The Vancouver Foodster Grilled Cheese Challenge was a huge success featuring creations from restaurants around greater Vancouver. Each restaurant and food truck featured their Grilled Cheese creation from January 8-31. 2016. Two food trucks took top spots respectively in this challenge which is very exciting in our vibrant food city. Our media judging panel determined the ultimate winners of the challenge, and this was quite the task as each judge who tasted each creation with a rigorous process based on taste, originality/uniqueness and presentation/appearance.
Our Media judges for this challenge were: Tara Lee, Rick Green and Benjamin Yong
The Winners are:
1st Place:
Mom’s Grilled Cheese Truck
‘The Hot Mama’
Price: $11
Created by: Cindy Hamilton
Description: Spicy sopressatta, sundried tomato feta spread, provolone, mozzarella, hot banana peppers, red onions on olive rosemary bread, grilled with garlic butter, and finished with a handful of arugula.
Mom’s Grilled Cheese Truck
Howe & Robson Street
Web: http://momsgrilledcheesetruck.com/
Twitter: @momsgrilledchz
2nd Place:
Melt City Grilled Cheese
Tradition
Price: $12
Description: Slow roasted lamb and juicy pomegranate join forces in Melt City’s newest creation: Tradition. Conventional Middle Eastern ingredients are paired with double crème cheese and fresh baked sourdough, making this sandwich The Cheese. Khiar Shoor, a Persian pickled cucumber, completes this food truck’s homage to family, culture, and out-of-this-world flavour.
Created by: Chefs : Yasmin Ghaffari and Elizabeth Carr
Melt City Grilled Cheese
Twitter: @MeltCitygc
3rd Place (tie):
Saj & Co.
Price: $15
Description: Halloumi, avocado, pickles, red onion, olives, beets, mint, and tomato wrapped in Saj flatbread
Created by: Malek Anouti
Saj & Co.
813 Davie Street, Vancouver
Web: http://sajandco.ca/
Twitter: @Sajnco
3rd Place (tie):
S’wich Café
Bocadillo Del Vaquero
Price: $11.00
Description: this Spanish style ranchhand grilled cheese is cut lengthwise, pairing mozzarella with an indulgence of aged manchego, layered with the smoky spicy warmth of bacon, paprika and roasted garlic shallot confit. This combo speaks to gratifying a hard days hunger, transforming a hearty mainstay into the luxurious epitome of comfort chow. Paired with Chef Erik’s Fire Roasted Tomato Bisque (with a hint of Espalette pepper so that you never forget!).
Created by: Chef Erik Smith
S’Wich Cafe
644 Queensbury Ave, North Vancouver
Tel: (604) 973-0133
Web: http://www.swich.ca/
Twitter: @swichcafe
In the People’s Choice Awards category, the public who tried the Grilled Cheese creations were the ones who had the opportunity to cast their vote throughout the challenge.
The Winners are:
1st Place People’s Choice:
S’wich Café
Bocadillo Del Vaquero
Price: $11.00
Description: this Spanish style ranchhand grilled cheese is cut lengthwise, pairing mozzarella with an indulgence of aged manchego, layered with the smoky spicy warmth of bacon, paprika and roasted garlic shallot confit. This combo speaks to gratifying a hard days hunger, transforming a hearty mainstay into the luxurious epitome of comfort chow. Paired with Chef Erik’s Fire Roasted Tomato Bisque (with a hint of Espalette pepper so that you never forget!).
Created by: Chef Erik Smith
S’Wich Cafe
644 Queensbury Ave, North Vancouver
Tel: (604) 973-0133
Web: http://www.swich.ca/
Twitter: @swichcafe
2nd Place People’s Choice:
Zee’s Grilled Cheese
Mac’N’Mayhem
Price: $9.95
Description: We start with our classic sourdough bread smothered with parmasan butter, then layered with aged cheddar, double smoked bacon, three cheese macaroni, a dash of fiery sriracha sauce, another layer of bacon and one more layer of aged cheddar to finish off our simply decadent entry.
Created by: Zyanna Daya
Zee’s Grilled Cheese
#160 – 12420 No.1 Road, Richmond
Tel: (604) 447-0420
Web: http://www.zeesgrilledcheese.com/
Twitter: @zeesinsteveston
3rd Place People’s Choice:
Prado Cafe
Easy Cheesy
Price: $6.50
Description: Grilled to perfection on the cast iron panini grill. Perfectly toasted and buttery on the outside, hot and gooey on the inside. Comes with a side of house-made pickled beets.
Created by: Chef Reiko Cunningham
Prado Cafe
▪4208 Fraser Street, Vancouver
▪1938 Commercial Drive, Vancouver
▪100 West Hastings Street, Vancouver
Web: http://pradocafevancouver.com/
Twitter: @PradoCafe
The full list of participating restaurants can be found here
http://vancouverfoodster.com/2016/01/08/vancouver-foodster-grilled-cheese-challenge/
About Vancouver Foodster
Vancouver Foodster is is Vancouver’s premier online “Essential Food & Drink Intelligence” guide. Launched in 2009 by Richard Wolak, the blog explores the local food scene through reviews, tastings, interviews, and more. VancouverFoodster.com features new stories daily, as well as restaurant reviews, and articles. Vancouver Foodster also runs a series of food and drink challenges with restaurants, chefs and bartenders throughout the year! As well. we present a series of tasting tours in neighbourhoods throughout the city of which include Tasting Plates, Noodle Mania, Food Talks, Brunch Crawls and others. All are a division of CMI Chat Media Inc.
