Charlotte chefs compete

Chefs Robert Marilla and Geoffrey Blount, both culinary instructors at Central Piedmont Community College, will vie for regional titles in the American Culinary Federation's Southeast conference March 2 in Louisville, Ky. Winners advance to nationals in Las Vegas in July.

Marilla, culinary arts instructor and overseer of the school's Greenway restaurant, will go for the regional ACF Chef of the Year title, against two Atlanta chefs and one from Louisville. In competition, he'll have 15 minutes to set up, 60 minutes to "fabricate and cook" four portions of his dish, 10 minutes to plate and 15 to clean up.

Blount, baking and pastry arts instructor, will take on two chefs from Georgia and one from Florida in the pastry chef of the year competition, and will have to prepare four portions of a hot or warm dessert, with the same time constraints as above.