Fire in the Triad: Meridian Vs Diamondback // Battle Certified Angus Beef #CompDiningNC

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Read this blog for a nightly recap of Fire in the Triad posts to stay in the loop. You can also follow me on twitter @niksnacks and the hashtag #CompDiningNC for live updates during each battle (dinner begins at 7pm). Please also "like" Competition Dining on Facebook and on the web.

The FIFTH preliminary Fire in the Triad dinner took place Tuesday night, putting another Winston-Salem chef on top of the culinary world for a brief moment in time. Fire in the Triad veteran, Chef Mark Grohman of Meridian versus Chef Mack Parker of Diamondback Grill in Winston-Salem both rocked it out in the kitchen at The Empire Room in Downtown Greensboro. Meet the chefs below:

(left) Mark Grohman, Meridian; (right) Mack Parker, Diamondback

It was a star-studded night full of local culinary celebrities and special guests. There were a lot of faces in the place: Practically most of the upper branches of the Pate Dawson family tree were in attendance along with guest judges David Bailey of O.Henry magazine, Jeffrey Turner of Our State magazine and Eric Kirkeeng, executive chef of Bermuda Country Club. The last time I saw Eric, I talked about coming full circle and that circle has come back around again! Many moons ago, I did a stage [pronounced STAHJ] and worked alongside Chef Mack Parker at New Town Bistro, here in Winston-Salem. Also, just as many moons ago, I worked with Chef Mark Grohman's pastry chef at Noble's Grille. Six degrees of separation? When it comes to the culinary world, it's ONE degree.

And it's time to talk about dinner. What's the featured ingredient? What's for dinner? Beef!
Certified Angus Beef, it's what's for dinner! The chefs were given top blade (also known as flat iron steak) and boneless chuck flap (kind of near the short ribs, but not really [I'm a cook, not a butcher, please don't judge me]) to use for our dining pleasure.

Blade Steak Carpaccio, Pickled Golden Beet & Shallot Salad, Pink Peppercorn Aioli

My favorite course of the night. For the first time in my history of Fire in the Triad, I gave each category all 5s. Not only did it look good, it smelled good. The aioli [essentially a mayonnaise made with garlic] was creamy, tart, tangy and the pink peppercorns gave way to brightness and acidity making this dish the perfect trifecta. It's a rarity to have carpaccio this beautiful for dinner. Thin enough to be used as a pane of stained glass, I thought it too pretty to eat. The beautiful petal of beef, so fresh, red and truly a labor of love. Have you ever pounded out a cutlet of beef? That aioli was definitely the elbow grease on top of this plate. The cracked black peppercorns added spice, texture and paired perfectly with the tangy, yet sweet shallot salad. I wanted to try the beets, but I just couldn't. A small part of me wanted to taste one, but my server took away my plate before I had a second thought about it.

Certified Angus Beef® Blackened Blade Steak Salad, Red & Yellow Heirloom Tomatoes, Grilled Crimini Mushrooms, Oven Roasted Radish, Double Berry Champagne Vinaigrette

My only real complaint about course 2: There was not enough dressing on the greens. I longed for my plate to look like the beauty shot above but I had a remedy for what ailed me: salt. Salt drew the tiniest bit of moisture out of the lettuce leaves so I could eat them without choking. I also had to salt my tomatoes to extract every bit of flavor from them, since it's not quite peak time for this member of the nightshade family. The yellow were more flavorful than the red, but I'm sure if there was more dressing, that problem would have been addressed. The grilled crimini mushrooms [also known as baby portobellas] matched the blackened blade steak batons with piney notes that were a little too bitter to withstand the rest of the dish without the promise of more sweet berry dressing. I did not get a radish on my plate and I'm glad I didn't. Diners at my table did not care for the little root vegetable and told me I was fortunate to not have to taste this noxious nubbin.

Certified Angus Beef® Sirloin Chuck Flap Ragout, Grilled Oyster Mushrooms, Sweet Potato Mascarpone Pierogi, Balsamic Roasted Cipolinni Onions and Crispy Fried Sage

The most complex dish of the night, six flavor dimensions were hit here. Every taste from sweet to umami was in this dish. THIS was cooked with some soul, man [cue up Sam & Dave]. The ragout was a pile of braised beef similar to pulled pork (in texture), hanging out in a beautiful, beefy broth. The grilled oyster mushrooms were multidemensional, SO smoky, so flavorful and I wished I had more than two. The sweet potato pierogi was nothing like the frozen ones from the Mrs. T. box. Accented by the sweet, roasted cippolini onions, I took a piece of bread to sop up all of its savory goodness of my plate. The highest scoring dish of the night, it was the most visually familiar and tastiest course of the evening.

Sorry, it's not pretty, but I needed you to see this ragout.

Ponzu Marinated Grilled Certified Angus Beef® Chuck Flap Steak, Michigan Dried Cherry Black Quinoa Pilaf, Grilled Bok Choy, Sweet Ginger Demi Glace, Golden Beet Gaufrette

I will promise you this: I was not biased against this dish because of the presence of the golden beet gaufrette, but I was biased against this dish based on the quinoa. The quinoa was the worst part of this dish. There was more of it than steak and I was not happy about that. I couldn't find any cherries, flavor or reason to eat past the first forkful. It was like having a mouthful of spindly, warm beads. The bok choy was greasy, hard to cut and hard to eat. The steak was good, swimming in the sweet ginger demi, but steak does not a whole course make. I was glad to move on to the next course.

Red Wine & Coriander Braised Certified Angus Beef® Sirloin Chuck Flap, Carolina Bleu Cheese & Fennel Gratin, Black Garlic & White Truffle Butter

My second favorite of the night, I almost ate the plate of the guy sitting next to me because he took too long in the restroom. Not the prettiest plate of the bunch, it looked to be something mediocre at best, but it was deep, rich and intense. The chuck flap was hot and layered with flavor. The musky, earthy, nutty undertones of the coriander were tamed by the red wine sauce and I ate it slow to savor every bite. I wanted to taste the familiar tang of the bleu cheese in the gratin [there was none], but it was creamy, which is just how I like it. The black garlic and truffle butter had melted by the time it got to me at the table, but I didn't care. It washed over the potato pieces on my plate and gave my bread something to soak up before the last course.

Certified Angus Beef® Chuck Flap & Calibot Chocolate Bread Pudding, Vanilla Bean Whipped Cream, Almond Brittle

The most unique use of Certified Angus Beef of the night, this dish goes down in the books as "most undetectable featured ingredient." Bread pudding is usually hot, creamy, and soaked in custard. This bread pudding was not. It was cold, crouton-like bits of bread coated in melted chocolate couveture pressed into the ramekin. I mistook the crusty bits of beef jerky-like pieces imbedded in the chocolate pot for pieces of almonds. Speaking of almonds, I received a piece of brittle sans almonds which I was excited about until I tasted it. Reminiscent of burnt caramel and strong coffee, it would have made for good penny candy for someone with sensory deprivation issues.

When the scores were being tallied and displayed for all to see, it was soon apparant that Chef Mark Grohman and his team were the winners of battle Certified Angus Beef. It's good to know we now have TWO Winston-Salem chefs in the running for Fire in the Triad semifinals. Will Chef Travis Myers of River Birch Lodge made it a trio? On May 29, we'll find out!

For a complete breakdown of the night's scores, dishes, and additional photos, please visit Competition Dining.

Stay tuned tomorrow to read about the winner of tonight's battle between Chef Timothy Bocholis of Bistro B in Kernersville and Chef Chris Russell of B. Christopher's in Burlington. The B's definitely have it!

Fire in the Triad: Crafted Vs J. Peppers // Battle Pepsi #CompDiningNC

"Like" me on Facebook OR read this blog for a nightly recap of Fire in the Triad posts to stay in the loop. You can also follow me on twitter @niksnacks and the hashtag #CompDiningNC for live updates during each battle (dinner begins at 7pm). Please also "like" Competition Dining on Facebook and on the web.

The second week of Fire in the Triad dinners started off with a fizz and a bang Monday night, revving up the culinary engines of chefs and foodies in attendance at The Empire Room in Downtown Greensboro. It was Chef Kristina Fuller of the hot new Greensboro restaurant, Crafted versus the sizzling hot chef, Chef Juan Guzman of J. Pepper's in Kernersville, both tangled in a heated culinary battle all night long. As a former competitor, Kristina made it to the Fire in the Triad semifinals in '12. Did she outpace newcomer, Juan? Meet the chefs below and find out:

(left) Chef Kristina Fuller of Crafted in Greensboro, (right) Chef Juan Guzman of J. Pepper's in Kernersville Click each chef's name for a video introduction

The fizz and the bang of the night was brought to us courtesy of the the featured ingredient: Pepsi.

Pepsi Bottling Ventures is a 2013 Sponsor of Competition Dining and born in the Carolinas, might I add. Another little tidbit: The name Pepsi (or Pepsi Cola as it once was called) comes from pepsin (ya know, like Pepcid AC), a digestive aid to help quell tummy troubles. I'm happy to report, there were no sign of tummy troubles Monday night!

Duck Fat Bacon Confit, Pickled Root Vegetable Salad, Pepsi BBQ Glaze, Honey Dijon Mustard

This first course doesn't look very beautiful in this photo, but trust me, it was.
This first course does look very tiny in this photo, and trust me, it was.
And I ate it before I had the thought to photograph my plate.
As the highest scoring dish of the night, the duck fat bacon ate like a piece of country ham. Salty, smoky and thick, it had crispy edges and sat atop an equally smoky and sweet Pepsi BBQ glaze. The glaze tasted of Pepsi up front with a slight, peppery spice in the back. I was wary about the pickled vegetables because in the past, chefs haven't done so well with this menu item. My fears quickly subsided as the root vegetable salad of carrots, parsnips and onions was tart from vinegar but balanced with sweetness from the honey Dijon mustard. Well played, chef. Well played.

Pink Himalayan Sea Salt Seared Breast of Quail, Truffled Black Rice, Bok Choy & Onion Confit, Fennel Chow Chow, Pepsi Glaze

My favorite dish of the night, this played off my love of Asian food. The dish eaten as a whole tasted like the most upscale General Tso's chicken on the planet. Where General Tso is sweet, slightly spicy, deep-fried and very bad for your arteries, this dish (I suspect) was not. This breast of quail was seared, juicy, plump and full of flavor but I didn't taste or see any grains of pink Himalayan sea salt. The black rice was prepared well, but I didn't detect any truffle either. The absence of those two things mattered not once I stopped fooling around with the minutiae and started eating. The bok choy and onion confit mixed with the fennel chow chow really elevated the dish. The garnish of sliced scallions weren't just for texture of color, they added flavor and another dimension to the dish. The Pepsi glaze was just that: reduced Pepsi, but the subtle nuances of vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg that are synonymous with cola products was clear and pronounced in the glaze.

Cherrywood Smoked Breast of Duck, Chive Polenta with Mascarpone, Cherry Pepsi Glaze, Asian Pear & Snow Pea Salad

My least favorite dish of the night, and the lowest scoring, this dish was plated nicely, but that's about it. The duck was prepared well, but tasted and smelled a little gamey. Covered with a Wild Cherry Pepsi glaze, it masked some of the gaminess, but when mixed with the Asian pear batons and the strips of fresh, sweet snow peas, it needed something to cut the saccharine. I hoped the chive polenta would do the trick, but it just exacerbated the issue. The polenta was sweet, too. And grainy. Very grainy. It was like having a mouthful of cooked sand.

Pepsi Roasted Duck Breast, Farro Risotto with Wild Mushrooms and Sweet Potatoes, Pepsi Beurre Rouge, Pistachio & Arugula Pesto

In an extended celebration of Food Allergy Awareness Week, I received a modified plate without the pistachio arugula pesto. I silently cursed the food gods as the aroma of the pesto made me want to steal someone's plate and then poke myself with an Epi-pen.

No pistachio arugula pesto. Only broken dreams.

Very few foods make me want to risk death. This may have been one of them. A table favorite, and highest scoring dish of the night, I wanted to know what everyone was raving about and I for the first time, I feel as if I missed out. I will say, that the duck breast medallions matched perfectly with the texture of the wild mushrooms. The farro risotto was interestingly sweet with chunks of sweet potato hidden throughout. I wasn't a fan of the Pepsi beurre rouge, but other diners commented that it helped cut the sweetness of the rest of the dish, when paired alongside the (verboten) pesto.

Pound Cake with Meyer Lemon Sorbet, Strawberry & Pepsi Jam, Vanilla Pepsi Reduction

Crowned with an unlisted salted and crushed cashew garnish, this was the highest scoring dessert course of the night. This morsel of soft cake was delightful, pressed against the meyer lemon sorbet, which I suspect was really just a meyer lemon creme anglaise because it was melted. The strawberry and Pepsi jam layered over the cake was thick, sweet and delicious. Other diners commented that they could have done without the cashews because their saltiness took away from the flavors of the rest of the dish. The vanilla Pepsi reduction seemed a mile away from the cake and I had to consciously drag my bit of cake through it to pick up the flavor. Matched perfectly with the cake, I wish it had been incorporated in a different way as to not seem to be unconnected to the rest of the dish.

Profiterole filled with Pepsi Cream, Mini Pie with Strawberry-Pepsi-White Chocolate Mousse, Pepsi Candied Bacon

Not the prettiest dish of the evening, one of my dining companions said,"Well, this isn't fair. This chef is going to win. There's bacon." And he was right: where there's bacon, there's a win. It didn't matter that the profiterole looked like a rock from the moon, it was filled with sweet, warm cream and I normally don't like cream-filled things [no jokes, please] and that was the best part. It didn't matter you could hear the 1000 clunks of spoons hitting plates and crunching through the crumbly, dry bottom of the mini pie throughout the dining room. A win was in the works. The strawberry-Pepsi-white chocolate-mousse combination was sprinkled with cinnamon and you know how they say bacon is meat candy? Well, let me tell you about this bacon: This was definitely meat candy. The crystallized sugar coated bits of bacon swimming in a Pepsi glaze were perfect on their own, with the insides of the profiterole, the pie, the mousse, with my spoon and with my mouth.

As you know, every vote of every diner counts. With a mere 1/10th of a point difference, Chef Juan Guzman of J. Pepper's in Kernersville bested Chef Fuller of Crafted. I can't say that one chef rose above the other because each course was matched note for note, spice for spice. But a note to other local chefs: Dessert and bacon are a diner's Achilles' heel. It gets us every time.

Congratulations to Chef Guzman. Thank you for your food and your 1,000,000 watt smile. See you on June 4 against Winston-Salem's Noble's Grille.

The Winner's Circle

A How-To Guide to Food Truck Festivals

The food truck trend is finally rolling into the Triad. Many independent trucks and restaurants are gassing up and heading out to find customers in search of food. Be a trendsetter and check out these mobile kitchens before the crowds of ravenous diners swamp the scene. As evidenced by the thousands of people attending the latest food truck rallies, people don't know the hard and fast rules to enjoying such an event. We're not used to meals on wheels.

You're gonna have a wheelie good time!

TIP ONE: Research 
Every food truck worth its weight in french fries will have a Facebook page AND a Twitter handle. Since they're mobile and are always on the go, they want you to know where they are every second of the operating business day. When a food truck rally is planned, a complete list of trucks and their links will be listed. Check out each site, decide which truck(s) you want to hit up and make a list, real or imagined.

TIP TWO: Menu planning
Decide what food items you're going to get and make alternate choices, lest the truck is out of a particular item. It happens. People get hungry, trucks get busy and the sandwich that got your mouth watering online is sold out. Most of the time, the truck will have a whiteboard with sold out or no longer available items. To see what happens when a popular items runs out and people don't get the memo click HERE

TIP THREE: Make a budget 
Unless you're Daddy Warbucks and money is no object, buying all of the food you want can add up pretty quickly. Be sure to make a budget and stick to it. If you don't plan ahead, have only $10 and the line is 90 minutes long, is that really worth your time?

TIP FOUR: Conquer and divide
Go to the food truck rally with at least one other person. AND BRING CASH ONLY. Divide up that list you just made and divide yourselves amongst the crowd to get the most bang for your buck. Plan to get multiple food items from multiple trucks so that time spent standing in line isn't wasted.

TIP FIVE: Relax
The first thing to do when you get to the parking lot, sidewalk or space where the food trucks are parked, find a place to park your butt. Bring some lawn chairs, camping chairs, blankets and chill. Stake your claim to an area so that you have a Base Camp to come back to to devour all of the delicious food you just got.

This post highlights a few of the many trucks out there and is NOT an exhaustive list of the best places to get your eats from the streets. For a list of the latest and greatest food trucks in our area, check out the newly formed Central Carolina Food Truck Alliance.

Taqueria El Azteca (Greensboro) This long-standing truck is a permanent fixture on Spring Garden Street. Doling out food reminiscent of their Friendly Avenue restaurant location, the tortas and the fresh tacos are what bring people back time and time again. You'll be headed down el camino to tell your friends about El Azteca in no time. Easy on the pocketbook and hard to resist, be sure to hit up the truck on Taco Tuesdays (every Tuesday) and take your own lawn chair to make your wait in line easy.

King Creole (Burlington) Can you hear the Zydeco band yet? Jambalaya and a crawfish pie, oh me, oh my-oh! Bourbon Street has nothing on B-town! Get the taste of the bayou right here in the Triad. Don't know where to start? Don't worry because the owner of the truck was born and raised in Nola and will send you in the right direction. I suggest you try the gumbo and get ready to laissez le bon temps rouler (let the good times roll) with this truck. Be sure to check out King's exclusive Yelp Deal to get $10 worth of food for only $5!

Camel City Grill (Winston-Salem) The newest truck in town offers big tasty burgers for reasonable prices. The array of interesting fare such as the popular PBB&J burger slathered with peanut butter, stacked

The only time its acceptable to eat off the sidewalk

with bacon and accented with red pepper jelly will have you jumping back in line for more. For my
vegetarian friends, don't pass up the Chipotle Grilled Cheese--Spice and everything nice on fresh, sourdough bread. I bet these guys stick around because everything that comes from this truck is delicious. Fresh Angus beef + fresh toppings + bread from Camino Bakery = the tastiest truck in town.

Hickory Tree Turkey BBQ (Greensboro) Around these parts, barbecue is a noun, not a verb. The only verb you’ll be doing is eating because this all-turkey Eastern style barbecue is original and out of this world. Load up on turkey wings, turkey hot dogs, chopped plates, cole slaw and hush puppies here. Smack dab in the middle of the barbecue belt of the South, this restaurant’s mobile truck can be found at the latest food truck festival near you.

The photos above are courtesy of Tacqueria Azteca and Camel City Grill Facebook pages

Fire in the Triad: Spring House Vs Noble's Grille // Battle Ostrich

The THIRD preliminary Fire in the Triad dinner took place Thursday night, putting a cap on a great week of fine dining in the Triad. Winston-Salem culinary geniuses and Fire in the Triad veterans Chef Tim Grandinetti of Spring House Restaurant, Kitchen & Bar versus Chef John Bobby of Noble's Grille in Winston-Salem sizzled and seared their aprons off at The Empire Room in Downtown Greensboro. Both chefs lost in the first round in '12. Meet the chefs below:

(left) Chef Tim Grandinetti, (right) Chef John Bobby
Click each name for a video introduction

No matter the ingredient, the night belonged to Winston-Salem. Fresh off the heels of our city's centennial celebration, the night's dinner seemed like a post-fête homage.

The secret ingredient became the featured ingredient very quickly and with bated, wine-tainted breath, we all found out the unusual secret ingredient: Ostrich! One note about Competition Dining, is that it definitely for adventurous eaters. You must be of the adventurous sort to feel comfortable not knowing what the featured ingredient will be until moments before the first course is served.

The ostrich was from Hilltop Farms in Winston-Salem. These ostriches eat nothing but grass and spent grain from Foothills Brewing's spent grain of malted barley which remains in the mash-tun after the wort is made. It mainly consists of carbohydrates and proteins. All North Carolina products are superior, but this ostrich really is homegrown from top to bottom!

Personally, I'd never had ostrich before except in bits and pieces of sausage in the Hunter's Pie on the Winter menu at Foothills. Even though its a bird, ostrich meat looks and eats like steak and is best cooked medium rare. What does it look and taste like? Read on to find out!

Composed Salad featuring Ostrich Roulade, Asparagus, Beets and Radish, Blueberry Gastrique

I can't say how composed this salad was, because the only part of this that made it a salad was the fact that it was all chilled. The roulade was delicious, but the ostrich bit inside of the roulade was a little tough to eat. Smooth and flat, the ostrich meat was accented with chopped thyme and the bits of carrot you see there, but it was something akin to a bad school cafeteria lunch menu item. I didn't care for the accompaniments but that's because of how I feel about beets, so those stayed on the plate. The whole blueberries just sat on the plate and blueberry gastrique was a little too thick and a little too sweet (but I bet that would have been great with the beets I didn't eat) and complimented the roulade in a inexplicable way, but this was not my favorite dish of the night.

Ostrich Tartare, Fried Egg, Pickled Red Onion, Shaved Fennel, Arugula, Globe Radish, Black Garlic Aioli

Again, not my favorite dish either, it was difficult to eat because I had to wrap my mind and mouth around the fact that I had raw ostrich AND a cold sunnyside up egg on my plate. The pickled red onion's scent was strong, but it did nothing to whet my appetite. I pushed everything around the plate like a teenage girl feigning her peckish disposition. The saving grace of this dish: black garlic aioli. Once I mixed it with the under-seasoned ostrich tartare, the dish's intent became apparent. The deeply intense and salty flavor of the dressing complimented the arugula, fennel and the tough-to-eat ostrich. I was not about to add the runny egg yolk to it to make a trio, but I'm sure that was what I was supposed to do.

Hand Carved Charred Ostrich atop Lobster Hash, Andouille and Bell Pepper Gravy

This dish brought the "meat and potatoes" to the table. Everyone seemed to be excited about this dish after viewing the photo posted on Facebook and Twitter. And then THIS came to the table.

:(

Awww, man! Three tough, overcooked pieces of ostrich. Boo. But the big pieces of lobster mixed with the andouille & bell pepper gravy made me happy. Tucked underneath the ostrich was THIS.

Look! Big ol', fat ol' lobster claw!

The gravy, so deep, rich and intense warmed my soul. I didn't stop eating until my fork hit bottom. I didn't want this to end.

Peppercorn Crusted Ostrich Filet, Ostrich Sausage, Toasted Farro, Charred Patty Pan Salad, Parsnip Chips, Pomegranate Gastrique

Too busy taking pictures, and tweeting to eat, I heard my table's opinions of this dish before I had a chance to dig in.
"Mmm..."
"This is delicious"
"Holy pomegranate"

Taking the lead with over 25 points out of 30, the ostrich was a perfect medium rare. Soft and delicate, it fell against the warm, ostrich sausage-accented, toasted farro in the most delicate fashion. The pomegranate seeds were little surprise bursts of sweetness that complimented the medallions. The patty pan squash, mistaken for bits of avocado, were soft and melted into the dish perfectly.

At this point, it's always a waiting game to see if ostrich is going to be turned into a dessert. I tweeted:

Ok, courses 5 & 6 are coming soon. I'm praying for no dessert. I don't think I could handle a choc layered ostrich cheesecake #CompDiningNC
— Nik Snacks (@NikSnacks) May 17, 2013

My prayers were halfway answered.

Pan Roasted Ostrich Medallion with Curried NC Sweet Potato and Carrot Puree, Slab Bacon,
Red Wine Reduction

What could have been mistaken for a cut of beef steak, this was the best cooked piece of meat all night long. Glistening and inviting, I could cut my piece with a fork. No knife required. There were unlisted bits of bleu cheese on the plate that I mashed into the medallion, creating a perfect union of creamy, tangy bliss. I couldn't taste any of the warm, toasty nuances associated with curry in the puree, but the puree was good, nevertheless. And I'm still trying to figure out what that nest on top of the medallion is...

The last and final course was a toss up: Are we getting dessert? What could is possibly be? I speculated that we could be getting ostrich jerky with a selection of cheese and some sort of mousse. I was wrong. Berry wrong.

Devil’s Food Cake, Cast Iron Cocoa Ostrich, Milk Chocolate Chantilly, Strawberry Consommé

One of the most beautiful presentations I've seen in Fire in the Triad '12 or '13, I never, ever thought this would come out of the kitchen. A complete surprise, the three petals of cocoa-crusted ostrich were the same thickness, texture and sweetness as the slices of strawberry. Speechless, my table ate in silence, marveling at the creativity of this dish: The devil's food cake was deliciously deep, dark and delicious. I could taste the salt and the subtle bitter notes of the cocoa powder. The Chantilly creme was smooth and sweet. I left the strawberry consommé to ensure it masked the flavor of the ostrich, just in case I didn't enjoy it. I took the plunge and was pleasantly surprised. A sleeper hit, this course was the second highest scoring dish of the night.

A mix of hits and misses from course one through six, the prevailing chef was Chef John Bobby of Noble's Grille. To see the score breakdown and dishes side by chef, please visit Competition Dining's website here.

 "Like" Nik Snacks on Facebook to stay tuned for nightly recaps of Fire in the Triad. You can also follow me on twitter @niksnacks and the hashtag #CompDiningNC for live updates during each battle (dinner begins at 7pm). Please also "like" Competition Dining on Facebook or the web.

See Chef Bobby's post-competition remarks below

Congratulations, Chef! You're the unofficial mayor of Winston-Salem right now. Keep up the good work!

Fire In The Triad: Tavern In Old Salem Vs Greensboro Country Club // Battle Grits & Mustard

The SECOND preliminary Fire in the Triad dinner took place Wednesday night. Chef Gregory John of Greensboro Country Club in Greensboro versus Chef Jared Keiper of The Tavern in Old Salem in Winston-Salem whipped it up and banged it out at The Empire Room in Downtown Greensboro. Meet the chefs below:

(left) Chef Gregory John, (right) Chef Jared Keiper

While both chefs are new to Competition Dining and fairly new to the dining venues they represent, neither chef is new to the game of cooking.
*See Chef Gregory talk about his job and influences here.
*See Chef Jared talk about his humble beginnings and inspiration here. 

Professional judges for the evening: Betty Morton, cooking instructor and cookbook author of Reynolds Wrap Foil commercial fame, Carl Wilson of the Short Orders column in the Greensboro News & Record and Chris Demm of Rock 92's show Two Guys Named Chris.

It's important to note that Competition Dining sponsors and the Office of State Fire Marshal want to remind you that the NUMBER ONE cause of home fires and burn injuries is cooking. The only way to prevent those things is to not make risotto, but to MAKE RESERVATIONS.

Tonight's secret ingredient(s): Grits from from Old Mill of Guilford AND Lusty Monk Mustard in Asheville.
In any competition, there are always rules. When multiple ingredients are presented, there are additional parameters. This time: Two courses MUST use grits AND mustard, one course can feature one or the other. Competition Dining reserves the right to change the rules at any time during the course of the competition, but to my knowledge, nothing major has been amended.

Scoring rubric via Competition Dining app

In the past, diners' scores were converted to a 100-point scale and whole percentages (with confusing decimals at the end) were presented at the end of each dinner. We just want to eat and not do math, right? Competition Dining feels the same way. The scoring rubric has not changed, but the percentage chart has. Each dish is scored on a scale from 0 to 30, with 30 being the highest. Each dish's cumulative points are presented at the end of the night.

Enough shop talk, let's talk about the food!

Herb Roasted Quail Medallions, Old Mill of Guilford Pancetta Brie Grits, Marinated Pepper Salad, Fried Parsnip Tuiles, Lusty Monk Mustard Jus

You know how food commercials and competitions on TV have a glamour shot of the food? There is always an up-the-skirt shot of the dish or food product that makes you feel, let's use euphemisms and say, "hungry". You may feel a little uncomfortable with gawking at the food p0rn and then after you've stopped drooling and come back to your senses, you remember that it's just food and then you eat it. Well, the above photo is definitely a glamour shot. And I ate it.

I'm glad the lights were dim when this came to the table. It seemed more intimate this way

In other news, this quail was the best quail I've had. Ever. Quails are usually tiny, meek and sometimes a little tough, but these medallions were plump, juicy and perfectly cooked. I think they were finished on the grill to achieve those grill marks as seen in the first photo, but I didn't mind. This was the best part of the dish. The accompaniments were tiny just like the quail. The grits were hidden underneath the meat and amounted to just one forkful with invisible pancetta and undetectable brie. The marinated pepper salad amounted to three thread-like strands of red pepper. I did like the crispy parsnips though...

Pomegranate Lacquered Duck Breast, Roasted Jalapeno Grits, Spring Vegetables, Original Sin Broth

Let's talk about a duck face for a second here. I had a smile plastered on my face the entire time I was eating this duck. That's my only duck face and I'm sticking to it. I didn't taste any pomegranate on the duck, but it was sliced perfectly. Everyone wants crispy duck skin and looks forward to it when they see "duck" on a menu, but this was forgiven: the juicy petals melted into the spiced grits. The roasted jalapenos in the grits mellowed the spice and made them a little sweeter. The broth made the texture of the grits soggy and unpleasant, but the spiciness of that Original Sin broth had me hoping and praying for more good dishes like this the rest of the night.

Bacon Wrapped Mustard Marinated Rabbit Loin, Panko Crusted Grit Cake, Herbed Polenta, Grilled Asparagus, Lusty Monk Mustard Beurre Blanc, Red Onion Jam

"How dry I am, how dry I am. Nobody knows how dry I am..." Those lyrics were the only thing in my head while eating this dish. The only oasis of moisture was from the mustard beurre blanc and there wasn't nearly enough of it. It was as if it was painted on the plate with one brush stroke; The rabbit was dry, but was saved by the thick piece of bacon wrapped around it; Not only was the panko crusted grit cake dry, it lacked any flavor and if there were any grits-haters in the crowd, this piece of cake was the billboard and PSA for them; The herbed polenta (yellow grits), would have made better use as mortar to line the Yellow Brick Road; The asparagus: dry; The red onion jam must have been jammed up in the kitchen, because it was dry too.

Heritage Farms Cocoa Crusted Pork Shoulder, Lobster Andouille Spoon Bread, Burn In Hell Red Eye Gravy, White Truffle-Shiitake Bacon,
Arugula Salad

Well, kiss my grits! One of the more creative uses of grits during the night, I'd eat this dish again if the portion were larger. The shreds of pork were dark and pleasantly bitter, from the cocoa crust and when paired with the abundant pile of spicy, bitter arugula, it made for an adventurous dish. My only complaint: my lobster andouille bread kept falling apart and there wasn't enough red eye gravy to help me pick up the pieces with my fork. More sauce next time, chef! Please. Fortunately, I got one bite of truffled-scented shiitakes amid the slivers of ersatz bacon. People are very serious about their bacon. Please do not play with their emotions. Fake bacon doesn't make anyone happy.

(left) Frangipane Almond Cake, Mascarpone Sweet Grits, Caramel Asian Pears (right) my personal dish

I am allergic to almonds, so I had a modified dessert with no frangipane almond cake. Frangipane (pronounced fran-ji-pan) is a filling made with almond flour, butter, eggs and sugar. From other diners' accounts, the only thing I missed by not having cake was eating it (too). The grits were sweet, but I could feel and taste every grain of grit on my tongue. It also didn't help that the caramel sauce was burnt and sitting next to over-whipped chantilly cream. The thin, crispy Asian pear was delicious. It's too bad that was not the secret ingredient.

Old Mill of Guilford Molasses Bourbon Grit Cake, Fresh Berry Compote, Mascarpone Crema, Candied Bacon

You can't get more Southern than this dish: molasses, bourbon, grits and cured bacon. All in one dish. You could have told me the grit cake was made with wheat flour and I would be none the wiser. The highest scoring dish of the night, it was warm, soft from the molasses-bourbon glaze on top of it and then there was bacon. Candied bacon. Large bits of bacon. Crispy and sweet. Salty morsels of righteousness right up against the fresh berry compote. I normally don't like whole berries because they are squidgy but I ate all of these berries AND the pleasantly sweet sauce.

After each chef and their teams presented themselves, the scores were tallied and the thundering applause subsided, it was Chef Gregory John of Greensboro Country Club who prevailed over Chef Jared Keiper of The Tavern at Old Salem.

A congratulatory handshake

"Like" Nik Snacks on Facebook to stay tuned for nightly recaps of Fire in the Triad. You can also follow me on twitter @niksnacks and the hashtag #CompDiningNC for live updates during each battle (dinner begins at 7pm). Please also "like" Competition Dining on Facebook or the web. 

Below: See Chef Gregory John make final remarks regarding last night's battle and his hopes for his next battle against Southern Roots' chef, Wes Patterson on June 3.

Fire In The Triad: Undercurrent Vs Southern Roots // Battle Poulet Rouge

Please "like" me on Facebook OR read my blog for a nightly recap of Fire in the Triad posts to stay in the loop. You can also follow me on twitter @niksnacks and the hashtag #CompDiningNC for live updates during each battle (dinner begins at 7pm). Please also "like" Competition Dining on Facebook or the web. 

The FIRST preliminary Fire in the Triad dinner took place Tuesday night. Chef Michael Harkenreader of Undercurrent in Greensboro versus Chef Wes Patterson of Southern Roots in Jamestown chilled, grilled and battled it out at The Empire Room in Downtown Greensboro. Meet the chefs below:

(left) Chef Michael Harkenreader, (right) Chef Wes Patterson

Chef Michael is a Fire in the Triad veteran and made it to the finals in 2012 before being bested by Chef George C. Neal of 1618. Chef Wes is a newcomer to Competition Dining.

Beginning at noon the day of the battle, not knowing anything except sheer talent and luck-of-the-draw will help them win each competition, each chef and his or her team of three go in knives deep, to try to out-cook one another.

Each night, in “Iron Chef”-style format, dinner guests turn into dinner judges and are presented with a six-course menu (three from each chef) created around local/North Carolina ingredients. The featured secret ingredient must be used in each course.

Diners are then asked to vote for their favorite dish based on overall presentation, aroma, flavor, accompaniments AND creativity and execution of the secret ingredient.

Professional culinary judges for the evening: Chef Jay Pierce of Lucky 32, Brian Clarey of Yes! Weekly and John Batchelor, author and food critic for Greensboro News & Record.


Tonight's secret ingredient: Poulet Rouge Fermier from Ashley Farms in Winston-Salem. We've seen Poulet Rouge before, but nothing like this: WHAT THE CLUCK?!

Pineapple Chipotle Glazed Smoked Poulet Rouge Breast, Heirloom Tomato Gazpacho, Red Onion Jam, Cilantro Crème Fraiche

For all intents and purposes, I am going to refer to the poulet rouge as chicken from here on out.

The smoked chicken was a nice island in the sea of balanced gazpacho. The smoke came through and it wasn't overpowering or barely detectable. 'Tis almost the season for gazpacho. Tomatoes are not yet in season and need acidity to bring out the wonderful tart, juicy, piquant flavors of summer's favorite fruit (sorry, to disappoint you, berries) and that was present in the form of sherry vinegar, I think. The red onion jam was sweet and spicy (I suspect from the chipotle) but there was no sign of pineapple glaze on the chicken. The cilantro creme fraiche got lost in the intense flavor of the soup, but thank goodness for the garnish of fresh cilantro!

Poulet Rouge Confit, Johnny Cakes, Lusty Monk Mustard Pimento Cheese, Chicken Cracklin’ Vinaigrette

Where a gazpacho is expected to be chilled, chicken confit and johnny cakes are not. Not my favorite dish of the night, the dish components were all cold and didn't seem to create a cohesive dish. If they had been crispy and hot (or even lukewarm), I would have enjoyed the johnny cakes more. I will say that the confit was not stringy, greasy or otherwise unpleasant. Unfortunately, the vinaigrette had no signs of chicken cracklins. It did, however, have a fine dice of celery and tasted like a dressing for potato salad. And looked like it too.

Poulet Rouge & Dumplin’s, White Wine Gastrique, Fried Sweet Potato Nest, Cheddar-Black Pepper-Sage Biscuit

Serving "chicken 'n' dumplin's" in the South is not a task that should be taken lightly. Everybody has a recipe, a grandma, an auntie or a restaurant where they like to get this dish. You can't mess with perfection too much, or else people will get upset. This dish elevated chicken 'n' dumplins to a new level. The white wine gastrique gave the chicken a soft, subtle sweetness in the chicken veloute sauce. The sweet potato nest tasted like sweet potato flavored straw, but I appreciated the additional texture it gave the dish. The garnish of fried sage leaf gave the dish an assertive, earthy tone to balance the veloute. The "dumplin" part of this dish was really the cheddar-black pepper-sage biscuit. This was the best biscuit I've had since the beginning of the competition in '12.

Chicken & Dumplings, Grilled Poulet Rouge Breast, Herbed Dumplings, Black Garlic Broth, Crispy Country Ham

At this point, it stopped being battle poulet rouge and became battle chicken 'n' dumplings. The lowest scoring dish of the night, the dumplings here were actual dumplings and not a biscuit, but when compared to the last dish and paired with the smoothness of black garlic, the Asian flare did not go over well. The addition of country ham tethered the dish to its Southern roots (no pun intended, I promise) and those salty, crispy bits accented the perfectly grilled chicken.

Apple Rosemary Scone, Prickly Pear Ice Cream, Candied Pomegranate Poulet Skin, Caramel Sauce

All of the diners at my table were wondering if we were going to have chicken as dessert or one or more savory courses. Well, our dessert prayers were answered. The highest scoring dish of the night, the flavors here were the most familiar. The scone was really delicious. It had a nice crumb and texture with bits of apple and the sprig of rosemary sticking out of the middle of it made me believe there was rosemary baked in. The caramel sauce heightened the sweetness of the scone and the prickly pear ice cream was nice and smooth. The candied chicken skin was not executed as well. It was too tart, bordering on bitter and too small.

Buttermilk Fried Poulet Rouge, Lemon Ricotta Strawberry Stuffed Brioche, Mint Ginger Syrup

Fried chicken! It's what every diner dreams of when they find out they'll be eating chicken all night long. The first fried chicken of Fire in The Triad '13 came out of the gate clucking. An upscale version of chicken and waffles, this was my favorite dish of the night. The powdered sugar, accented the top like a snowstorm in Spring: unexpected yet reason to celebrate with a grocery store run to get eggs, bread and milk. Eggs, bread and milk are exactly what we got. The egg-battered brioche had creamy ricotta and bits of fresh strawberry tucked inside and I loved every bite. The crown and jewel-piece of fried tenderloin was crispy and delicious. The mint ginger syrup was the perfect sweetness and thickness to help me chase the strawberries and bits of bread around my plate to make their way to my mouth.

Overall, each team presented creative and inspired dishes but the prevailing chef was Chef Wes Patterson of Southern Roots. To see the score breakdown and dishes side by chef, please visit Competition Dining's website here.

Stay tuned tomorrow night to read a recap of Fire in the Triad: Greensboro Country Club of Greensboro Vs Old Salem Tavern of Winston-Salem!

Fire in the Triad Starts TONIGHT

Fire in the Triad kicks off Tuesday, May 14 and the Piedmont Triad is sizzling with anticipation! The second half of May and the whole of June 2013 is destined to be HOT, HOT, HOT! This 2nd annual event showcases the best chefs in the area in pan-to-pan culinary combat, Iron Chef style.

A month ago, the chefs of Fire in the Triad were revealed and I know all of the Triad's foodies have been on "pans" and needles ever since.

Fire in the Triad Brackets

Nik Snacks has been asked to be the Official Fire in the Triad blogger once again and I couldn't be more thrilled. Not only do I get to be a part of the Competition Dining equation (fake math, I LOVE IT), I get to eat, tweet and meet all of the FANTASTIC and AMAZING chefs, artisans, farmers, producers, judges, critics, writers, photographers and other professionals that pull it all together.

For the next month and a half, I will be posting exclusively about Fire in The Triad and Competition Dining. Don't worry about feeling left out of the festivities.You can purchase your own tickets here.*

Please "like" me on Facebook OR read my blog for a nightly recap of Fire in the Triad posts to stay in the loop. You can also follow me on twitter @niksnacks and the hashtag #CompDiningNC for live updates during each battle (dinner begins at 7pm). Please also "like" Competition Dining on Facebook or the web. 

*unless something significantly food-worthy comes along like an off-chance meeting with Martha Stewart or Tyler Florence.