Ashley Boyd, Chris Coleman, and Paul Verica work together to plate an entree in 2016. Verica and Boyd are both cooking in November’s dinner. Kristen Wile/UP

As part of its push to increase awareness of the city’s culinary scene, the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority (CRVA) is sending a group of local chefs to the James Beard House for a “Charlotte Tastemakers” dinner on Nov. 16.

The chefs that will take part in the dinner are William Dissen, owner of Haymaker; Joe Kindred, owner of Kindred and Hello, Sailor; Bruce Moffett, owner of Barrington’s, Good Food, Stagioni, and upcoming N.C. Red; Paul Verica, owner of The Stanley; and Ashley Boyd, pastry chef and co-owner of 300 East.

Mixologists Bob Peters, now a consultant, and Colleen Hughes of Haberdish will be on hand to pair cocktails with courses. Verica, Boyd, and Peters were all part of a Charlotte contingent that cooked at the James Beard House for a dinner in 2016. That event also included chefs Blake Hartwick of Bonterra and Chris Coleman of Stoke.

We asked CRVA’s communications director, Laura White, why they feel it’s important to fund the chefs’ Beard House event.

“The CRVA is committed to telling many of Charlotte’s stories through its branding efforts and as the restaurant scene is an important visitation driver for tourism, we want to help foster opportunities to showcase our culinary talent,” White said in an email statement. “Cooking at the esteemed James Beard House is one of those opportunities that provides visibility and a celebration of Charlotte’s culinary talents.”

Tickets to the dinner cost $180 and benefit the James Beard Foundation. Can’t make it to New York? CRVA is also hosting a local preview dinner, which will give the chefs a test run of their dishes. Tickets to the preview event, on Nov. 5 at The Stanley, are $95 and can be purchased here.

The menu, which could change, is as follows:

Passed hors d’oeuvres:
North Carolina Crab Salad with Buttermilk, Hemp Seed Togarashi, and Caviar
Hamachi Crudo with Uni Mayonnaise, Puffed Rice, and Macadamia Nuts
Crispy Springer Mountain Farms Chicken Skins with Foie Gras Mousse and Pickled Red Onions
Beef Tartare with Brioche, Marrow, Truffles, Mushrooms, Pickled Potatoes, and Celery
Smoked Sweet Potatoes with Goat Yogurt, Tahini, Cilantro, and Pomegranate

Dinner courses:
Mussels Escabeche with Sunchokes and Truffles
Emmer Wheat Strozzapreti with Venison Sugo and Chiles en Adobo
Syrah-Braised Springer Mountain Farms Chicken Drumstick with Baby Root Vegetables, Smoked Bacon, and Pommes Anna
Certified Angus Beef Short Rib with Sunchoke, Spinach, Carrot, Turnip, Onions, and Red Wine
Hibiscus–Pear Crumb Cake with Whipped Buttermilk and Pickled Pear

I attended the last Charlotte dinner at the James Beard House, and sat across from a New Yorker who had never tasted catfish before. The dinners certainly educate diners about true Southern cuisine; for the 2016 dinner, chefs drove up their own produce to showcase local farms as well as their cooking styles. The kitchen was surprisingly old and small; they haven’t changed much since James Beard lived there. The fryer wouldn’t start and staff showed up late. The chefs put out a great meal anyway. —Kristen Wile