In its 10th year, the Chef Showdown event hosted by the N.C. Restaurant & Lodging Association started the months of competition with 102 chefs, pastry chefs and mixologists from across the state.
On Wednesday night, Sept. 2, the finalists gathered at an event in Durham for a tasting and presentation of this year’s awards. Among this year’s judges was Mauricio Huarcaya of Wilmington's Gustu Peruanofood truck, who took home the N.C. Chef of the Year in 2025 in the competition that focuses in part on how well the chefs incorporate North Carolina ingredients in their dishes.
Another Wilmington chef also won one of the top awards this year. Chef Charmaine Devine from Sugo Italian Steakhouse is the 2026 Pastry Chef of the Year. Here’s a look at the competition.
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Wilmington bites
Four competitors from Southeastern North Carolina were among the finalists at the Chef Showdown. James “JP” Patterson, of Porters Neck Country Club, was the only local chef among 15 finalists for savory dishes. He and his team prepared pan-seared grouper with succotash and a sweet corn veloute. Also representing the country club was pastry chef Becky Keil, who was one of five pastry chef finalists. She made a local honey and chevre mousse in a brown butter pecan pizzelle crust topped with edible flowers.
Makala Beaver, the pastry chef at King Neptune restaurant in Wrightsville Beach, made a Southern-inspired tiramisu with a rum-soaked cornmeal ladyfinger, peach butter and sorghum mascarpone. That dessert took home a Dairy Does More Award from The Dairy Alliance.
More winners
Devine made a coastal-themed dessert and served the bites on a bed of sweet “sand” at the event. The creme fraiche cheesecake was topped with blueberry “pearls” and served on a sweet potato shell with an ube semifreddo also won the People’s Choice award for best sweet bite.
The other top prize of 2026 NCRLA Chef of the Year went to Taylor Montgomery, who is a chef and farmer at Montgomery Sky Farms in Leicester. He was also the winner of Best Chef: Southeast at this year’s James Beard Foundation Awards. The NCRLA Mixologist of the Year is Ashley Sarkis of Yunta in Charlotte, and the Distillery of the Year is Muddy River Distillery in Mount Holly.
Allison Ballard is the food and dining reporter at the StarNews. You can reach her at aballard@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Sweet! Wilmington pastry chef wins a top prize at the NC Chef Showdown
