The Vancouver Foodster Caesar Cocktail Challenge was a great success featuring unique creations at restaurants and bars around Vancouver, Richmond and North Vancouver. Each restaurant featured their creation on their menu from March 12-April 5, 2015. 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: Aaron Alexander, Joe Leary and Dianne Chow
The Winners are:
1st Place:
Stateside Craft
B&C Craft Caesar
Description: Ground pepper and pink Himalyan sea salt rim. Obviously Vodka. House made Clamato, made with roasted veg, fresh Roma tomatoes, red wine, secret spices & herbs and clam nectar. Garnished with bacon, Jerky Baron fresh beef jerky stick, a Prawn and assorted pickled peppers and veg.
Created by: General Manager Benn McGuire & Bar Manager Colin Bussiere
Stateside Craft
1601 Commercial Drive
Tel: 604-620-0048
Web: http://www.statesidecraft.com/
Twitter: @statesidecraft
2nd Place (tie):
Earl’s Restaurant
Earls Signature Caesar
Description: An Earls favorite, our signature Caesar blends the classic vodka and clamato with our special 12-spice blend and a jerky stick garnish
Ingredients: smirnoff vodka, clamato + signature spices, beef stick
Created by: Cam Bogue, Beverage Director
Earl’s Restaurant
Earls Yaletown
1095 Mainland Street, Vancouver
Tel: (604) 688-4990
Web: https://earls.ca/
Twitter: @EarlsYaletown
and
Earls Test Kitchen
905 Hornby Street, Vancouver
Tel: (604) 682-6700
Web: https://earls.ca/
Twitter: @earlsTK
2nd Place (tie):
U & I Thai
U&I Thai Caesar
Description: A delicious blend featuring exotic spices and ingredients creating a mouth full of delicate flavour that tingle your taste buds. On the palate the taste is fresh and green, with the clearly defined flavours dancing on your tongue. Caesar connoisseurs will appreciate this unique blend of spices and find it hard to stop at just one.
Ingredients: Tamarind juice, dried Chinese plum, garden fresh Galangal root, Basil and Lemongrass is added to the Clam Cocktail base and seasoned with black pepper, salt, Tabasco
Lea & Perrins, and Angostura Bitters.
Created by: Chef A-guan Phutyeam and Mr. Kittipoj Chidjarean
U & I Thai
3364 Cambie St, Vancouver
Tel: (604) 875-6999
Twitter: @uratomjit
3rd Place:
Salida 7
The 7th Exit
Description: with gin, sherry, beef broth, sangrita and Dickens organic caesar mix with pickled spot prawn garnish and a horseradish foam and serrano chili sea salt rim.
Ingredients: Gin, Fino Sherry, Beef broth, Sangrita, Celery bitters, Dickens Organic Caesar Mix, Serrano chili infused salt rim, Horseradish Foam
Garnish: Pintxo – Jalapeño pickled spot prawn, marinated zucchini and smoked chorizo.
Created by: Nathan Jackman
Salida 7
52 Alexander Street, Vancouver
Tel: 604 569 3088
Twitter: @salida7gastown
In the People’s Choice Awards category, the public who tried the Caesar Creations were the ones who had the opportunity to cast their vote throughout the challenge.
The Winners are:
1st Place People’s Choice:
American Grille
The Kuno Caesar
Description: In-house basil infused gin, hand pressed fire roasted tomato and clam nectar (Caesar mix) topped with a cucumber boat with dill cream cheese, local baby heirloom tomato, nori, salmon gravlax
Ingredients: In-house basil infused gin, hand pressed fire roasted tomato & clam nextar, wasabi, soy sauce, black sesame seed & togarashi rim. Garnish: Cucumber boat w/ dill cream cheese, local baby heirloom tomato, nori and salmon gravlax
Created by: Elisa Rutigliano and Jessi Leak
American Grille
7571 Westminster Highway, Richmond
Tel: 604-232-2804
Web: http://american-grille.com/
Twitter: @GrilleYVR
2nd Place People’s Choice:
Milestones Grill & Bar
West Coast Fixer
Description: The mix is Walter and we have added Sauza tequila as well as Howe Sound IPA. We have a culinary garnish of a crab roll, shrimp skewer, pickle, cherry tomato, lime wedge, and lemon.
Ingredients: Walter Caesar mix, worchester sauce, tobacco sauce, kosher salt, sauza rail tequila, howe sound IPA draught, crab salad, Hawaiian bun, shrimp skewer, steak spice, lemon, fresh basil, lime wedge, pickle, cherry tomato
Crab salad: pasteurized crab meat, mayonnaise, fresh cut salsa, green onion, garlic in oil, kosher salt, black pepper
Created by: Executive Chef Jason Rosso and National Beverage Manager Nathan Cameron.
Milestones Yaletown
1109 Hamilton Street, Vancouver
Web: http://www.milestonesrestaurants.com/
Twitter: @MilestonesYale
And
Milestone’s Robson
1145 Robson Street, Vancouver
Web: http://www.milestonesrestaurants.com/
Twitter: @MilestonesRBSN
3rd Place People’s Choice:
Pinnacle Pier Hotel
West coast Salmon Gin Caesar
Description: made with local Victoria Gin, house made horse radish, and a tasty piece of candied salmon, spicy bean & blue cheese stuffed olive! But most importantly, the rim is a ground smoked bacon & Cajun spice!
Ingredients: Victoria Spirits Gin, horseradish, candied salmon, blue cheese, olive, bacon, Cajun spice.
Created by: Lobby Bartender’s creation (Dean, Ali, Vanessa and Jason)
Pinnacle Pier Hotel
138 Victory Ship Way, North Vancouver
Tel: 604-986-7437
Web: http://pinnaclepierhotel.com/the_lobby.html
Twitter: @PinnaclePier
Thank you to all the chefs and restaurants that accepted my invitation and featured the Caesar Challenge creations on the menu for the past few weeks during this challenge.
I encourage you to visit the winning restaurants to try their Caesar creations! See all the 11 Caesar Challenge Entries Here.
By: Richard Wolak