Teammates from UNC Greensboro Athletics waited with bated breath for the action to begin. But they weren’t waiting for a kick-off or opening serve. 

They were waiting for their dinner assignments.

That announcement by Spartan Dining Services Marketing Manager Des St. Cyr kicked off an evening of mouth-watering fun for the student-athletes who participated in “Battle of the Chefs” on Oct. 23, as well as the UNCG students watching them put together a menu.

The three teams had to make an appetizer, entree, and a dessert, each with the theme “elevated fair food.”

And it wouldn’t be a proper cook-off without music. DJ Dwayne kept a toe-tapping playlist running through each round.

It got spicy fast with all the energy of a tournament game. Any challenge, even cooking, brings out our Spartans’ competitiveness. The women’s soccer team won last year. They were eager to keep the title, just as eager as the men’s soccer and men’s tennis teams were to pull them off their perch. 

The judges had them sweating more than Fountain View Dining Hall’s deep fryers. Their own coaching staff, who normally judge their footwork on the field and court, would today be judging their finesse in the kitchen. Rounding out the judges’ table were representatives from two professional sports teams in Greensboro: Ben Creider, manager of communications and CSR for Swarm Basketball, and Casey Ditzel, broadcasting and communications manager for the Gargoyles hockey team.

Recipe for Success

Each serving was scored based on taste, presentation, and thematic appeal. The women’s soccer team, with help from Spartan Dining Chef Darelle, started strong with their fried cauliflower appetizer with ginger-sesame sauce. All the judges praised its taste, even those who said they didn’t like vegetables. 

“Definitely unique,” said Creider. “I like it. I think it’s well done.” 

Women’s Soccer Head Coach Stefani Workman, when describing its presentation, said, “I appreciate the cup you put it in, because at a fair, you have to walk around with your food.”

The men’s teams stumbled out of the gate. The soccer team’s Korean corn dogs with Hot Cheeto dusting were not quite cooked properly. Ditzel pointed out that his dog fell off the stick after one bite. If he were walking around a fair, not seated at a table with a knife and fork, that would be a problem.

“Creativity, I’ve never seen anything like it,” said Ditzel. “Unfortunately, if I were at the fair, I’d only get one bite.” 

The reviews of the tennis team’s cheese curds, asparagus, and fried pickles were more mixed. The judges liked the presentation but weren’t so sure about the mix of flavors. 

“I’ve never seen Flamin’ Hot Cheeto dust on asparagus,” said Ditzel. “I think the breading is a little lacking in flavor, so you lose points there.” 

“There’s a lot going on, but it works,” said Creider. “Some of the flakes are falling off, but it tastes nice.” 

For curious students who watched the competition while fueling up at the Caf, it was all fun and games. “It’s really cool seeing something like this,” said biology major Arielle Howard. “I really like the DJ and the music, and I would love to be one of the judges.” 

The Main Event

When St. Cyr launched into the countdown to serve dinner, the Swarm’s mascot Swarmie made his grand entrance.

The men’s teams would fight on, even when it came down to the wire. They huddled with their assigned Spartan Dining guides—Chef Joker and Chef Michael—intent on wowing everyone with their main course. The chefs, according to the rules, could advise them but not prepare any of the food themselves. 

Men’s tennis could feel the heat. They struggled to work the deep fryer at first. So, while Chef Michael helped them along, they raced against the clock to dish five meals onto the plates.

The women’s soccer team went first, and once again, they impressed with their chicken and waffles. Both men’s teams brought forth their challengers: a Rodeo burger made by soccer and a smoked sausage with peppers and onions. Ditzel praised the burger as “possibly the top presentation of the night.” 

As the judges took their time to bite into each dish, they began to warm up to the men’s cooking skills. Even with tennis team’s challenge with the fryer, the reception and the finger-licking seemed promising. Perhaps they were back in the game. 

“I like the bacon and barbecue sauce in there,” Workman told the men’s soccer team. 

“Every time you have barbecue sauce is fantastic,” agreed Men’s Soccer Assistant Coach Manbi Nyepon. 

“All the flavors work together,” Men’s Tennis Assistant Coach Brian Ford told both teams.

Sweet Victory

The pressure was on as the teams turned to their chefs for their final strategy, the one that would take it all. 

The judges were getting curious. They peered around the countertops, wondering if the desserts their teams were frying up might whet their appetites. Coach Nyepon shouted his support to the men’s soccer team as Chef Joker explained how to drizzle that perfect amount of chocolate sauce. 

And with the growing crowd, the teams saw a chance to sweeten the deal. The women’s soccer team started handing bits of bread pudding to watching students and fellow teammates who had arrived to cheer them on. Not to be outdone, men’s soccer brought out chocolate-covered strawberries.

With the student body and Swarmie looking on, the judges sat down to a dessert of fried Oreo bread pudding, deep-fried chocolate-covered strawberries, and homemade funnel cake.

Even before they gave their thoughts, it was obvious they were happy. Ford scarfed down his Oreo before he said a word. 

“I don’t even like bread pudding, but that was amazing,” he said. 

“You’ve got to get creativity points for polling the crowd,” Ditzel told men’s soccer after finishing his strawberry. “I’m not sure about the batter, but it tastes pretty good.”  

“This is one I would want a to-go box for,” Creider told the tennis players.

Students watching from nearby tables tried to predict the winner. “Women’s soccer has it in the bag,” one of them said. “Men’s soccer might squeak out a win,” said another. This was going to be close.

St. Cyr and the dining staff tallied the scores and announced the champion. The women’s soccer team triumphed once more. They held their trophy aloft while their whole team cheered. 

Through it all, UNCG students enjoyed the dinnertime entertainment and talked about how much they appreciated a special event made possible by the teamwork of UNCG staff.

“I like cooking competitions, and this feels like a silly version of that,” said Olivia Wardlow, who is studying interior architecture. “It’s just fun to have events here in the cafeteria where everyone can gather.”

They’ll have another chance to gather next semester. “Battle of the Chefs” will return in the spring with new judges, a new menu, and new players. 

Who will win hearts… and stomachs… next time? 

Story by Janet Imrick, University Communications
Photography by Sean Norona, University Communications
Video by Walter Hernandez, UNCG Athletics
Video editing by Chase Cofield, University Communications