Chef Jon-Luc Maggi of Tiki Tom's wins Battle of the Blades in Napa, named Sysco Northern California Culinary Artisan of the Year

Maggi prevails in high-stakes cooking competition hosted by Sysco Corporation

Mar. 17, 2026 at 2:34am

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Chef Jon-Luc Maggi, executive chef at Tiki Tom's in Walnut Creek, California, has been named Culinary Artisan of the Year after winning Northern California's Battle of the Blades, a cooking competition hosted by Sysco Corporation. Maggi prevailed in the final round over semi-finalists Chef Robert Root of The Century and Chef Dean Hiatt of Poor Red's Bar-B-Q.

Why it matters

The Battle of the Blades competition is part of Sysco's larger annual food expo in Northern California, which allows the region to showcase its culinary offerings and supplier partners. The competition highlights the talent and creativity of local chefs while also promoting Sysco's diverse product assortment.

The details

In the final round, the three chefs were tasked with preparing a dish using an unlimited number of items from the Sysco Pantry and three locally produced mystery ingredients - San Joaquin Gold Cheddar, Sysco-branded fresh tarragon, and Sysco-branded almonds. Maggi's winning dish was tarragon marinated lamb chops, a shaved arugula salad with a citrus tarragon dressing, a parmesan beet puree, and a toasted almond and beet tuile.

  • The final round of the competition took place on Monday, March 16, 2026.
  • The annual Sysco Northern California food expo, which includes the Battle of the Blades competition, is held each year.

The players

Jon-Luc Maggi

The executive chef at Tiki Tom's in Walnut Creek, California, who was named the Culinary Artisan of the Year after winning the Battle of the Blades competition.

Robert Root

The executive chef of The Century, who was a semi-finalist in the Battle of the Blades competition.

Dean Hiatt

The executive chef at Poor Red's Bar-B-Q, who was a semi-finalist in the Battle of the Blades competition.

Sysco Corporation

The global leader in food distribution that hosted the Battle of the Blades competition as part of its annual Northern California food expo.

Erasmo Garcia

The sous chef at Tiki Tom's who Maggi credited as an amazing partner and friend in his win.

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What they’re saying

“It's an honor. It's amazing to be named the first champion but again I couldn't do it alone.”

— Jon-Luc Maggi, Executive Chef, Tiki Tom's

“I'm just grateful for all the support I have.”

— Jon-Luc Maggi, Executive Chef, Tiki Tom's

“Food is what we do at Sysco and so having the opportunity to both mingle with some of the best chefs in Northern California and allow to showcase their talents in a fun contest while also highlighting the amazing assortment of products we offer is truly the highlight of the year.”

— Steve Buer, Northern California Region President, Sysco Corporation

“I want to congratulate Chef Jon-Luc Maggi for his amazing feat today as well as the other 71 chefs who participated in the competition from the beginning. From the very start to our finals today, these chefs truly showed what great food can do – connect us all around a communal table.”

— Steve Buer, Northern California Region President, Sysco Corporation

What’s next

The annual Sysco Northern California food expo, including the Battle of the Blades competition, will continue to be held each year, showcasing the region's culinary talent and Sysco's diverse product offerings.

The takeaway

The Battle of the Blades competition highlights the vibrant culinary scene in Northern California, where talented chefs like Jon-Luc Maggi are pushing the boundaries of creativity and innovation while showcasing the high-quality local ingredients available through Sysco's distribution network.