Community Corner

Maryland Chefs Face Off in Cooking Tournament

The Mason Dixon Chef Tournament is pitting 16 chefs from across the Maryland and Washington, DC, against each other for eight rounds of culinary craftiness.

Four chefs squared off Monday and Tuesday in the first rounds of at Blob's Park Bavarian Biergarten in Jessup, and the masters of the kitchen kicked off the first round entrées with a Maryland favorite–crab dishes.

What is your favorite crab dish? Tell us in comments.

Richard Karoll, event emcee and former food designer for the Baltimore-based show Ace of Cakes, judged two of the crab dishes Tuesday evening.

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Karoll, who has been in the restaurant business for more than 25 years, said ingredients and taste are not the only things important in a cooking competition; the signature of a great chef is to make great food that is also pleasing to the eye.

"The artistry behind just making it look beautiful is probably half the battle," Karoll told Patch.

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The competition will pick up again on July 9 and run Mondays and Tuesdays, with a final round on Sept. 10. Visit for pricing and date details.


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