From the Judges Table at the 2026 NCRLA Chef Showdown Culinary Prelim Round in Pinehurst
A quick take from the Judges’ Table at the 2026 NCRLA Chef Showdown, fourth culinary preliminary round, held at Sandhills Community College in Pinehurst, North Carolina, at our Visit Pinehurst, Southern Pines & Aberdeen Judges’ Table. And that time I told them all how much I loved the runm-soaked Chocolate Covered Cherries from JF Chocolat in Charlotte NC.
Midway through the day, I checked in with our three judges on what they were seeing from this year’s competitors: standout creativity, a strong mix of professional chefs and rising talent, and North Carolina ingredients on nearly every plate.
Watch till the end for what happened when the judging wrapped and Pastry Chef Justin Fry brought out his JF Chocolat chocolate-covered cherries, soaked in Muddy River Distillery’s spiced rum. They are my personal favorite, and they did not disappoint.
Meet the judges:
⭐️ Chef Mark Allison of Charlotte, chef consultant, cookbook author, and founder of Chefs Against Cancer
⭐️ Chef Adé Carrena of Dounou Cuisine in Raleigh, 2023 NCRLA Chef of the Year and a Chopped champion
⭐️ Pastry Chef Justin Fry of JF Chocolat in Charlotte, founder of the National Pastry Conference
Read the full recap of the Pinehurst round at HeidiBillottoFood.com
#TellThemHeidiSentYou
😎Learn more about the NCRLA Chef Showdown here: https://heidibillottofood.com/2026/06/26/the-ncrla-chef-showdown-how-it-started-and-where-it-is-now/
🧑🍳Get tickets to the Sept 2, 2026 NCRLA Chef Showdown Grand Finale, an evening of local North Carolina food and drink at NCChefShowdown.com
