The Vancouver Foodster Mac and Cheese Challenge was a great success featuring unique creations at restaurants around Vancouver, Pitt Meadows, and North Vancouver.  Each establishment featured their creation on their menu from April 6-30, 2017. and their customers voted for their favourites daily throughout the challenge for their People’s Choice favourites.

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: David Grange, Areta Wong and Karl Kliparchuk.

The Winners are:

1st Place:

Mosaic Grille

The Mac Daddy

Price: Full      $36; Half        $24; Taster    $16

Created by: Executive Chef Jeff Szombaty & Jo Ong Sous Chef

Description: Canadian lobster. cavatappi. olive oil cured sundried tomato. havarti-gouda mornay sauce. truffle essence

Offered: 4:30pm- 10:30pm daily

Mosaic Grille

655 Burrard Street, Vancouver

Tel:   604-639-4768

Web:  https://vancouver.regency.hyatt.com/en/hotel/home.html

Twitter:    @HyattVancouver

Instagram: @HyattVancouver

2nd Place:

Tour de Feast

In your Belly Mac & Cheese

Price: $14.50

Created by: Chef DJ

Description: Casareccia pasta, gruyere cheese, sauce maornay, twice cooked organic Fraser valley pork belly, truffle Parmesan bread crumbs.

Offered: 7 days a week 10 am to 2:30 pm

Tour de Feast

319 Mountain Highway, North Vancouver

Tel: (604) 980-1811

Web: http://tourdefeast.com/

Twitter: @de_feast

Instagram: @tourdefeast319

3rd Place:

Storm Crow Tavern

Mother of Dragons Mac and Cheese

Price: $16

Created by: Chef Sam Cargnelli and Allie Szakacs

Description:   Semolina macaroni in a carbonara-style sauce with parmesan, Two Rivers smoked bacon, Golden Ears Cheesecrafters Gold Creek Munster-style cheese with Neufchâtel crèma and house-made spicy ketchup topped with a Dragon’s Egg (a mac and cheese ball wrapped in a Red Devil pork sausage, with a cheese curd center!)

Offered: Offered during lunch and dinner

Storm Crow Tavern

1305 Commercial Drive, Vancouver

Tel: (604) 566-9669

Web: http://www.stormcrowtavern.com/

Twitter: @stormcrowtavern

Instagram:  @stormcrowtavern

In the People’s Choice Awards category, the public who tried the Mac and Cheese Creations were the ones who had the opportunity to cast their vote throughout the challenge.

The Winners are:

1st Place People’s Choice:

Storm Crow Tavern

Mother of Dragons Mac and Cheese

Price: $16

Created by: Chef Sam Cargnelli and Allie Szakacs

Description:   Semolina macaroni in a carbonara-style sauce with parmesan, Two Rivers smoked bacon, Golden Ears Cheesecrafters Gold Creek Munster-style cheese with Neufchâtel crèma and house-made spicy ketchup topped with a Dragon’s Egg (a mac and cheese ball wrapped in a Red Devil pork sausage, with a cheese curd center!)

Offered: Offered during lunch and dinner

Storm Crow Tavern

1305 Commercial Drive, Vancouver

Tel: (604) 566-9669

Web: http://www.stormcrowtavern.com/

Twitter: @stormcrowtavern

Instagram:  @stormcrowtavern

 

2nd Place People’s Choice:

Hopcott Meats

Pulled Beef Mac & Cheese

Price: $9.95

Created by: Chef Christina Sepidoza

Description: Slow cooked Hopcott beef brisket, pulled and then braised in red wine and aromatic vegetables piled on top of macaroni with aged cheddar and cheese curds, topped with homemade onion straws and special house ketchup

Offered: During lunch hours: 10:30 to 4:00, Seven days a week

Hopcott Meats

18385 Old Dewdney Trunk Road, Pitt Meadows

Tel: 604.465.7799

Web: http://www.hopcottmeats.ca/

Twitter @HopcottFarms

Instagram @hopcottfarms

 

3rd Place People’s Choice:

Tour de Feast

In your Belly Mac & Cheese

Price: $14.50

Created by: Chef DJ

Description: Casareccia pasta, gruyere cheese, sauce maornay, twice cooked organic Fraser valley pork belly, truffle Parmesan bread crumbs.

Offered: 7 days a week 10 am to 2:30 pm

Tour de Feast

319 Mountain Highway, North Vancouver

Tel: (604) 980-1811

Web: http://tourdefeast.com/

Twitter: @de_feast

Instagram: @tourdefeast319

 

Thank you to all the chefs and restaurants that accepted my invitation and featured the Mac and Cheese Challenge creations on the menu for the past few weeks during this challenge.

I encourage you to visit the winning restaurants to try their Mac and Cheese creations! See all the Mac and Cheese Challenge Entries Here.

By: Richard Wolak