HIGH-STAKES CULINARY COMPETITION
For four weeks, four operator chefs battled to create mouthwatering menu concepts featuring McCain Mini Mashers™ potato bites all to be judged by a panel of experts. The weekly winners then went to the National Restaurant Association Show to compete LIVE against industry titans to win the ultimate prize – PURE EPIC CULINARY GLORY!
EPIC CULINARY COMPETITION
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EPIC Throwdown competitions.
THE QUEST FOR THE BEST
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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.
From iconic TV moments to cooking in iconic restaurants, chef Jen Carroll is a true culinary competitor. Chef Carroll opened Spice Finch as the executive chef, where she combined her expertise in French technique from nine years at Le Bernardin and 10 years at Arts Bistro & Lounge under chef Eric Ripert with the skills learned working with chef Marcus Samuelsson at Red Rooster, where she honed in on elevated comfort food coupled with down-to-earth hospitality.
Food. Basketball. Sneakers. Those are the three main things chef Victor Jacinto is passionate about, which makes sense since he’s the head chef at Courtside Food & Drinks in Vancouver, British Columbia. Courtside is where basketball and food fans can eat elevated stadium food with freshly made sauces and house-made pickles. Now that’s a slam dunk! Chef Victor started his culinary training at the Vancouver Community College and then spent his time cooking at the top restaurants in Vancouver. We can’t wait to see what he creates in our culinary competition.
Chef Spike Mendelsohn is a true renaissance man and is ready for the EPIC Throwdown. Chef Spike is the chairman of the DC Food Policy Council and co-founder and culinary director of PLNT Burger. He trained under some of the most prestigious chefs and restaurateurs before diving into the world of fast casual and founding several successful restaurant concepts. Chef Spike uses his expertise to consult with and develop brands across various industries.
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.
As a senior corporate chef at McCain Foods, chef Ronald Opyd oversees the creation of menu concepts, innovating on products and more. He brings decades of culinary experience to the judging table.
As vice president of marketing for McCain Foods North America, Tracy leads a marketing team across disciplines, including brand marketing, innovation, commercial planning, insights and integrated marketing communications for the McCain potato portfolio.
Introducing award-winning McCain Mini MashersTM potato bites. 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.
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