The Chefs’ Showcase was a new event to the Festival in 2018. This afternoon culinary adventure is a seated, 5-course meal with wine pairings, light entertainment, and high-end silent auction items. Notable chefs from our region (and beyond!) work together to prepare the dishes…they always cook up something exciting!
Purchase Tickets Here
2019 Chefs’ Showcase Chefs:
Baker Claire Ptak – baker of the Royal Wedding Cake of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle
Chef Steve Foote – LM Restaurants Corporate Chef
Chef William “Kelly” Robey – Hotel Ballast
Chef James Patterson – Sedgefield Country Club
With Special guest Anna Echols of One Belle Bakery
Table Sponsorships are available through the Azalea Festival Ticket Office. 910-794-4650 or info@ncazaleafestival.org.
Table Sponsorships include:
*8 Tickets to the Chefs’ Showcase at a designated table
*Entry for the 8 table guests to the private sponsor Meet and Greet with the Chefs (1 hour before event start time)
*2 Airlie Luncheon Garden Party tickets for the Table Host
Table Sponsorships are $1,000.
NEW TO 2019: Enter our Savor California’s Wine Country Raffle for a chance to win a 5-day, 4-night vacation to Sonoma, California; inclusive of flight and hotel stay. Winner (1) will be pulled at random at the Chefs’ Showcase event. Need not be present to win.
Your trip for two includes:
• Round trip Economy Class air
• 5 days/4 nights accommodations at the Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa in a king- or queen-bedded room
• Daily complimentary breakfast
• All room-related taxes
• Private 5-hour winery tour in a chauffeured luxury sedan
• Daily complimentary wine tastings in the hotel lobby
• Complimentary bottle of wine in room upon arrival
• Free concierge reservation service
ESTIMATED VALUE: $6,400
TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF PRIZE:
Travel package is non-refundable and subject to availability. Certificates/gift cards cannot be replaced. Airport taxes and carrier imposed fees are the responsibility of the passenger.
Flights may not be upgraded with miles. A minimum 30 day advance reservation is required. Package originates from the Contiguous U.S. Travel is valid for 12 months from date of
issue. Some restrictions may apply during special events. Blackout dates: Jun 24-25, Jul 15-17.
ABOUT THE CHEFS:
Claire Ptak – A California native, Claire Ptak now resides in London where she is the chef / owner of Violet Bakery. Alongside baking, Claire works extensively as a food stylist and writer. Her forth cookbook, ‘The Violet Bakery Cookbook’ was shortlisted for the Fortnum and Mason Best Cookery Book 2016. Claire regularly contributes to The Guardian and The Observer and her work has also been featured in Vogue, Bon Appetit, Observer Food Monthly, Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Tasting Table, Food52 and beyond. Claire is also the host of Violet Sessions, a podcast of inspiring interviews with creative female pioneers.
Prior to moving to London Claire worked as a pastry chef for Alice Waters at Chez Panisse. Most recently Claire was commissioned to make the Royal Wedding cake for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, she created a bespoke cake installation for the couple using vanilla sponge, Amalfi lemon curd and elderflower Swiss meringue buttercream using Sandringham Estate’s elderflower cordial.
Claire is currently working on a new cookbook.
Chef Steve Foote – More information coming soon.
Chef William “Kelly” Robey – Chef William “Kelly” Robey started his professional career in culinary at the young age of 13 working for his grandfathers restaurant in Clinton, NC. His passion for culinary grew over the years during apprenticed throughout the Raleigh area. Moving around and absorbing all the information that he could. His senior year of High School Chef Kelly assisted in putting together  a career program that is still in use today. All of this while he was the Sous Chef at Cappers in North Raleigh under Chef Guy Brenamen. Soon after he attended Wake Tech and was part of the first graduating class of the new culinary program.
Throughout his career Chef Kelly has focused on Golf Club Resorts, 5 Diamond Hotels and Casinos.  At Reynolds Plantation in Lake Oconee Georgia, Chef Kelly got his first big jump as Executive Sous Chef.  Where he spent 5years at the resort building lasting memories for guest and members.  Chef Kelly Moved on to the newly built Ritz-Carlton lodge Reynolds Plantation. There he held multiple positions from Garde Manage, to Fine Dinning Chef art linger longer Club House. Chef Kelly wanted to experience bigger hotels and ended up in Lake Charles Louisiana. Where he worked for a large Casino property as Banquet Chef for 4 years.
From there it was another call from a new tribal casino being built in Michigan. So Kelly packed up his Family and moved North to the land of snow. Chef Kelly opened FireKeepers Casino as Banquet Chef and set the new standards for Banquets in the surrounding Southwest Michigan Area.   While at FirkKeepers Chef Kelly worked closely with the Food Bank of Southwest Michigan and helped to create the fresh food initiative as well as a food reclamation program. The Tribe backed what was happening and even bought a old Firehouse to convert to a local inner city restaurant and bakery, with a food pantry in the back. Chef Kelly sees that giving back to the community brings a community closer together.
Chef Kelly is currently relocating back to North Carolina to be closer to his roots. He has been married to his wife Neville for 24 years. He is a father of 3 great and awesome kids, Sydney 22, James 21 and Kelly jr. 14. His family will be joining him at the end of the school year.
Chef James Patterson – Bold, imaginative, passionate…these are just a few words used to describe 42-year-old Corporate Executive Chef James (J.P.) Patterson’s cuisine with McConnell Golf Properties.  J.P.’s delectable dishes are a prime example of his tribute to our local wondrous bounty with an upscale twist, as displayed in dishes such as Cheerwine Glazed Pork Belly over Pimento Cheese Grits with Locally Sourced Microgreens and Crispy Fried Black Eye Peas.
One unusual trait found in all of J.P.’s cuisine, is the ability to create a sense of elegance while keeping it simple. This is evident in many of his dishes such as his “Uptown Down-South Shrimp and Grits”, combining Coastal Carolina Shrimp sautéed with Tasso Ham, Shallots, and Fresh Cream over a Fried Cajun Anson Mills Grit Cake, garnished with Shaved Parmigiano. The menus at Sedgefield Country Club showcase J.P.’s culinary innovation.   Other signature dishes include Cast Iron Seared Scallops with Brown Sugar Whipped Sweet Potatoes, Crispy Bacon Lardon, Wilted Greens, and a Sorghum Reduction. Savory Sage Sausage and Cornbread Stuffed Joyce Farms Poulet Rouge accompanied by Duck Fat Glazed Roasted Fingerling Potatoes and Local Okra.
A native of Wilmington, North Carolina J.P. also graduated from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. He trained for nearly three years under the watchful eyes of Craig Deihl of Cypress and Donald Barickman of Hospitality Management Group Incorporated of Charleston S.C. After a short stint at Four Square(Durham, N.C.) with Shane Ingram, J.P. was Executive Chef of the Grille at Glen Lenox, and has been with McConnell Golf Properties now for over twelve years. J.P. lives in Greensboro, NC with his lovely wife, Toccoa, ten year old daughter Harriet and their boxer Lilly.
Check out all the fun from the 2018 Chefs’ Showcase here:
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
 
 
 

The Sun is followed by a live star show.

Planet Nine is followed by a live star show.

This show is not recommended for small children.