February 19, 2009 Issue
May The Best Dish Win
Area Chefs Compete for Fire On The Rock Chef’s Challenge Slots in Preliminary Competition
During the last three years, the Fire On The Rock Chef’s Challenge has become one of the Blue Ridge Wine Festival’s most popular events, both with spectators and chefs. So popular in fact that this year’s Chef’s Challenge will feature a series of preliminary rounds throughout the month of March to determine the final eight contestants who will compete during the April festival.
Slated to take place at Crippen’s Country Inn & Restaurant each Tuesday and Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. during the month of March, two chefs from area restaurants will go head-to-head, battling it out for a full six rounds of culinary clashing. Perhaps even more exciting is that members of the public will judge each competition.
Guests will be given a scoring sheet with the same guidelines used by professional food critics. John Batchelor, food critic for the Greensboro News and Record for more than 30 years, created the sheet being used for the Chef’s Challenge. Batchelor is also the founding judge of the Fire On The Rock Chef’s Challenge.
“We want everyone to experience this event at least once,” said competition organizer Jimmy Crippen, owner of Crippen’s Country Inn & Restaurant. “Come out and support your favorite Chef, then you will not want to miss going to the finals during wine festival weekend.”
Guests will not know which chef prepared their dish. Challenges have been randomly drawn and will be judged equally, regardless of their home restaurant’s style. Chefs will be limited to only the ingredients provided, which are all raw products sponsored by the North Carolina Department of Agriculture.
“The secret ingredient will not be revealed until the day of each event, that way the guests will not be able to know what their favorite chef is cooking,” said Crippen. “We want each restaurants guests to come and support their chefs, but we don’t want it to be a popularity contest.”
The winner of each battle will advance and compete in the 2009 Fire On The Rock Chef’s Challenge during the Blue Ridge Food and Wine Festival, which will be held from Thursday to Sunday, April 16 to 19.
The six-course competition menu is $39 per guest and reservations must be made in advance. Beverages, tax and tip are not included. Call Crippen’s at 828-295-3487 or email reservations@crippens.com to secure a reservation. Crippen’s Country Inn & Restaurant is located at 239 Sunset Dr. in Blowing Rock. For a complete list of Fire On The Rock Chef’s Challenge guidelines, click to www.crippens.com.
Fire On The Rock Qualifying Rounds Schedule
More than a dozen of the area’s best chefs will battle head-to-head during six-round culinary clashes taking place at Crippen’s Country Inn & Restaurant during the month of March. Members of the public will decide which eight chefs advance to compete at the Fire On The Rock Chef’s Challenge during the 4th Annual Blue Ridge Wine Festival in April.
March 3 Restaurant G Chef Michael Foreman vs. Artisanal Chef Bill Greene
March 4 Manor House at Chetola Chef Michael Barbado vs. Casa Rustica Chef Sam Beasely
March 10 Ciao Bella at the Meadowbrook Inn Chef Guy Thomas vs. Pssghetti’s Chef Jordan Allen
March 11 Canyons Chef Daniel Bock vs. Blowing Rock Country Club Chef Marietta DeBriere
March 17 Best Cellar Chef Josh Emerline vs. Storie Street Grille Chef Andrew Long
March 18 The Table at Crestwood Chef Chuck Nelson vs. Gamekeeper Restaurant Chef Ken Gordon
March 24 Glidewell’s Chef Will Burrell vs. Jackson Dining Room at Broyhill Chef Guy Brenaman
March 25 Crippen’s Chef James Welch vs. The Library at the Green Park Inn Chef Jamie Lyda
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