Whiskey Kitchen Selected to Compete in Cooking for a Classic 2018

Photography by Stacey Price Sprenz

Whiskey Kitchen is thrilled to be selected as a competitor in the upcoming Lucy Daniels Center (LDC) second annual fundraiser for children’s mental health, Cooking for a Classic 2018. The event, which was launched last year, successfully raised more than $85,000 for LDC.

Whiskey Kitchen’s chef Aaron Matyac will be leading the team along with teammates Kyle Teears, Clayton Anderson and Jonathan Botta. The Whiskey Kitchen team is competing for a restored vintage 1949 pickup truck and will battle it out at their first event on Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2018. 

Chef judges and a popular vote by the guests will help determine who moves on to the finale. Each chef will use secret ingredients to concoct three dishes per night for a total of six. A bar featuring local brews, spirits and wines will also be available, with purchase proceeds benefiting LDC.

The competing chefs for 2018 are:

• Monday, Jan. 22: Chef Troy Stauffer of City Club Raleigh versus Chef Matt Hannon of Ironwood Café, Southern Pines.

• Tuesday, Jan. 23: Chef Jonathan Ballard of Dean’s Kitchen and Bar, Cary, versus Chef James Patterson of McConnell Golf Dining, Raleigh.

• Wednesday, Jan. 24: Chef Trey Cleveland of Top of the Hill, Chapel Hill, versus Chef Aaron Matyac, Whiskey Kitchen, Raleigh.

• Thursday, Jan. 25: Chef Dean Thompson, Concord Hotels, Raleigh versus Chef Nick Fay, Coquette, Raleigh.

Winners of the first round will square off in the semi-finals, which will be held Monday, Jan. 29, 2018 and Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2018. The two final chefs will compete during the finale, Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2018.

For tickets, visit https://www.eventbrite.com/d/nc--raleigh/cooking-for-a-classic/.

All dinners will be held at 1705 Prime in north Raleigh. Doors will open at 6 p.m. with dinner at 6:30 p.m. There will be a cash bar with all proceeds going to the Lucy Daniels Center.

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