Source: NCDA&CS, 8/18/21


On Monday, August 9th, the North Carolina Restaurant & Lodging Association (NCRLA), hosted its fifth annual NCRLA Chef Showdown event at Bay 7 in Durham. As the driving force behind North Carolina’s restaurant & foodservice industries, NCRLA brings chefs from across the state together for this legendary event that celebrates N.C. products and ingredients in the hands of talented culinary artists. The event crowns the Best Chef, Best Pastry Chef and Best Mixologist in North Carolina upon its conclusion.

Saif Rahman, executive chef of Vidrio in Raleigh, was named the NCRLA Chef of the Year. Saif finds inspiration in Mediterranean dishes and ingredients but takes pride in sourcing local ingredients and providing a seasonality to his dish offerings and menu selections each season. Growing up in Bangladesh, Saif developed a love of cooking from watching his grandmother in the kitchen. Throughout his culinary career, he has worked under a variety of well-known chefs, including Chef Jose Andres. He recently joined the Vidrio team and is looking forward to expressing his creative passions through dishes at the restaurant as well as showcasing the history of the dishes themselves.

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