Do you have a recipe that you're especially proud of or a coveted recipe that has been handed down by a family member or close friend? Is it a recipe that you know can win the hearts of many? Then come join in on the most exciting food competition in West Sonoma County. The Amateur Chef who receives the Overall Favorite wins a grand prize of $1,000!

There are four (4) categories:

Openers | Mains | Soups and Salads | Closers

Our panel of Celebrity Chef judges will select the top contenders based on a set criteria. Each Amateur Chef can bring along one sous chef (assistant). For additional information, and food rules and regulations, visit our FAQ page.

As an Amateur Chef, what do you need to do?

• Prepare enough food for 400 heaping tablespoons.
• Submit your application with the category of your choice by Saturday, May 1st.
• Bring your dish ready to serve using health and safety guidelines for preparation.
• Bring your own serving platters, ladles, tongs, etc.
• Decorate your 6-foot station (optional) for a theme/decoration prize.

Judging Criteria

There are two voting groups - Critic’s Choice and Popular Vote:

CRITICS CHOICE:

Category Winners are determined by the celebrity chefs assigned to critique a menu category. Scoring is based on the criteria identified below. The amateur chef with the highest score in each category will be awarded a $100 prize.

Overall Winner: The three (3) highest scoring amateur chef dishes from the four categories will be the finalists for the overall grand prize. These dishes will be judged by the celebrity chefs using the same scoring criteria.

Celebrity judges will rate dishes in each of the three criteria on a 1 to 10 scale. Total score for a dish is the weighted sum of the individual criterion scores. Criteria are defined below:

POPULAR VOTE:

Popular voting is based on the preference of the attendees. Votes are cast by tokens provided to the guests. The participant in each food category who receives the most tokens wins.

Top Contenders

Under Popular Vote, four of the top favorites will be selected:  Openers, Mains, Soups and Salads, and Closers. Under Critic’s Choice, four of the top favorites will also be selected:  Openers, Mains, Soups and Salads, and Closers. The overall favorite, combined, wins the grand prize of $1,000.

Other prizes will be given to the Best Junior Talent and Best Booth Display.

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