In this case, being a redcoat is a good thing. Photo Credit: Competition Dining Series
If you’re anything like me, you’re obsessed with all those cooking shows where they pit chefs up against each other as they battle for who can make the best meal out of the provided ingredients. There’s just something about high-stress food porn drama that excites me more than any episode of RHOA could ever do.
Look how intense. Photo Credit: Competition Dining Series
Introducing the Competition Dining Series, a single-elimination tournament highlighting the best of the state’s food, agriculture and culinary talent, will pit 14 highly competitive chefs against each other in its upcoming tournament in Greenville, the first time it’s been held in South Carolina. All of the 13 interactive battles will be hosted at Larkin’s Sawmill from Aug. 3 through Sept. 7, and tickets are now available.
“Ta Daaaaa!” – What I Imagine That Guy Saying. Photo Credit: Competition Dining Series
How it Works: In every Competition Dining dinner, two chef teams battle it out preparing three courses each centered on a featured regional ingredient that is revealed the morning of the event. Ticketed guests savor a full-service, six-course meal without knowing which chef prepared which dishes. Unlike any other cooking competition, attendees vote on each course using a free app, and ultimately help determine who moves on to the next battle round and who goes home.
Their fate is in your hands. Or mouth, I guess…. No pressure.
Series competitors are randomly assigned to brackets. Two random competitors received a bye to automatically advance to the second round. The Greenville preliminary match-up battles include:
August 3 Dinner:
Anne V. Young of The Starving Artist Café in Easley
VS
Damion Norton of Professional Catering in Greenville
August 4 Dinner:
Jennifer Barone of Stellar Restaurant & Wine Bar in Greenville
VS
Ryan Kline of Buffalo Nickel in Asheville
August 10 Dinner:
Blake Hartwick of Bonterra Dining & Wine Room in Charlotte
VS
Francis Turck of The Cliffs at Keowee Vineyards in Salem
August 11 Dinner:
Charlie Brown of Local Cue in Greenville
VS
Eden Roorda of oneFIFTYone Boutique Bar & Kitchen at Hotel Indigo in Asheville
August 17 Dinner:
Todd Warden of The Cliffs Valley in Greenville
VS
Nohe Weir-Villatoro of King James Public House in Asheville
August 18 Dinner:
Samuel Murry of 21 east in Greenville
VS
Teryi Youngblood of Passerelle Bistro in Greenville
The two chefs receiving a bye include:
- Bo Wilder of Henry’s Smokehouse in Greenville (Wednesday, August 19)
- Edward A. Wallace of Adventures In Taste in Easley (Monday, August 24)
I’m trying to figure out which chef would be most likely to say “I’m not here to make friends; I’m here to WIN!”
“Since we started these battles, Competition Dining Series has hosted hundreds of chefs and thousands of community members in North Carolina,” said Jimmy Crippen, Competition Dining Series founder and host. “We’re thrilled to do the same in Greenville with the launch of our first South Carolina series. We have chefs from here in Greenville and all over the region, and it’s sure to be a highly competitive tournament.”
It’s food made fast, but it isn’t fast food. The english language is weird. Photo Credit: Competition Dining Series
Competition Dining is unlike any other dinner experience in the country. All Greenville events are held at Larkin’s Sawmill in Greenville. Tickets to attend a battle range from $55 to $75 each and don’t include beverages, taxes and service fee. Guests can attend as many dinners as they like and tickets must be purchased by midnight the day before a battle.
