IN THE NEWS Earth Fare in the News: Earth Fare Serves Up the “Best Dish in North Carolina” and Rubs Elbows with Celebrity Chef Paula Dean

[Coupon-Crazy]

Earth Fare Serves Up the “Best Dish in North Carolina” and Rubs Elbows with Celebrity Chef Paula Dean

08/27/07



Asheville, NC – Earth Fare Market and Café is the winner of the 2007 “Best Dish in North Carolina” annual competition, sponsored by the NC Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and its Goodness Grows in North Carolina program. The competition was created to recognize and reward the efforts of restaurants and chefs who use North Carolina products regularly in their menus.
The dish that won Earth Fare this prestigious award was Carolina Chicken Roulade with Sweet Potato Salad & Sesame Kale made with local ingredients from North Carolina farms, including Alison’s Family Farms in Troy, NC; The Goat Lady, Climax, NC; Latta Farms, Hillsborough, NC and Ward Brothers’ Farms in the Piedmont.
Mitch Orland, Earth Fare’s food service director and executive chef, along with the assistance of Stewart Moore, food service specialist, created the unique recipes for the award winning dish. “The inspiration for this dish is traditional Southern but with an haute cuisine twist,” says Orland. “It was crafted to add creative flavor to fresh, local ingredients and allow them be the true standouts of the dish.”
Earth Fare Market and Café competed against several larger chain restaurants across the state for the title of “Best Dish in North Carolina.” Entries were judged based on the featured dishes’ use of North Carolina products and ingredients, creativity, feature and promotion of the dishes, presentation, and of course, taste. “Given that we were the only supermarket retailer in the competition, it’s a huge honor to compete and win against larger, chain restaurants,” says Orland.
The “Best Dish in North Carolina” award was presented October 17, 2007 during the Paula Dean Show in Dorton Arena at the North Carolina State Fair in Raleigh. Representatives from Earth Fare were present to serve up samples of the “best dish” and accept the award from Paula Dean herself. “It was a wonderful opportunity for Earth Fare to showcase how local, natural and organic products are just as delicious and fresh as those purchased elsewhere,” says Orland. “And meeting Paula Dean in person was amazing. What a vivacious, talented woman!”

Earth Fare.com