Culinary competition will be filmed for a non-airing Food Network pilot
PASO ROBLES — Chef Tyler Florence’s “Masters of Fire,” presented by Williams Sonoma at Paso Wine Fest, has revealed the lineup of five local chefs ready to ignite the grills for an epic live-fire battle. Mark your calendars for Friday, May 17, from 5 to 9 p.m., as local live fire masters take center stage for the inaugural Master of Fire Paso Robles title.
After consideration of many talented chefs in the Paso Robles region, five culinary standouts have emerged as the chosen contenders for the event. Each chef brings their unique expertise and flair to the table, promising a display of culinary skills never assembled in Paso Robles wine country.
The chefs selected to participate in this fiery Paso Robles face-off are:
Chef Jeff Wiesinger
Executive Chef/Owner of Jeffry’s Wine Country BBQ
A multi-award-winning chef in local culinary competitions and a beloved restauranteur in downtown Paso Robles, Chef Jeff brings over 30 years of experience, and a passion for food, wine, barbecue, and community to this event. He is sure to set taste buds ablaze.
Chef Justin Kingsley Hall
Renowned Chef at The Hatch Rotisserie and Bar
Known for his wood-fired cuisine that captures the essence of Paso Robles, Chef Justin’s innovative approach to cooking over an open flame has earned him widespread acclaim and television appearances on shows like “Chopped” and “Man Fire Food.”
Chef Justin Monson
Executive Chef at Oak & Vine at Templeton
Chef Monson brings his culinary finesse honed through catering for media dinners and his tenure at Club 33 at Disneyland. His expertise promises to add a flavorful dimension to the competition.
Chef Saree Musick
Executive Pastry Chef at The Restaurant at JUSTIN
Chef Saree’s renowned talent helped forge The Restaurant at JUSTIN’s Michelin star status. A
native of Kansas, Chef Saree has a love of barbecue matched only by her acclaimed chocolate-making. She puts her decades of expertise and craftsmanship to the test in the fierce competition.
Chef Spencer Johnston
Estate Executive Chef at DAOU Vineyards
Chef Johnston blends homegrown ingredients with Lebanese and Mediterranean influences that reflect the Daou family’s heritage. Drawing upon the various European and Asian cultures that have come to shape California’s Central Coast paired with his focus on open-fire cooking, Chef Johnston is set to dazzle on stage.
Event attendees will sample the competitors’ culinary creations and cast their vote for the winner alongside a panel of judges. In addition to bragging rights, the winning chef receives a $5,000 cash prize, a plaque to commemorate their victory, and a chance to advance to the National Masters of Fire finale where they face winners from the other Masters of Fire events and a chance to win $25,000.
Masters of Fire at Paso Wine Fest offers not only a friendly live-fire cooking competition and all-you-can-eat barbecue experience but also the opportunity to sample wines from some of Paso Robles wine country’s notable wineries, including Barton Family Wines, Calcareous Vineyard, Caliza Winery, CASS Winery, DAOU Family Estates, Hope Family Wines, J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines, JUSTIN Vineyards & Winery, La Perdignus, McPrice Myers Wines, My Favorite Neighbor, Sextant Wines, and Turley Wine Cellars.
This culinary showdown will be filmed for a non-airing Food Network pilot, paving the way for a potential television competition series by the same name. Don’t miss the opportunity to witness culinary history in the making and be part of the journey toward crowning the 2024 Master of Fire Paso Robles.
Learn more and get your tickets now for Tyler Florence’s “Masters of Fire” presented by Williams Sonoma at Paso Wine Fest on Friday, May 17, at pasowine.com.
About Tyler Florence’s National ‘Masters of Fire’ Competition
To celebrate the launch of his 17th cookbook, “American Grill” (Abrams, 2024), Tyler Florence is traveling the country to host “Masters of Fire,” a series of live-fire competition events. From Paso Robles to New York and several cities in between, Tyler will cook an all-you-can-eat barbecue feast over open flames next to five talented culinary professionals in each location. Blending classic barbecue roots with local ingredients and influences, the competition will be fierce and the culinary creations pure fire. Tyler will crown one of the five chefs the Master of Fire in each region, who will go on to compete against one another in a final showdown later in 2024.
About Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance
The Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance is the official trade and marketing organization that represents wineries, growers, and businesses in the Paso Robles American Viticultural Area. Centrally located between San Francisco and Los Angeles, along California’s Central Coast, Paso Robles Wine Country encompasses more than 40,000 vineyard acres and 200 wineries. For more information, visit pasowine.com. Follow Paso Wine on Facebook @PasoRoblesWine and Instagram @Pasowine with #pasowine.
Feature Image: Justin Monson is the executive chef at Oak & Vine in Templeton and will be competing in the Masters of Fire Showdown. Photo provided by Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance
