By David Rogers. January 20, 2012. BLOWING ROCK -- With his widely acclaimed "Fire on the Rock" competition dining event starting next week in Blowing Rock, Jimmy Crippen got the culinary fires burning Friday evening with another installment of the Crippens-hosted North Carolina Rising Stars Chef Series, this time featuring what Crippen calls a "young gun from the Piedmont": Chad McIntyre, of Raleigh's Market Restaurant.

"Building on the success we have had with Fire on the Rock," Crippen told Blowing Rock News Friday night, "we continue to try to turn Crippens into a place where a lot of great chefs pass through.  There is a two-fold benefit.  First, our wonderful young chef, Stan Chamberlain, is like a sponge. With every chef he gets to work with, he soaks up knowledge and adds to his own considerable skillset.  And second, we are bringing a variety of high quality culinary arts to the High Country, for folks up here to enjoy.

"Just like the other guest chefs we bring in, Chad McIntyre epitomizes what we are trying to emphasize here at Crippens," the longtime Blowing Rock restauranteur continued, "and his 'Philosphy' says it all: '...committed to serving whole, all-natural, unprocessed foods from local sources. We make every effort to support organic and sustainable farming practices while providing our guests with the best experience possible.  Healthy food, prepared fresh, from local seasonal ingredients.'  We look at chefs like Chad as a natural, wholesome link between the farmer or rancher, and the consumer."

Crippen explained that there is no real tie-in between his NC Rising Stars Chef Series and the Competition Dining Series, of which Fire on the Rock is the original and key part.  "The only real connection," Crippen said, laughing, "is that we are hosting another great seven-course dinner."

For the 50 guests enjoying Friday night's guest chef series, McIntyre offered as his seven courses:

• 1st Course: "Crack" Fries topped with Fresh Herbs and Asiago, served with Homemade Ketchup
• 2nd Course: Anti-Pasti Dish: Black Pepper Cured Duck Prosciutto, Duck Mortadella, Pickled Okra, and Garlic
• 3rd Course: North Carolina Shrimp over Fresh Pasta with Grated Rock Fish Bottarga
• 4th Course: Nasi-Lemak in Fresh Banana Leaf Steamed with Sweet Rice and Curried Ratatouille
• INTERMEZZO: A tasting of our Fat Washed Bullet Bourbon and side of Sweet Potato Chips with Blue Cheese Bechamel
• 5th Course: Confit of Leg of Lamb with Corn Chow-Chow over Fresh Tostada
• 6th Course: Pork Shoulder "Posole" on Crispy Stone-Ground Grit Cake
• 7th Course: Creme Fraiche Cheese Cake with Fresh Local Raised Honey and Quinelle of Coconut-Lime Ice "Cream"

Each guest paid $39 to sample McIntyre's creations, excluding beverage(s) and tax.

"I do not want to under-emphasize the importance of what we are doing with the guest chef series, as well as the competition dining events," Crippen said.  "There is a long-term benefit not just to the folks dining at these special events, but for every guest that we have walking through our front door. Stan (Chamberlain) started working for us several years ago. He left for awhile and worked under a wonderful chef over at Storie Street, Andrew Long, as sous chef.  A couple of years ago he came back to Crippens as our executive chef.  He is already an exceptional chef, as witnessed by his winning 'Best Dish North Carolina Top Three' last year. But when you have a young guy like Stan who is committed to his profession, the ability to work with other highly-skilled chefs is a wonderful opportunity for him to develop his professional skills. In the North Carolina Rising Star Chef Series, McIntyre is the fifth highly acclaimed chef he has worked with.  Then when you throw in the 20 chefs he got to work with in last year's Fire on the Rock and 16 this year, well it is hard to buy that kind of training.  We are excited about the continually increasing quality of our culinary offerings here at Crippens.

"For proof that we are striking a good chord with High Country residents and visitors," Crippen said, "you only have to look at our numbers tonight. Fifty fine dining guests on the weekend between the big, 3-day Martin Luther King holiday weekend and next week's huge Winterfest weekend -- well, that is pretty strong."

Competition Dining Expansion Going Well

Crippen also shared with Blowing Rock News that while preparations are underway for the launch of next week's popular Fire on the Rock event, they are also busy preparing for the expanded competition dining events statewide, in Wilmington (2nd quarter, with Fire on the Dock), Raliegh-Durham-Cary-Chapel Hill (3rd quarter, Fire in the Triangle), and Winston-Salem-Greensboro-High Point (4th quarter, Fire in the Triad). "We just finished securing our venues and we are outfitting a truck to take to each venue, which will have all the ingredients and special supplies. It will also be a moving billboard, because it will be wrapped in the competition dining theme."

Crippen explained that in producing the Competition Dining Series, he has partnered with Pate Dawson Compnay and its subsidiary, Southern Foods.  "They are supplying North Carolina grown produce and meats," Crippen said. "And at each event, I will serve as emcee."

One food service industry executive told Blowing Rock News, "Jimmy's participation at all levels of this event, especially as emcee, is critical to its success.  He developed the model, understands it, and is a wonderful energy and personality as emcee."

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