Savanna Broder of The Ballantyne Hotel’s sweet tea mousse earned her a spot in the final competition. Photo courtesy

Monday night, several Charlotte chefs will compete in the annual NCRLA Chef Showdown, hosted by the statewide hospitality and hotel advocacy group. The competition, hosted at The Angus Barn in Raleigh, is the culmination of several regional rounds where chefs create dishes for a judging panel in hopes of moving on to the next round. Local chefs may apply to take part in the regional rounds, though not all local chefs choose to do so.

At the Aug. 8 event, the NCRLA will name its chef, mixologist, and pastry chef of the year, as well as announce fan favorites based on dishes sampled at the event. Winners and runners up become part of the state’s culinary ambassadors for the year. Last year, Charlotte mixologist Colleen Hughes was the only local talent to bring home the top title.

Here’s who is in the running for Monday:

Mixologist of the Year
David Schmidt, Canopy Cocktails & Garden

Pastry Chef of the Year
Savanna Broder, The Ballantyne Hotel
Luis Rojas, Marriott City Center

Chef of the Year
Charles Gardiner, The Ballantyne Hotel
Andres Prussing, Golden Owl Tavern (UNC Marriott)
Oscar Johnson, Jimmy Pearls
Chef Phillip Platoni, Southminster
Chef Myles Scaglione, PARA

Best of luck to Charlotte’s competitors! We’ll let you know next week who brings home a title.