Fire in the Triangle: Texas Pete and Jackson Farming Company Melons

My fellow diner at Table 2, Margaret, echoed the same thought. "I know prime rib when I smell it," she said. 

Both couldn't have been more wrong. In fact, the only red meat we were served all night was pork belly in the first course. But, more on that tasty dish later. 

Tasked with using both ingredients in each of their three dishes, the chefs took a similar approach with the Texas Pete - letting the heat build over the meal.

Here's a rundown of each course, reviews and results. In each round and overall, diners (the Joes) and local media foodies (the Pros) grade the dish on aroma, presentation, creativity and other factors. All scores are out of a possible 30 points. 

You really can't go wrong with pork belly. Most diners said they enjoyed the use of the melons, but were expecting a lot more kick from the Texas Pete. 

Pro judge Cliff Vogelsberg, executive chef at Winston's Grille in Raleigh, really appreciated that the heat was subtle, paving the way to a slow build as the meal went on. 

Fellow diner Sandra Breitschwerdt agreed. "I'm not a big hot sauce person, so I enjoyed not being overwhelmed," she said. 

Many tables were divided over this one. You could taste the Texas Pete in it, but the melons got a little lost. The complexity of the dish seemed to overwhelm some diners. 

Margaret, my fellow Table 2 diner, felt her risotto was just OK and the lobster was overcooked. Many diners agreed with her on the lobster. 

Despite the Texas Pete powder (a nice use of the secret ingredient!), the NC Beer Guys, who were in attendance, were still asking for "more heat!" 

The sprite melon salsa was a hit at my table. This was one of the first courses where diners, like Matt Barfield, were commenting about the use of both secret ingredients. 

Margaret wasn't into it. "I wouldn't write home about it, but it was good," she said.

Denise from Table 5 compared the creme to the "Yum Yum" sauce you get at Hibachi places, but noted that it was good.

Overall, this was the dish that many people kept talking about and comparing future dishes to. Definitely a hit with most diners, myself included. 

Maybe not the prettiest dish - all the elements were basically one color - but diners didn't care. 

"I could have licked the plate, but I was being polite." said Barbara Jankovictz, mother of Market souse chef Scott Jankovictz. She hoped this was his dish and she was right. 

Others at her table were also a fan. 

"I don't know if it showed off the secret ingredients well, but it was delicious," Erik Lars Myers said.

Vogelsberg tasted the Texas Pete but lost the watermelon in it. 

The carrot souffle, which many people compared to sweet potatoes, was a nice accompaniment. The souffle is a favorite in southern Louisiana where McIntyre is from originally. He said that he drew inspiration from his wife's recipe and also gave credit to Southern cafeteria-style restaurant Piccadilly, which serves up a very tasty carrot souffle. (I immediately said Piccadilly when I tasted this dish. I am from south Louisiana and dined at many a Piccadilly!) 

McIntyre said he would have liked to have had more time to make the quail a bit crispier, but was happy with the dish overall. 

The sauces were the highlight of this dish.

Pro judge, Bret Jennings, chef and owner of Elaine's in Chapel Hill, enjoyed the rompope, a Mexican eggnog with rum, and gastrique sauces, but was less enthused about the flan, which he said was a little "scrambled." 

"(The flan was an) ambitious thing to do," Jennings said, noting that it is hard to make flan in small portions and maintain the correct consistency. Jennings suggested that maybe making a larger flan then cutting it would have been a better idea.

Many diners agreed about the flan, leaving it on their plates. 

Victoria Bouloubasis, a food writer for The Independent Weekly, loved the way that the spiciness from the Texas Pete slowly built up in this dish.

This dish was a little polarizing for many diners. Either you loved it or you didn't. 

My table wasn't sure what to make of it. For them, the anglaise and the pickled watermelon elicited the biggest complaints. 

While a few tables agreed, several other tables loved it. 

Erik Lars Myers raved about it as the "highlight" of his meal. His wife, Sarah Ficke, agreed saying the pickled rinds were creative and delicious. The folks at table 10 agreed saying that it incorporated the secret ingredients in a unique way.

McIntyre said he wished he had more time to candy the rinds more, that might have given it just a little more universal appeal. 

"It's anybody's guess when you have two chefs with very similar personalities and styles," host Jimmy Crippen said.

Crippen credited Chef Ref Laurence Willard for being on the pulse of what's fresh when selecting secret ingredients. 

Market's Chad McIntyre said when he found out the secret ingredients he immediately thought about doing sweet and sour items. He, himself, isn't a fan of super spicy food and didn't want the heat to be really strong. 

The scores were close going into the final two courses, but Market's Chad McIntyre, who battled in his signature homemade kilt and cowboy hat, prevailed and will move on to the semifinals next week where he will face Midtown Grille's Scott James.

Zanini said he was happy with the dishes his team prepared. The only thing he wished he had more time on was the pork belly. 

Fire in the Triangle is part of the Got to Be NC competition dining series. The winner from the Triangle will go on to compete against the winners of the Fire on the Rock, Fire on the Dock, Fire in the Triad and Fire in the City competitions. The last chef standing wins $2,000 and the coveted red chef’s jacket. The runner-up will get $500.