WEEKLY challenges
4 CHEFS
4 MENU CONCEPTS
1 EPIC winner
Don’t miss out on this EPIC culinary competition.
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HIGH-STAKES CULINARY COMPETITION

From the innovative minds of McCain® Foodservice Solutions comes an epic culinary throwdown.

Four operator chefs will battle to create mouthwatering menu concepts featuring McCain Mini MashersTM. Fierce battles will be waged. New legends will be forged. Delectable masterpieces will be created to be judged by a panel of experts.

Watch and see who will cook and win against an industry titan at the McCain® National Restaurant Association Show booth for the ultimate prize – PURE EPIC CULINARY GLORY!

EPIC Throwdown CHALLENGES
THE QUEST FOR THE BEST

Each week, chefs will compete in an epic battle for the chance to become a culinary legend. The chef that steps up to the plate and creates the most heroic dish featuring McCain Mini MashersTM will be named the EPIC Throwdown Winner!
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The runners-up
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The Chefs
CHEF BRIAN JUPITER

From the man behind the epic meals at Frontier, we’re proud to have "Chef Jup" here on the culinary battlefield. Born and raised in New Orleans, executive chef Brian Jupiter has always believed that Southern comfort food is a true art form. His inspiration comes from closely held family secrets and recipes that he learned from cooking alongside his grandmother.

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The Judges
JUDGE PATRICIA COBE

As senior editor of Restaurant Business and FoodService Director, Patricia plans and executes the menu sections and covers food and beverage trends, menu R&D, profiles of chefs and restaurateurs, and Technomic research.

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MEET THE STAR OF THE THROWDOWN
MEET THE STAR OF THE THROWDOWN

Introducing award-winning McCain Mini MashersTM. They’re a new way to do potatoes. Crispy on the outside, creamy on the inside and crazy good. Perfect for customizing with your signature sauces and seasonings.

VIEW PRODUCT
Our weekly challengers will go against industry titans LIVE on the main stage at McCain’s National Restaurant Association Show Lakeside booth 8416. This is an epic culinary experience you won’t want to miss.
CHEF DAMARR BROWN
Chef de cuisine Damarr Brown brings his culinary expertise to Virtue restaurant and Top This Mac N’ Cheese. Brown cooked under Erick Williams at nationally acclaimed mk for seven years. Brown was also a sous chef under the tutelage of Michelin-starred chef Andrew Brochu. He was named Food & Wine’s best new chef in America and was a finalist in the emerging chef category.
CHEF SARAH GRUENEBERG
Sarah Grueneberg is the James Beard Award-winning chef/partner of Monteverde Restaurant & Pastificio in Chicago’s West Loop. Grueneberg was at the award-winning Spiaggia under the leadership of Tony Mantuano. She received the James Beard Award for best chef in the Great Lakes region in 2017 and was a semifinalist for outstanding chef in 2019 and 2020.
CHEF BEAU MACMILLAN
Chef Beau MacMillan is a two-time James Beard Award nominee for best chef in the Southwest region. He’s a regular on several of Food Network’s shows and served as the executive chef for the Sanctuary Camelback Mountain for 10 years. Now he’s the director of culinary operations for Clive Collective and oversees Cala in Scottsdale, Arizona.
CHEF MARIA MAZON
Chef Maria Mazon uses the flavors of the Sonoran Desert to create an experimental take on classic Mexican fare that has earned her local and national accolades. She’s appeared on Bravo TV’s Top Chef and in 2020 and 2022, she became a James Beard Award semifinalist for best chef in the Southwest region.
THROWDOWN SCHEDULE
SATURDAY MAY 20
10 AM
CHEF SARAH GRUENEBERG
VS.
CHEF JEN CARROLL
SATURDAY MAY 20
1 PM
CHEF MARIA MAZON
VS.
CHEF VICTOR JACINTO
SUNDAY MAY 21
10 AM
CHEF DAMARR BROWN
VS.
CHEF SPIKE MENDELSOHN
SUNDAY MAY 21
1 PM
CHEF BEAU MACMILLAN
VS.
CHEF JEN CARROLL
IT’S GOING DOWN IN CHICAGO
MAY 20 - 21
LAKESIDE BOOTH 8416
CAN’T MAKE IT IN PERSON?
WATCH THE LIVE STREAM