NEWS

Congratulations to the newest World Food Champion Lidia Haddadian!

Oct 5, 2020 | 2020 Final Table, Culinary Crossroads, Events, News

The October 3rd airing of the World Food Championship Final Table Indy docu-series on The Cooking Channel and the announcement of the $100,000 Final Table winner Lidia Haddadian was a fitting ending to months of hard work and planning. Our many thanks to the Lt. Governor, naming and product sponsors, expert judges and those behind the scenes that made this seemingly impossible dream come true for Indianapolis and Indiana. Culinary Crossroads overcame the many challenges of holding the premier “Food Sport“ competition in the middle of a pandemic, while showcasing the Indiana culinary industry. Culinary Crossroads is dedicated to sharing the stories of extraordinary people, products, processes and places which define the Indiana Culinary...

World Food Championship Indy Final Table Wraps Up Successful “Delicious” Weekend

Aug 10, 2020 | 2020 Final Table, Culinary Crossroads, Events

What a weekend! The Indy Final Table was unlike any other Final Table. We kicked off the events with Lieutenant Governor Suzanne Crouch's recognition of seventeen Indiana Culinary Heroes which included restauranteurs and food producers from all over the state that made a positive impact on their communities during the early days of the pandemic. Then, with the announcement “Let the Food Games Begin”, our ten World Food Champions began their quest for the $100,000 prize. Three culinary challenges were judged by a panel of Indiana food experts from all disciplines. Developing dishes using Indiana raised Pork products reduced the field to five contestants. Next, our competitors were challenged to replicate a duck dish using premium duck from...

Congratulations to our Indiana Culinary Heroes

Aug 7, 2020 | 2020 Final Table, Culinary Crossroads, Events

In an event at Ivy Tech Culinary Center August 7th Friday morning Lieutenant Governor Suzanne Crouch welcomed and recognized 17 restauranteurs and food producers named as IndIana Culinary Heroes. Each received a special certificate signed by the Lieutenant Governor recognizing each organization for creatively repurposing their culinary expertise and operational experience to serve the needs of their employees, customers and communities during the pandemic of 2020.

Premier Indiana Duck Producer to Serve as Product Sponsor

Jul 31, 2020 | 2020 Final Table, Culinary Crossroads, Events

Maple Leaf Farms, premier Indiana producer of farm to table products featuring world class White-Pekin Duck will be the product sponsor for the second round of competition which begins with a private tasting prepared by award winning chef Greg Hardesty. Chef Hardesty will prepare and serve the same dish that contestants will be challenged to prepare the following morning during the second round of competition. Utilizing Maple Leaf Farms premier duck, Chef Hardesty will prepare a Roast Duck Breast with Crispy Duck Spring Roll and Fried Wild Rice. “Connecting the premier talent in the world of food sports with Maple Leaf Farms premier duck products and sharing that experience with a national TV audience is a shining example of showcasing...

$100,000 Culinary Battle Races Into Indy

Jul 30, 2020 | 2020 Final Table, Chefs, Culinary Crossroads, Events

Indianapolis may be best known for hosting the world’s largest outdoor sporting event, the Indianapolis 500, but the city will also host the grand finale of the world’s largest culinary competition. The World Food Championship Final Table will take place in Indianapolis August 8 and 9 with three rounds of competition and one competitor winning the $100,000 grand prize.

Ivy Tech Prepares for Center Stage

Jul 27, 2020 | 2020 Final Table, Culinary Crossroads, Events

Ivy Tech Community College is preparing to host the World Food Championships (WFC) Final Table: Indy event Aug. 7-9 at its Culinary Center, located on its downtown Indianapolis campus. During this event, 10 category champions from across the country will compete to earn the title of “World Food Champion” and a $100,000 prize in Ivy Tech’s world-class culinary facilities.

Food Sport The New Competition

Jul 21, 2020 | 2019 World Food Championships, 2020 Final Table, Events

Spurred on by the Food Network’s many competitive weekly food competitions among chefs and foodies and others who enjoy cooking, Food Sport has taken off in popularity. The ultimate Food Sport competition is the World Food Championships held annually in Dallas which culminates in the Final Table competition where ten category champions compete for the $100,000 Grand Prize. This year, the World Food Championships has selected Indianapolis as the host city for the 2020 Final Table.

Award Winning Chefs, Food Writers, and Culinary Leaders Ready to Serve

Jul 14, 2020 | 2020 Final Table, Chefs, Culinary Crossroads, Events

Judges for this exciting Food Sport event are being announced as the competition dates of August 8th and 9th are right around the corner. Recent announcements include Terry Tucker, CEO of Maple Leaf Farms, Colt Reichart, one of owners of Red Gold Tomatoes, Alison Keefer, co-owner of Gallery Pastry Shop, Rachanee Teipen, Executive Chef Sysco, Jolene Ketzenberger, Editor of Eat Drink Indy, and Angie Martini, the reigning Indy Sugar Cream Pie Champion. Stay tuned as we round out the panel of judges with more announcements.

The Final Table: Indy Takes Food Sport’s Center Stage

Jul 6, 2020 | 2020 Final Table, Culinary Crossroads, Events

Lt. Governor Suzanne Crouch, Ivy Tech Culinary Center, Visit Indy, Sysco and other members of the Team Indiana/Culinary Crossroads host committee announced the schedule of events for the $100,000 2020 World Food Championship (WFC)-Indy Final Table for the weekend of August 7-9. The WFC-Indy Final Table is the culmination of the World Food Championships which crowned 10 category champions in Dallas last October. The WFC brought together over 1,500 home cooks, professional chefs and BBQ teams from over 40 states and several countries and is recognized as the premier event in the growing world of “food sport” competition. Those 10 category champions will bring their talents to Indianapolis August 7th through 9th for three rounds of...

Exciting New Initiatives for Culinary Crossroads!

Sep 24, 2020 | Uncategorized

Now with the airing of the special docu-series featuring the ten category champions from the 2019 World Food Championship competing in Indianapolis for the $100,000 first place award, Culinary Crossroads moves on to their next major initiative. The initiative will define the Indiana Culinary landscape by sharing stories of extraordinary people, products, processes and places. Our next initiative will be focused on raising awareness of the culinary and cultural offerings in Indiana. As advocates for the food processing, restaurant and tourism industry in Indiana, we will be using every tool available to us to build that needed awareness. Culinary Crossroads Productions is planning a series of visual based content available for established...