A little while back the team from Rocky Top Hospitality reached out to me for an upcoming fundraiser they were hosting, Cooking for a Classic! They were in the process of recruiting area chefs for a culinary competition with the winning chef driving away in a vintage 1969 Corvette Stingray (nice)! And yes, it’s all for a great cause, the Lucy Daniels Center. So fast-forward to January and I’m excited to hear that the schedule and chefs have been announced for the inaugural 2017 Cooking for a Classic competition. I’ll be joining in on the fun, judging one of these fun, dinner events!
So what’s Cooking for a Classic about, my food-loving friend? It’s an Iron Chef style competition similar to the old Competition Dining series. Three plates from two competing chefs along with paired beverages. You get to vote as a diner for your three favorites out of the six dishes and three beverages (beer, wine, cocktail)! And there will be a group of guest judges also voting as part of the competition along with diner attendees. The initial group of 16 chefs slowly gets narrowed down to 8, then 4 and so on until a winner is crowned and drives away with the Vette! All proceeds go to the Lucy Daniels Center, a therapeutic education setting and mental health treatment facility for children, a very worthwhile cause.
All Cooking for a Classic events will be taking place at the lovely, 1705 Prime venue in Raleigh. And I can tell you the tickets are reasonably priced ranging from $50 during the first round to $125 per person for the final round. Not a bad deal at all for a fun, foodie evening! So come on out, cheer on your favorite chef and enjoy some great eats to support the Lucy Daniels Center. Everyone wins in Cooking for a Classic although only one person drives the Corvette home. More details below, hope to see you there!
Cooking for A Classic Chef Competition to Benefit Lucy Daniels Center
16 Chefs to Battle at 1705 Prime for a Corvette Stingray
Raleigh, N.C., Jan 10, 2017 – The Lucy Daniels Center is proud to announce the inaugural Cooking for a Classic series. This unique philanthropic event held at 1705 Prime (1705 E. Millbrook Road) in Raleigh throughout February and March will feature the talents of 16 local and regional chefs competing head to head to win a beautifully restored 1969 Corvette Stingray. The competition is structured tournament style, with two chefs paired together each night and the winner advancing to the next round until a champion is crowned.
Each chef was chosen through an application process, and tasked with creating a three-course small-plate menu plus a signature cocktail, wine or beer pairing for each course. The chefs compete in pairs, with guests and local celebrity judges at each event voting for their favorite dishes of the evening, and the winner advancing to the next round.
Tickets for each battle start at $50 per person and can be purchased at www.cookingforaclassic.com. Doors open at 6 p.m. for a 6:30 seating for each event.
The schedule of first-round chefs’ battles is as follows:
- Feb. 20 – Dean Thompson/Flights, Raleigh vs. Rich Carter/Catering Works, Raleigh
- Feb. 21 – Donaldo Guzman/Sitti, Raleigh vs. Nick Fay/Busy Bee Café, Raleigh
- Feb. 22 – Scott James/The Angus Barn, Raleigh vs. Eric Gephart/Kamado Grille, Raleigh
- Feb. 27 – Timothy Bocholis/Bistro B Tapas, Kernersville vs. Trey Cleveland/Top of The Hill, Chapel Hill
- Feb. 28 – Clark Barlowe/Heirloom, Charlotte vs. James Patterson/Sedgefield Country Club, Greensboro
- March 1 – Jonathan Ballard/Sassool, Raleigh vs. Tom Havrish/Lugano Ristorante, Cary
- March 6 – Adam Pettigrew/Pup’s Steakhouse, Wilson vs. Teddy Klopf/Provenance, Raleigh
- March 7 – Troy Stauffer/City Club Raleigh vs. RJ St. John/Bull McCabes, Durham
Round 2, Quarterfinal ($75)
- March 8 – Rich Carter/Catering Works, Raleigh vs. Donaldo Guzman/Sitti, Raleigh
- March 13 – Scott James/The Angus Barn, Raleigh vs. Trey Cleveland/Top of the Hill, Chapel Hill
- March 14 – Jonathan Ballard/Sassool, Raleigh vs. James Patterson/McConnell Golf Dining, Greensboro/Raleigh
- March 15 – Adam Pettigrew/Pup’s Steakhouse, Wilson vs. Troy Stauffer/City Club, Raleigh
- Mar 20-21 – Round 3, Semi-final ($100)
- Mar 27 – Round 4, Final ($125)
About The Lucy Daniels Center
The LDC was founded in 1989 by Dr. Lucy Daniels, a noted author, educator and psychoanalyst. The Center houses the Lucy Daniels School, serving children preschool through grade 5 in a therapeutic educational setting, and a highly sophisticated assessment and treatment facility. The LDC serves more than 700+ children and families each year through the following programs: SecurePath, Lucy Daniels School (K-Grade 5); Family Guidance Service (FGS): Strengthening Families; and LDC 4 Early Success: Workshops and Special Programs. Almost 70 percent of these families pay less than the actual cost, and one in six receives services for free. The Lucy Daniels Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, meaning that donations to LDC are tax-deductible. More information at www.lucydanielscenter.org.
Photos: The New Vidrio in Raleigh on S. Glenwood!