Back in August you may remember reading a recap of my experience at an event called Fire in the City in Charlotte. It was part of a North Carolina-wide dining competition and the finals took place in Raleigh on Saturday night.
The Competition Dining Series is a state-wide dining competition that takes place in five different regions of North Carolina throughout the year. On each evening of the competition, two restaurants battle it out side by side in a single elimination, blind dinner format. Guests of the event enjoy a six-course menu (three courses from each chef without knowing whose food they’re tasting) created around a “mystery” North Carolina-local ingredient that is revealed to the chefs at noon the day of their battle and it must be used in each of their three courses. Guests then rate each dish using an app and results are revealed at the end of the evening.
During our time at Fire in the City in August, a fire safety video was shared and we were all encouraged to tweet it out with hopes that our tweet might be one of the tweets randomly selected to win two tickets to the Final Fire event. I was incredibly excited when I received a call from Kent Graham, chief of Blowing Rock Fire and Rescue, in October. He told me I won two tickets to the Final Fire and I knew right away Ryan and I would absolutely make the drive to Raleigh to attend. We had way too much fun at Fire in the City to miss it!
![Final Fire Raleigh_thumb[1]](https://i2.wp.com/pbfingers.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Final-Fire-Raleigh_thumb1.jpg "Final Fire Raleigh_thumb[1]")
(Yumi Kim Carly romper on super sale via RueLaLa // Hue opaque fig tights // Black pumps via Payless // Etsy black clutch // Stitch Fix necklace // Noonday Collection cuff)
During my phone call with Kent, we spoke for quite a while and he emphasized the importance of fire safety, as that is a big part of the call to action of the competition dining series. Did you know that cooking is the number one cause of home fires and burn injuries by a landslide?
After my phone call with Kent, we still had while to wait for the dining competition finals to arrive because chefs in other cities around North Carolina were still competition. Just in case you’re a North Carolina reader, I wanted to share the other cities that also participate in this dining competition because you have to go one year! It’s too fun!
- Fire on the Dock (Wilmington)
- Fire on the Rock (Asheville)
- Fire on the Triad (Greensboro)
- Fire in the Triangle (Raleigh)
- Fire in the City (Charlotte)
- Final Fire (Raleigh)
Ryan and I arrived in Raleigh on Saturday right after lunchtime and made sure to squeeze in some family time because my grandma, aunt, uncle and cousins live in the area!
My grandma’s place was outfitted in autumn glory that was too cute not to photograph!
![Fall Decorations_thumb[6]](https://i2.wp.com/pbfingers.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Fall-Decorations_thumb6.jpg "Fall Decorations_thumb[6]")
We arrived and were immediately greeted with chocolate-covered shortbread cookies and warm hugs!
![grandma granddaughter_thumb[5]](https://i2.wp.com/pbfingers.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/grandma-granddaughter_thumb5.png "grandma granddaughter_thumb[5]")
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We enjoyed a lovely afternoon with Mimi (the mastermind behind my favorite sugar cookies!) and it was so nice to see her and catch up before we had to head on to my aunt’s house.
Once we arrived at my Aunt Laurie’s, we snacked a bit and enjoyed chatting with my aunt, uncle and cousins. Time flew by waaay too fast and before we knew it, we had to head to our hotel to check in, change and meet up with Ryan and his wife Janessa for happy hour!
![Renaissance Raleigh North_thumb[1]](https://i2.wp.com/pbfingers.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Renaissance-Raleigh-North_thumb1.jpg "Renaissance Raleigh North_thumb[1]")
![Competition Dining NC_thumb[8]](https://i2.wp.com/pbfingers.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Competition-Dining-NC_thumb8.png "Competition Dining NC_thumb[8]")
Ryan’s friend Ryan just turned 30 last weekend and since my sister was in town, I couldn’t make it to his surprise party so it was especially nice to see him and his wife and wish Ryan a very happy birthday! (Ryan and Ryan have been friends since childhood and he was also a groomsman in our wedding!)
After happy hour, we had to hurry into the main event to grab our seats at Table Three which ended up being one heck of a fun table!
![Final Fire NC_thumb[6]](https://i2.wp.com/pbfingers.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Final-Fire-NC_thumb6.png "Final Fire NC_thumb[6]")
We were able to share the Final Fire experience with some very fun folks: The wonderful people behind NC Beer Guys and Raleigh Brewing Company. Of course this meant the drinks at our table were flowin’ throughout the evening!
My favorite beer of the night was Raleigh Brewing Company’s Hell Yes Ma’am a fruity, spicy golden beer that apparently got its name because Kristie, the CEO and President of Raleigh Brewing Company, insisted to her husband Patrik, the COO and Technical Manager, that this beer had to be sold. It’s now their best-selling beer, reiterating, yet again, the fact that husbands should always listen to their wives. Ha!
As we drank our beers and got to know each other, the energetic host of the event kicked things off and introduced the two chefs that would be competing in the Final Fire.
Chef Dean Thompson of Flights at Renaissance North Hills won the Fire in The Triangle series in Raleigh and Chef John Fortes of Mimosa Grill was the champion of Fire in the City battles in Charlotte and the two chefs would be competing for the $4,000 prize!
Then the secret ingredients were revealed only this time instead of two secret ingredients, there were three: Apple Mill Apple Butter, Atlantic Caviar and Biltmore Winery Sparkling Wine Blanc de Blanc.
Once introductions were made, it was time to eat! Each of the six courses were absolutely delicious, but there were definitely some stand outs.
Here are the courses in the order they were served:
Course One: Competition Dining Breadless Benedict, “Our” Lamb Sausage, Biltmore Sparkling Wine Atlantic Caviar & Pancetta Vinaigrette, Sparkling Wine Caviar Sabayon, Lime Caviar, Egg, Asparagus
Chef Jon Fortes of Mimosa Grill
Voter Score: 28.257
Pro Score: 23.667
Weighted Score: 25.962
![final fire nc course 2_thumb[1]](https://i2.wp.com/pbfingers.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/final-fire-nc-course-2_thumb1.jpg "final fire nc course 2_thumb[1]")
Course Two: Pepper-Crusted Venison, Apple Mill Apple Butter & Atlantic Caviar Gnocchi with Apple Brown Butter, Mushrooms, Juniper Biltmore Sparkling Wine Hollandaise, Truffle Oil
Chef Dean Thompson of Flights
Voter Score: 31.455
Pro Score: 24.333
Weighted Score: 27.894
![final fire course 3_thumb[1]](https://i2.wp.com/pbfingers.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/final-fire-course-3_thumb1.jpg "final fire course 3_thumb[1]")
Course Three: Duo of Carolina Pork – Apple Mill Apple Butter Pork Rillette and Biltmore Sparkling Wine Braised Pork Belly, Goat Cheese, Andouille, Leek & Mushroom Bread Pudding, Sparkling Wine & Apple Butter Squash Sauce
Chef Jon Fortes of Mimosa Grill
Voter Score: 29.771
Pro Score: 28.333
Weighted Score: 29.052
![final fire course 4_thumb[1]](https://i2.wp.com/pbfingers.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/final-fire-course-4_thumb1.jpg "final fire course 4_thumb[1]")
Course Four: Breakfast for Dinner – Apple Mill Apple Butter Pork Sausage, Cheddar Chive Biscuit, Atlantic Caviar White Gravy, Perfectly Poached Egg, Fennel with Biltmore Sparkling Wine Vinaigrette
Chef Dean Thompson of Flights
Voter Score: 24.193
Pro Score: 17.000
Weighted Score: 20.596
Course Five: Autumn Harvest Trio – Fried Sweet Potato Pie with Apple Mill Apple Butter Honey Drizzle, Pumpkin Cheesecake with Biltmore Sparkling Wine Grape Syrup, Apple Pie & Walnut Ice Cream, Sparkling Wine & Apple Caramel
Chef Jon Fortes of Mimosa Grill
Voter Score: 28.771
Pro Score: 24.000
![final fire course 6.jpg_thumb[1]](https://i2.wp.com/pbfingers.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/final-fire-course-6.jpg_thumb1.jpg "final fire course 6.jpg_thumb[1]")
Course Six: Carrot & Apple Mill Apple Butter Cake with Caramelized White Chocolate & Apple Butter Streusel, Biltmore Sparkling Wine Icing, Apple Butter Mousse, Sparkling Wine & Atlantic Caviar Salted Caramel, Sparkling Wine Apple Chip, Candied Walnuts, Apple Butter Brandy Frozen Custard
Chef Dean Thompson of Flights
Voter Score: 29.952
Pro Score: 28.333
Weighted Score: 29.143
For me, the best part of the evening comes at the end when all of the scores are revealed and you get to learn which chef made what dish. It’s always so interesting to learn what other diners thought about dishes that you loved or didn’t particularly care for since opinions differ so much!
My favorite two dishes of the evening were course two and course five. The venison and gnocchi combination in course two blew me away and I would order that dish time and time again if it was served in a restaurant. And the fried sweet potato pie and apple pie and walnut ice cream in course five were heavenly! I woke up thinking about them the next day!
In the end, Charlotte-based chef Jon Fortes won and graciously accepted his $4,000 check as everyone applauded. A well-deserved win!
![jon fortes_thumb[1]](https://i2.wp.com/pbfingers.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/jon-fortes_thumb1.jpg "jon fortes_thumb[1]")
Congratulations to Chef Jon Fortes and thank you so much to Competition Dining for such a memorable and delicious experience!
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What a great event! You look adorable in that pantsuit. Did you snag these pics with your iphone? The food looks amazing. Have a great Monday!
some were from my phone, some were from my point-and-shoot and the food ones were all provided by competition dining for everyone to use!
Yum! That’s so nice that you are now driving distance from your aunt and grandma! Sounds like a pretty perfect weekend 🙂
Wow incredible food!! Course three and five look like they’d be my winners but I’d imagine they were all pretty incredible! Love the purple tights too!
What a fun night! And your outfit is just absolutely perfect!
Congrats to the winning chef!! And what a fun night! I would love to do something like this in Omaha!
They NEED to take this national! I think it would be a huge hit!!
Love your outfit!!
Love your romper girl! North hills is one of my favorite shopping venues in Raleigh. Looks like yall had a great night!
It was such a cute area!!! Love that we got there just in time for the Christmas tree lighting!
Wow, what an awesome dining experience!! That’s so fun that you got to score the dishes and see how the pros scored them too. Oof those desserts look fantastic.
And your outfits are super cute as always!
Yup, those desserts definitely look like winners to me. I love how the voter scores were consistently higher than the pro scores. It’s like that OMG SOOOO GOOOD feeling kind of takes over, hah. 😉 Glad you had so much fun!
I love the romper with tights look! I have a cute romper that I wanted to transition for some winter events and now I know just how to do that – thanks : )
yay!! and thank you so much, stacie! 🙂
What a fun weekend! My husband and I went to the Final Fire of the Raleigh competition a few years ago and chocolate was one of the ingredients. Everything was so good!
oh man, now THAT is an awesome secret ingredient!!
That’s awesome the competition provided photos of the food, makes it a whole lot easier than trying to take food pictures in poor lighting!
That romper looks so cute, I could never pull something like that off.
Sounds like a great (and delicious!) night! North Hills is such a fun place to go in Raleigh.
Many of our burn injuries on the burn unit are from some type of cooking – boiling water that spills, oil that spills, catching a sleeve on fire on the stove. Or people spill coffee/tea/soup (especially kids). The acuity of the burn unit has gone down drastically over the past few decades because of the increase in fire safety and awareness. There are much fewer catastrophic fires and many more smaller injuries – people will continue to cook!
Thank you, Susan, for what you do! Cooking is the leading cause of burn injuries (39%) AND structure fires (44%). You are so right! We really appreciate Julie’s help with this simple awareness that prevents so many tragedies. Heard, chef!
Thanks again for speaking with me about the importance of fire safety, Kent, and for allowing me and Ryan to attend such a fun event. We loved every minute!
I love the way you “winterized” the romper with the tights!!
thank you!! <3
SO jealous!! what a fun night full of amazing food!
Very cool! I love your romper (like I mentioned on Insta) and your outfit at your grandma’s… I need a stylist (or more patience for shopping). 🙂
ABSOLUTELY LOVE the purple tights!!!!
I am DROOLING. Also, I just want to raid your closet. And then force you to curl my hair. You have PERFECTED the beach wave.
This event is like heaven! So much delicious looking food! Yum!
Hi Julie! First of all, love the jumper. Second of all, what an awesome night of eating. I LOVE that kind of thing. You were smart to wear a loose jumper, but I bet those tights got a little snug as the eating went on and on … 🙂
love love love your romper with those tights! and the food all looks phenomenal, looks like a super cool event!
What a fun event to be a part of! The food looks and sounds delicious. It’s always near to go out and try dishes you might not make at home. I feel like it always inspires me to think outside the box after events like these and try new pairings and combos!
Yumm, that all looks so amazing and fun! 🙂 Also love your outfit! Thanks for posting where it’s all from!
I love your outfit at your grandma’s place. The competition sounds like so much fun, and everything looks so delicious!
All that food looks delicious! I need to find an event like that to go to in Chicago!
Your grandma is too cute! It looks like you had a great time at this event – all the food looks so yummy!
Where did you get the top you wore to your grandma’s?! I love it!!
White Plum! 🙂
Julie, you are tall right? Do you have tall boots you would recommend? I have trouble finding ones that come all the way up to my knees. I’m 5’9″. I love your style!
Have you looked into Corso Como boots?? They’re amazing and I feel like they’re longer/taller than other boots out there!
Okay i love your hair! can you please tell me how you did that?! I know you have done hair tutorials in the past, but this looks like it’s not curled but not straight?! Help me…i need to know how to do this to my hair! Thanks!
What a fun event! Also I love your outfit in the picture in front of your grandma’s house!
Thank you!! <3
Sounds like such a fun event!
I ADORE the brown jacket and boots that you wore to your grandma’s~ Where’d you get them?
Thank you, Ali! The jacket is 5/48 from Off 5th and the boots are from VictoriasSecret.com!
oh my mouth is watering, the cheesecake looks divine:) Your outfit is so prettyx
I didn’t realize you had family here! So glad you had a fun time in my Raleigh. Let me know the next time you come if you want to meetup with the fams. There’s a restaurant called Cowfish right across the street from that hotel that is amazing, and I actually think there’s one in Charlotte too. Worth a shot. That whole north hills shopping center is a lot of fun.