Battle of the buds: Taste Buds TV Show presents its third annual Best Chef Competition on Feb. 24 at the Inspired Home & Gourmet Expo of Paso Robles at the Paso Robles Event Center from noon to 4 p.m. Competitors include The Spoon Trade's Jacob Town, Danior Kitchen's Spenser Johnston, Gregg Wangard of the Paso Robles Culinary School, Stax Wine Bistro and Bar's Kari Ziegler, The Blue Heron's Shaun Behrens, and Avila Ocean Grill's Bryan Mathers. Chefs will receive a Talley Farms Fresh Harvest Box and Larder Meat Co. beef and compete in a Chopped style battle (tickets are free to taste and attend; visit the Taste Buds Best Chef Competition Facebook page for more info; tickets available at eventbrite.com) ... Kuma's food truck has been parked in the Sylvester's Burgers parking lot in Atascadero for few weeks now. You can park your keister at a table under a heat lamp and eat your fill of sushi and ramen under the North County sky. The truck is open Thursday through Saturday from noon to 8 p.m., weather permitting (visit Kuma Ramen on Facebook for more info). Δ

Editor Camillia Lanham is always in the mood for ramen at [email protected].