Dining Dish: culinary competition

Showing posts with label culinary competition. Show all posts

Monday, August 07, 2017

Finalists of Mason Dixon Master Chef Tournament Set to Compete

PRESS RELEASE: The Mason Dixon Master Chef Tournament, is a multi-week event is a single-elimination tournament designed to showcase some of the area's finest executive chefs and restaurants. Guests attending this exciting event will be more than just spectators, as they enjoy the unique experience of witnessing two spectacular area chefs battle it out in the prep kitchen right on the main floor. Each evening two chef teams go head-to-head to prepare an appetizer, entrée and dessert for each of three expert judges, as well as amuse bouche portions of their entrees for up to 30 audience member judges. Their creations are scored on creativity, presentation and taste, and only one chef advances to the next round. At the end of this tournament only one of the 16 competing chefs will emerge as THE Mason Dixon Master Chef! 10% of the net proceeds of each ticket sold directly to Meals on Wheels of Central Maryland. More information available at www.MasonDixonMasterChef.com ,

Final Two Restaurants to Compete on August 13, 2017

The Mason Dixon Master Chef Tournament, the mid-Atlantic’s largest, live, interactive culinary competition, is coming to a close this Sunday, August 13, 2017. The summer-long competition began in early June with a field of 16 hopefuls, but is now down to the final two chef teams, who will go head-to-head for cash and prizes and the title of The 2017 Mason Dixon Master Chef Champions!

Below are the details for the final match Battle Royale, tickets are on sale now and are expected to sell-out.

Battle Royale

August 13 – Chef Fabio Mura of Grille 620 and River Hill Grill vs. Chef Damon Hersh of The Inn at Brookville Farms

Chef Fabio Mura, Grille 620 / River Hill Grill

Chef Fabio grew up in Sardinia, Italy where he obtained his culinary Degree in Culinary Arts and Management. He moved to the U.S. 19 years ago, where he made a home in Baltimore, and has since worked at some of the best restaurants in Baltimore, including: Sotto Sopra, Boccaccio, Blue Sea Grill, and Chazz: a Bronx Original. He is currently the executive chef at Grille 620 located at the Turf Valley Town Square and at River Hill Grill.

Chef Fabio won "Favorite New Restaurant" from the Restaurant Association of Maryland in 2014. He was also nominated for "Best Chef" from the Restaurant Association of Maryland in 2015.

Chef Damon Hersh, The Inn at Brookeville Farms

Chef Damon Hersh has been cooking for over 20 years, and in the restaurant business for over 25 years. He has experience and skill in a wide variety of culinary environments, including high-end fine dining, casual eating, family style, and ethnic influences. Chef Damon is currently the executive chef at The Inn at Brookville Farms located in Montgomery County in Brookeville, MD.

The Championship match will be held Sunday, August 13^th. Bios of all competing chefs are available at http://www.masondixonmasterchef.com/schedule-results/bracket.php. The competitions will be held at Points South Latin Kitchen, 1640 Thames Street, Baltimore, MD (www.pointssouthbaltimore.com/).

Tournament Ticket Details

Tickets for the Final match are available for purchase at:

http://www.masondixonmasterchef.com/purchase-tickets/. Tickets are $65 and include all taxes, a wine tasting by Boordy Vineyards, passed hors d’oeurves, the competition, dessert and coffee. New this year, ALL Tickets for the competition are ‘Judging Experience’ tickets, which allow all guests to taste each of the six courses the chef teams produce (family-style) and be part of the voting to decide the winner!

In addition, the Mason Dixon Master Chef Tournament donates 10% of the net proceeds of each ticket sold directly to their charity partner Meals on Wheels of Central Maryland (http://www.mealsonwheelsmd.org).

Event Timeline:

6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. (Doors open at 5:30 p.m.)– Happy Hour with Complementary passed Hors d’oeurves and Wine Tasting by Boordy Vineyards, plus Drink and Food Specials

6:15 p.m. – Cold Prep Begins for the Competition

7:00 p.m. – Chef Competition

8:00 p.m. – Judging Begins, Complementary Dessert and Coffee Served

Wednesday, July 19, 2017

Cochon555 is back! Don't be the little piggy that stays home

They’re back; those delicious, plump heritage pigs will be making an appearance Sunday, August 6^th at Cochon555 in Washington DC at the Watergate Hotel. An all out pig out and competition where five chefs (Jon Sybert-Tail Up Goat, BJ Lieberman-Rose’s Luxury, Kosta Kontogiannis-Kingbrid Restaurant, Zach Mills-Wit and Wisdom and Ben Pflaumer-Osteria Morini) create menus featuring the most delectable, tasty and imaginative dishes from their pigs.

Read more and watch the video at Baltimore Post Examiner - Dara Cooks

Wednesday, June 15, 2016

Mason Dixon Master Chef Tournament in full swing - Year 6

In what is the Mid-Atlantic’s biggest culinary competition, the Mason Dixon Master Chef Competition is in full swing vying chef against chef from restaurants in the DMV (District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia).

The initial field of 16 chef teams has begun their tiered competitions. Each chef team will have 30 minutes of cold prep time, and just one hour of cooking time to create original appetizer, entrée and dessert courses for the expert judging panel of three, and up to 36 audience guest judges. Dishes are scored on presentation, creativity, difficulty and taste, and at the end of each evening only one chef team will advance to the next round.

The public is invited to the Inn at the Colonnade Baltimore to watch, and possibly judge the competition. Guests gathering around the two kitchens watching the chefs and their assistants take on a themed challenged. Matches are held Mondays and Tuesdays throughout the summer with the championship for the title of Mason Dixon Master Chef 2016 taking place on Sunday, August 14^th.

Tournament Details

Tickets for the remaining matches of this summer-long single-elimination chef competition are available for purchase at: http://www.masondixonmasterchef.com. Tickets for most matches are $25 for general admission and $45 for judging experience (including all taxes). In addition, the Mason Dixon Master Chef Tournament donates 10% of the net proceeds of each ticket sold directly to their charity partner Meals on Wheels of Central Maryland (http://www.mealsonwheelsmd.org).

Competition Dates (5:30pm – 9:00pm):

June 7, 8, 13, 14, 20, 21, 27, 28 -- July 11, 12, 18, 19 -- August 1, 2, 14

Event Timeline:

· 5:30 p.m. – Happy Hour with Complementary Hors d’oeurves and Wine Tasting by Boordy Vineyards, plus Drink Specials

· 6:30 p.m. – Cold Prep Begins for the Competition

· 7:00 p.m. – Chef Competition

· 8:00 p.m. – Judging Begins, Complementary Dessert and Coffee Served

Mason Dixon Master Chef Tournament 2016 – Colonnade Baltimore - www.masondixonmasterchef.com -Facebook Twitter

Saturday, May 10, 2014

The 4th Annual Mason Dixon Master Chef Tournament starts to cook June 16

If you are hooked on the culinary competitions on television; Top Chef, Cutthroat Kitchen, Master Chef, Chopped etc you can be a judge at this Mid-Atlantic competition to find 2014 Mason Dixon Master Chef or be a voyeur; watch along with other audience members.

Each year for the past three years, sixteen regional chefs competed in front of a live audience in an à la minute challenge of creating an appetizer, entrée and dessert. The Mason Dixon Master Chef Tournament is a bracketed competition, like basketball’s March Madness, executive chefs and assistants gain their seat in the next bracket as they win their competitions until it is down to the last two winning chefs and the finale as to who is 2014’s Mason Dixon Master Chef.

Watch the slideshow and full details HERE.

Sunday, January 05, 2014

Pork lovers celebrate - Cochon 555 announces the 2014 10 city tour

Do you love pork? Really love pork? Than here is an event you don’t want to miss. Coming to 10 cities throughout the US, find the one closest to you and grab your tickets now. From someone who has been a judge; the food and drink is well worth the price of admission.

Cochon 555 is an epic pork feast featuring top chefs preparing whole heritage breed pigs. Together with winemakers, brewers, distillers and craft food makers they create authentic culinary events while celebrating champions in the good food movement. The 6th annual 10-city tour starts Jan. 26, 2014, in New York City at The Ritz-Carlton New York, Battery Park.

Get the full details, watch the video and slideshow HERE.

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Spike Gjerde of Woodberry Kitchen wins Capital Food Fight

photo courtesy of Capital Food Fight benefiting DC Central Kitchen

The 10^th Annual D. C. Central Kitchen premier fundraising event, Capital Food Fight took place last night at Ronald Reagan Building in Washington D.C. Since founding in 1989, DC Central Kitchen has prepared 25 million meals for our low-income and at-risk neighbors in Washington, DC.

Read the full story HERE.

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Mason Dixon Master Chef Tournament 2013 finale

This is the third year that the Mason Dixon Master Chef competition has pitted local chef against local chef in a bracketed competition to find out who is the best chef/team in “Maryland” land. Last night the finale was held at Jaime Luna’s downtown Mari Luna Bistro.

Attendees arrived to watch the competition, some extra paying for judging experience, enjoy wine tastings, sample hors d’oeuvres from Chef Luna and/or order dinner from the Mexican bistro. Husband and wife Karen and Eric Folkart are the team who has put this completion together. It isn’t an easy feat creating a cooking arena in the middle of a restaurant but that is what was done every week during this summer competition.

How did the evening play out? Who won? How did the plates look? Enjoy the slideshow and full story HERE

Wednesday, June 05, 2013

Local chef competition begins June 17th and you are invited

The Mason Dixon Master Chef Tournament, a summer long single-elimination culinary competition, featuring 16 local restaurants and chef teams is set to begin this month. The tournament, which began in 2010, has moved back to Baltimore City this year, and found a new home at Mari Luna Bistro (1225 Cathedral Street, Baltimore, MD 21201) right in the heart of the cultural district.

This year’s tournament looks to be the best year yet, and has some exciting new features to offer guests, all included with their admission:

Learn more on how you can attend and even be a judge of the food HERE

Friday, August 03, 2012

If you like crab than you will love Crab Bash

Crabmeat every which way and loose can be yours at the Crab Bash this coming Tuesday, August 7th. As numerous regional chefs gather for the 3rd annual event competing for Best of Show and People’s Choice Awards you get to taste all their dishes along with specially created sample cocktails for each dish prepared by the Baltimore Bartenders Guild.

B&O American Brasserie and Hotel Monaco Baltimore will host the annual Crab Bash chef cook-off, once again benefiting the National Aquarium this coming Tuesday, August 7th from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Watch the slideshow, get the details where you can get tickets and more HERE

Wednesday, June 06, 2012

Baltimore food trucks battle Washington DC food trucks

A Taste of Two Cities, a mouth to mouth battle coming to South Baltimore at the Westport Waterfront (www.westportwaterfront.com) on Saturday, June 23 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. as 20 of Baltimore’s food trucks take on 20 Washington D.C.’s food trucks. It will be “the best of times!’

Along with celebrity judges, you, the consumer are invited to come enjoy the great food and also help pick whether Baltimore has the best food trucks versus Washington DC. “A Taste of Two Cities” will feature food and drinks from the top food trucks in the region in addition to live entertainment from local bands.

Go forth, dine and support Baltimore in the battle for food truck supremacy. Baltimore has always felt like a step child to the Washington DC dining scene so show your loyalty. Let’s show DC that hons have taste.

Directions to the event can be found at www.westportwaterfront.com. Additionally, Westport Waterfront is accessible via Baltimore’s Light Rail system by exiting at the Westport Station stop (south of the Hamburg Street stop which serves M&T Bank Stadium).

Monday, May 21, 2012

Mason Dixon Master Chef Tournament is back and seeking competitors

Last summer 32 chefs went head-to-head in a cooking competition for the title of Mason Dixon Master Chef. The culinary competition is back, slightly changed with the number of competing chefs reduced to 16, the location is in Jessup to be more centrally located to more chefs and dinner is not inclusive in the ticket price. The first night of the competition is June 25th.

For more details on the competition the full story is HERE

Sunday, April 15, 2012

Swine, wine and dine 2012 - Cochon 555

Pork lovers rejoice! Cochon 555 is back for its fourth year and guests will be treated to an pork feast of epic proportions. There will be five heritage pigs prepared by five star chefs from Washington DC in a nose to tail competition. Last year’s winner, Chef Scott Drewno of The Source by Wolfgamg Puck is back to keep his title of Prince of Porc. His competition is Graffiato’s and Top Chef’s competitor Mike Isabella, Wes Morton of Art and Soul, Nicholas Stefanelli of Bibiana and Ed Witt of 701 Restaurant.

One of Chef Brian Voltaggio's plates for the judges - Cochon 555 2011

As a judge of this event the past two years I can tell you the creations using of all the parts of a whole pig by these chefs will blow you away. And, by the way, it is for a good cause…helping maintain heritage pigs and not letting the breeds die out.

Continue reading on Examiner.com Swine, wine and dine 2012 – Cochon 555

Saturday, October 16, 2010

MLA Black Box culinary challenge held in Baltimore - 2nd time in USA

MLA, Meat and Livestock Australia, created the Black Box Culinary Challenge which is a team-based culinary competition showcasing high quality Australian red meat products to chefs around the world from novice to executive chefs. Last week at the Restaurant Association of Maryland’s Expo at the convention center five regional teams took on the challenge for the glory, for the prize money and for a chance to move on in the competition.

Read the complete story: MLA Black Box culinary challenge held in Baltimore - 2nd time in USA