The Vancouver Foodster Panini Challenge was a success featuring unique panini creations at restaurants around greater Vancouver. Each restaurant featured their creation on their menu from April 6 – May 1, 2022 and their customers voted for their favourites daily throughout the challenge.
The Winners are:
1st Place: {108 points}
Dalina
Fredo’s Jam
Price: $14.95
Created by: Gabriela Medeiros
Description: A perfect mix of sweet and savory, using fresh and housemade ingredients on a perfectly crisp baguette
Ingredients: Prosciutto, Salami, arugula, fior di latte, basil pesto aioli and bacon jam
Takeout/delivery details: Uber eats and Dalina app
Dalina
687 Main Street, Vancouver
Tel: 604-428-4364
Web: www.dalina.ca
Instagram @dalinavancouver
2nd Place: {107 points}
Nonna’s Cucina
Panino Del Nonna
Price: $18
Created by: Joe and Darrel
Description: Spezzatino is a rich Tuscan beef stew slow cooked for hours with aromatic vegetables, pancetta and herbs in a savory red wine and beef stock. We reduce this down and mix with the braised beef after a quick shred of the meat. Served on our fresh ciabatta with pancetta-onion marmelatta, buratta cheese, peperonata, and arugula.
Ingredients: Arugula, Buratta, Peperonata, Beef Spezzatino, Sweet Onion and Pancetta Marmelatta
Nonna’s Cucina
2166 E. Hastings Street, Vancouver
Tel:
Web: https://www.facebook.com/nonnascucinayvr/
Instagram @nonnascucinayvr
3rd Place: {92 points}
The Cannoli King
Il Giardino
Price: $15.00
Created by: Sam Pero
Creamy ricotta, grilled eggplant, onions, peppers, artichokes and balsamic glaze on a fresh in house focaccia.
The Cannoli King
950 Seaborne Ave #1125, Port Coquitlam
Email: info@cannoliking.ca
Instagram @cannolikingvancouver
In the People’s Choice Awards category, the public who tried the Panini creations were the ones who had the opportunity to cast their vote throughout the challenge.
The Winners are:
1st Place People’s Choice:
Nonna’s Cucina
Panino Del Nonna
Price: $18
Created by: Joe and Darrel
Description: Spezzatino is a rich Tuscan beef stew slow cooked for hours with aromatic vegetables, pancetta and herbs in a savory red wine and beef stock. We reduce this down and mix with the braised beef after a quick shred of the meat. Served on our fresh ciabatta with pancetta-onion marmelatta, buratta cheese, peperonata, and arugula.
Ingredients: Arugula, Buratta, Peperonata, Beef Spezzatino, Sweet Onion and Pancetta Marmelatta
Available: all the time
Nonna’s Cucina
2166 E. Hastings Street, Vancouver
Tel:
Web: https://www.facebook.com/nonnascucinayvr/
Instagram @nonnascucinayvr
2nd Place People’s Choice:
Dalina
Fredo’s Jam
Price: $14.95
Created by: Gabriela Medeiros
Description: A perfect mix of sweet and savory, using fresh and housemade ingredients on a perfectly crisp baguette
Ingredients: Prosciutto, Salami, arugula, fior di latte, basil pesto aioli and bacon jam
Offered: all the time
Takeout/delivery details: Uber eats and Dalina app
Dalina
687 Main Street, Vancouver
Tel: 604-428-4364
Web: www.dalina.ca
Instagram @dalinavancouver
3rd Place People’s Choice:
The Delly at UBC
The Delly Pesto Chicken Panini
Price: $8.95
Created By: the team
Description: all – time best seller, creamy, smooth, crunchy and feisty contrast of sourdough panini bread, pesto mayo, diced chicken, spinach and jalapeno pepper jack cheese
Offered: all the time
Takeout and Delivery Details: order online though the Delly App for pick up or through Ubereats for delivery. Walk in and Pick up in our store is welcomed as well.
The Delly at UBC AMS – The Nest
Lower Level 304-6133 University Boulevard
Vancouver BC V6T 1Z1
Tel: 604-228-8121
Web: www.thedelly.com
Instagram: @thedellyubc
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.
Each media judge scored each creation with a maximum of 40 points as follows: Overall Taste 20 points, Originality and Uniqueness 10 points, Presentation and Appearance 10 points. The highest number of points a challenge creation could have been awarded is 120 points.
Our Media judges for this challenge were: AJ Heraghty, Tara Lee and AJ Yao
Thank you to the chefs and restaurants that accepted my invitation and featured their panini creations on the menu for the past few weeks during this challenge.
I encourage you to visit the winning restaurants to try their panini creations! See all the Challenge entries here.
By: Richard Wolak