Asheville Wine and Food Festival announces 2013 WNC Chefs Challenge

For the fourth year, the Asheville Wine & Food Festival will host the WNC Chefs Challenge. The competition brings together culinary leaders from the region in weekly battles built around a special ingredient.

Chestnut restaurant, located at 48 Biltmore Avenue in Asheville, will host the dinners, held each Tuesday, February 12 through April 30, 2013. The finals will follow this summer during the Asheville Wine & Food Festival. Convenient parking is available in the parking garage at Aloft Hotel, located at 51 Biltmore Avenue.

"Each year we spotlight a new restaurant to showcase the culinary atmosphere in Asheville," says Festival Director Bob Bowles. "This is a beautiful restaurant and within walking distance of popular downtown attractions."

Diners get to enjoy six plated culinary creations (three from each team) that incorporate a special ingredient and will score each dish. The votes from the audience and from a panel of professional chefs, food writers, and culinary experts will determine the night's winner, who will advance to the next round. 

Reservations for the WNC Chefs Challenge are $49 per individual, and can be purchased online athttp://wncchefschallenge.eventbrite.com  or www.ashevillewineandfood.com. Beverages, sales tax, and gratuity are not included. Please visit www.ashevillewineandfood.comfor more information on the competitors, including portraits and biographies. Please encourage your favorite chef to enter. Send nominations to Bob Bowles at bob@ashevillewineandfood.com. 

The Asheville Wine & Food Festival was established in 2009 out of a desire to celebrate and showcase the area’s chefs, wineries, farmers and food producers. Annual events touch on every facet of regional food and drink, including the WNC Chefs Challenge, Sweet, and The Grand Tasting. As a leader in the farm-to-table movement and home to the most-visited winery in the country, Asheville was voted number 10 in TripAdvisor’s Traveler’ Choice Awards for top food and wine destinations in the United States for 2011. The city features 250 independent restaurants and 12 tailgate markets. 

The 2013 nonprofit organization benefiting from the WNC Chefs Challenge is Eliada, a 109-year-old agency serving North Carolina’s children and families. Founded in 1903 by Dr. Lucius B. Compton as a home for women and children, Eliada’s full-service continuum includes 5-star Child Development Services (Pre School, After School, Summer Camp, More at Four); Residential and Day Treatment for children and adolescents; Vocational Education and Transitional Living; Foster Care and Therapeutic Foster Care; and Therapeutic Recreation services. Learn more about Eliada’s history and services by visiting www.eliada.org. The agency enters its second century with pride, committed to the fulfillment of its mission of Helping Children Succeed. 

More information about the festival can be found online at www.ashevillewineandfood.com. You can also follow our updates through social media outlets