Media Advisory: BugFest Critter Cook-off Friday, Sept. 16, 11am
For immediate release ‐ September 14, 2016
Contact: Emelia Cowans, 919.707.9837. Images available upon request
Local chefs take the battle from Fayetteville St. to Museum for BugFest Critter Cook-off 2016
(RALEIGH)—Let the “bug battle” begin! The BugFest Critter Cook-off will be held on Friday, September 16 at 11 a.m. in the main building of the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences at 11 W. Jones St. in the N.C. Treasures Hall (1st floor.) The Cook-off serves as the official start to BugFest and pits two local chefs against each other “Iron-Chef” style to vie for the chance at being named “BugFest Critter Cook-off Champ!” The contenders this year are Ian McKenney from Bolt Bistro and Bar and Kelly Lowery from The Big Easy. Coincidentally, the two restaurants are directly across the street from each other on Fayetteville St. in downtown Raleigh.
Both chefs have 50 minutes to prepare an appetizer, entrée and dessert using mealworms (mealworm beetle larvae), waxworms (caterpillar larvae), superworms (darkling beetle larvae), crickets, and the special ingredient this year—ants, the theme bug for BugFest. Each dish will be judged on originality, taste and presentation by a celebrity panel of judges. This year’s panel consists of Steve Daniels, ABC 11; Lynda Loveland, WRAL; Karen Clark, Foxy 107/104 and Nigel Arms, Director of Research and Development for BASF. The chef whose creative concoctions stimulate the judges’ taste buds the most will be crowned BugFest Critter Cook-off Champion.
Friday’s preview will last about an hour, with opportunities for the media to interview the guest chefs and celebrity judges. Parking is available in the visitor parking lot at the corner of Jones and Wilmington streets. BugFest is on Saturday, September 17 from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
The North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences (11 W. Jones St. and 121 W. Jones St.) in downtown Raleigh, is the state’s most visited cultural attraction. It is an active research institution that engages visitors of every age and stage of learning in the wonders of science and the natural world, drawing them into the intriguing fields of study that are critical to the future of North Carolina. Hours: Mon.- Sat., 9 a.m.-5 p.m., and Sun., noon-5 p.m. Admission is free. Visit the Museum on the Web at www.naturalsciences.org. Emlyn Koster, PhD, Director; Susan Kluttz, Secretary, N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources; Pat McCrory, Governor.
About the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources
The N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (NCDNCR) is the state agency with a vision to be the leader in using the state’s natural and cultural resources to build the social, cultural, educational and economic future of North Carolina. Led by Secretary Susan Kluttz, NCDNCR’s mission is to improve the quality of life in our state by creating opportunities to experience excellence in the arts, history, libraries and nature in North Carolina by stimulating learning, inspiring creativity, preserving the state’s history, conserving the state’s natural heritage, encouraging recreation and cultural tourism, and promoting economic development.
NCDNCR includes 27 historic sites, seven history museums, two art museums, two science museums, three aquariums and Jennette’s Pier, 39 state parks and recreation areas, the N.C. Zoo, the nation’s first state-supported Symphony Orchestra, the State Library, the State Archives, the N.C. Arts Council, State Preservation Office and the Office of State Archaeology, along with the Division of Land and Water Stewardship. For more information, please call (919) 807-7300 or visit www.ncdcr.gov.