’t been to a @CompDiningNC event yet, get one of the few remaining Fire in the Triangle tickets while you can, or make plans for Fire In The City (Charlotte). It’s a fabulous way to learn about area restaurants, their talented chefs, and North Carolina food products. And yes, you can expect to see me at Final Fire! 🙂