Who’s got the best dish in North Carolina? The N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services aims to find out in the fourth annual Best Dish in NC restaurant competition, which highlights the use of locally grown food products used on restaurant menus.

The statewide competition is open to any restaurant or restaurant group doing business in North Carolina. Chefs and restaurateurs have until March 13 to register to compete in one of two categories: Fine or Casual Dining.

Contest rules and forms can be found on the newly launched Web site, www.bestdishnc.com. Chefs and restaurateurs can also use the site to locate locally sourced products.

“With the launch of this new Web site, we’ve made it easier for restaurateurs, chefs and consumers to find everything they need to know about the contest,” said Matt Tunnell, NCDA&CS foodservice marketing specialist and contest coordinator. “Visitors can track the progress of finalists as the site will also have photos of the chefs and their winning dishes, as well as links to each restaurant’s Web site.”

“We want people to be able to visit these restaurants if they live close by or plan on traveling to the area,” Tunnell said. “The whole idea is to get residents and visitors to support restaurants that are making an effort to incorporate local food into their menus.”

Each year the contest is judged by a group of foodservice professionals who visit the chosen finalists’ restaurants as “mystery shoppers” throughout the summer. Winners are announced in August and presented with their awards at the N.C. State Fair in October. For complete details about the contest, visit www.bestdishnc.com.