Can you handle the heat?
The Fire in the Triangle competition, part of the Got to Be NC Competition Dining series, pits top chefs from area restaurants against each other in a last-chef-standing battle running now through July 31.
Tickets are selling at breakneck speed, with only a few battles remaining, and are anticipated to sell out at any time.
Each evening, two chefs from Triangle-area restaurants are presented with a mystery ingredient. The majority of the secret ingredients are grown, farmed, developed or processed in North Carolina.
“N.C. products are stocked in the pantry truck every night, so you will likely have at least half of your plate coming from N.C. producers, if not more,” said Susan Dosier, with the Competition Dining series.
Attendees will enjoy a six-course meal, with three courses created by each chef’s three-person team. In addition to the great food, they also get to help determine the winner! A panel of two to four culinary expert judges will include local cookbook authors, food writers, chefs and other professionals. But the public judges will carry 70 percent of the vote to determine who wins.
Cary Magazine Editor Emily Uhland will judge on June 19, when Cary’s famed Herons faces off against Raleigh’s Market. Tara Croft will judge on June 26, in the showdown of Raleigh’s The Oxford and Chapel Hill CC.
Fire in the Triangle is the third of four North Carolina Competition Dining Challenges this year. Fire on the Rock in Blowing Rock and Fire on the Dock in Wilmington took place in the spring, and Fire in the Triad begins in Greensboro in August.
The series aims to highlight North Carolina’s agricultural bounty as well as giving chefs a place to showcase their skills. Additional locations are being considered for next year.
Seating begins at 6:30 p.m., and dinner is served at 7. All Triangle competitions take place at 1705 Prime in Raleigh.
Tickets are available at competitiondining.com. A donation will be made from a portion of the ticket sales to the Office of the State Fire Marshal in North Carolina.
Whether you’re attending or just want to keep up with the action, the series is active on social media. Look for updates on Twitter @compdiningnc, hashtag #compdiningnc. The YouTube channel posts recap videos of each night’s battle. And highlights and photos from each evening will be posted on Facebook.
Photo courtesy Got to Be NC Competition Dining: Grilled Vanilla Bean Pound Cake
with Roasted Blueberries, Lime Crumble, Jalapeno Mint Syrup & Toasted Meringue, made by Chef Shane Ingram, of Durham’s Four Square restaurant. Ingram won the first Fire in the Triangle showdown on June 11. Blueberries were the secret ingredient.
