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Team Vidalia Boom Takes Home First Place in the Got to Be NC Competition Dining Series

After several years of hard work, the team of chefs from Boone’s own Vidalia Restaurant brought home a win in this week’s Got to be NC Competition Dining Series, which pitted teams from across the region against each other in a head-to-head battle in the kitchen.

Vidalia owner Sam Ratchford and his teammates, co-owner Julius Kalman and chef Jason Walsh, outperformed their opponents in Winston-Salem this week, earning for themselves a $2,000 grand prize. bragging rights and the competition’s coveted red chef jackets.

“It’s a sense of accomplishment to finally get it done. It was exciting, and a good thing,” Ratchford said. “The other team was pretty tough to beat, of course, but my teammates helped a lot with their creativity.”

“Team Vidalia Boom” knocked out last year’s defending champs in the final round of this bracket-style, chef v. chef cooking tournament on Wednesday night by successfully incorporating two surprise ingredients — pheasant and molasses — which were introduced to them just an hour before they were allowed in the kitchen.

Hard work has paid off for Ratchford and his team, which will head to Raleigh in October to take on other regional winners in Got to Be NC’s statewide Battle of the Champions.

“This is one step closer to putting us on the map. It should be fun to go to Raleigh and represent,” he said. “It was a good experience, as it always is, and I’d just like to thank my teammates.”

Come back in October to find out how Vidalia does in the state competition.

Team Vidalia Boom
Team Vidalia Boom shows off the $2,000 grand prize and their red chef jackets after taking home first place in the Got to Be NC Competition Dining Series.