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 Maple Leaf Farms which narrowed the field to the final three which included Lidia Haddadian, Jodi Taffel, and Josh Cooper. These three champions next faced the ultimate challenge…baking the famous Indiana Sugar Cream Pie.

The entire competition weekend will be featured in a docu-series on The Cooking Channel where the $100,000 winner will be revealed. Be sure to tune in on October 3, 2020 to learn who will be crowned the next World Food Champion.

Click here to learn more about the competition in this WISH TV piece.

Click here to watch Lt. Governor Crouch and Director of Culinary Crossroads Larry Dickerson discuss the Indy Final Table on Inside Indiana Business.

Many thanks for the tremendous support of our sponsors Sysco, Visit Indy, Ivy Tech Culinary Center, Maple Leaf Farms, Red Gold Tomatoes and Team Indiana Culinary Crossroads. This world class team of dedicated food experts truly demonstrated that Indiana is the Culinary Crossroads of America.

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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.

Participants include:

CRG Community Heroes Program Indianapolis
Rise ‘n Roll Bakery, LLC Middlebury
Rise ‘n Roll Bakery Broad Ripple Indianapolis
Huse Culinary Indianapolis
Tenisha Williams Indianapolis
Indy Fresh Catering Indianapolis
Hotel Tango Distillery Indianapolis
Rooster’s Kitchen Indianapolis
Melt Kitchen LaPorte
That Guy’s Gourmet Ribs Elkhart
Maxine’s On Green Crawfordsville
Pints & Union New Albany
Low  Carb Revolution Columbus
Main Street Diner Rising Sun
Tinker Street Indianapolis
Big Lug Indianapolis
Sleepy Owl Syracuse

Click Here to visit the Team Indiana Facebook page to watch the recognition event.

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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 what makes Indiana the “Culinary Crossroads of America” said Larry Dickerson, Culinary Crossroads spokesperson.

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