3 Louisiana Chefs to Represent The Boot in 2017 Chefs Taste Challenge

Foodies, it’s almost that time of year again! The 2017 Chefs Taste Challenge is underway and I couldn’t be more excited. Put me in a room with good food and great drinks and I’m sold. I had the pleasure of covering the first and second annual challenges and I totally stoked to do the same this time around.

This year, three top chefs from Louisiana will be amongst competing chefs vying for the Gold, Silver, and Fan Favorite awards. Check out the deets about the event via the official press release and the full list of competing chefs below.

The ten chefs, who hail from the southern United States, will compete to create the best dish that utilizes farm-fresh items from a pantry of pre-selected ingredients. Items stocked in the pantry will be representative of ingredients that are in-season in various regions at the time of the competition.

Participating chefs’ dishes will be judged by a panel of renowned judges. Confirmed judges include Izabela Wojcik, Director of House Programming, The James Beard Foundation; and Chef Hari Pulapaka, Chef/Owner of Cress Restaurant, DeLand, FL, and 2015 Chefs Taste Challenge Winner. The top two dishes will be selected for Gold and Silver Chefs Taste Challenge awards. A “Fan Favorite” award will also be presented based on voting from dinner attendees. All 10 selected chefs will receive national recognition for their participation in the Chefs Taste Challenge dinner event.

COMPETING CHEFS:

1. Alex Belew, Alex Belew Catering Murfreesboro, TN
2. Robert Butts, Twisted Soul Cookhouse and Pours Atlanta, GA
3. Kaimana Chee, Hampton Creek & Uncle’s Hawaiian Grindz, Silver Spring, MD
4. Jacob Cureton, Atchafalaya, New Orleans, LA
5. Eric Fulkerson, Bald Headed Bistro, Cleveland, TN
6. Evelyn Garcia, Pop Ups by Chef Evelyn, Houston, TX
7. Alex Harrell, Angeline, New Orleans, LA
8. Blake Jackson, Drake Catering, Shreveport, LA
9. James Versfelt, Shelbourne South Beach, Miami Beach, FL
10. Ülfet Özyabasligil Ralph, Little St. Simons Island, St. Simons Island, GA

The Chefs Taste Challenge is a part of the Farm to Table Experience, the annual gathering that features tastings, hands-on workshops, chef demos, educational sessions, and more from September 7-9, 2017. For more info or to purchase tickets, visit the official website.

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