The "Live with Regis and Kelly" show announced Tuesday that Kingsport's Bone Fire Smokehouse and its Executive Chef Erich Soll won "Best Ribs Recipe" in a nationwide competition for their Smoked "Fightin' Irish Whiskey" Ribs.

Bone Fire Smokehouse's chef will travel to New York City to be interviewed on-air with Regis Philbin and Kelly Ripa this Friday morning and to present his recipe.

The show's producers kicked off their search for the best grill recipe and it was announced last week that Soll, executive chef at Bone Fire Smokehouse and Kingsport Grocery Co., and his recipe had been selected as having one of the top five ribs recipes nationally.

In Greeneville, Allen Crooks of Chuckwagon Bar-B-Que made it to quarter-finalist in the grilling-of-fish category for his Grilled Mahi-Mahi with Caribbean Cole Slaw.

Crooks became one of only 55 quarter-finalists in the nationwide contest, and one of only five finalists out of 6,000 in the grilling-of-fish category.

For Bone Fire, after the top ribs recipes were announced, an online voting contest was held July 3-5 on the show's Web site, which contained videos of the five restaurants from around the nation.

Chef Soll said of the news, "This is just a humbling announcement. I've been cooking since before cooking was cool, well over 20 years now, and I do it because it's what I am passionate about and it's the best way for me to communicate to people.

"An honor like this is really more indicative of our community -- one, from how supportive our community is of one another, but two because of how much significant talent is located right here in our region. Sometimes it's important for our community to have a positive national spotlight on it to remind ourselves what a special place we live in."

Chef Soll describes his sauce. "It combines items such as roasted red and green peppers, Jameson Irish whiskey, poblano peppers, brown sugar, garlic, onions, cumin, Worchester sauce, and more."

Bone Fire Smokehouse is located at 242 E. Main Street, Kingsport.