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Wilmington chef Mauricio Huarcaya won the 2025 NCRLA Chef of the Year award.

Huarcaya, representing his soon-to-launch food truck Gustu Peruano, also won the People's Choice Award for Best Savory Plate.

Mixologist Natalie Takacs of EOD Distillery won four awards, People's Choice for Best Cocktail and Best Mocktail.

The North Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Association’s annual Chef Showdown event has named Wilmington’s Mauricio Huarcaya as the 2025 Chef of the Year. Mixologist Natalie Takacs , with the local End of Days Distillery, also took home four awards at the Aug. 4 event.

Huarcaya, who was representing his Gustu Peruano food truck that launches this month, came out on top against a pool that originally consisted of dozens of chefs from across the state. At

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