You could say it was a “cheesy” afternoon Saturday when a gang gathered at Steve’s Snappin’ Dogs (3525 E. Colfax) to judge the Great Colorado Grilled Cheese competition, hosted by radio rock star Pat “Gabby Gourmet” Miller.
Our mighty mouse team of judges – Gabby’s son Steve Miller and his adorable son Joey, gal about town Sarah Gore, Westword’s Lori Midson and yours truly risked gut and gullet to sample 17 entries in the great grilled cheese contest.
The interpretations varied from pizza-esque tastes to Reuben-esque entries to walks on the multi-cheese wild side.
For the first time ever (Gabby has hosted several of these culinary competitions), the judges’ and people’s choice picks were the same.
The winners were:
* Third place – Chauncy Hutton of Marczyk’s Fine Foods with two locations at 17th and Clarkson and Colfax and Fairfax, for a savory blend of muenster, Vermont cheddar, fire roasted tomato and brown mustard sandwich on store-made bread.
* Second place – catering company chef and Chef & Brew Fest organizer Michael Long and his radio show partner and chef Elizabeth Woessner for their sweet waffled fennel sourdough with fontina and apple sandwich pressed in a waffle iron.
* First place – Darci Hata with Hacienda Maize, a local producer of gourmet pepper jellies, for a savory caramelized bacon, Hacienda Maize jalapeno jelly, smoky gouda, sharp cheddar and Camembert sandwich.
The event organizer was Mike Wheaton of www.chowdownforcharity.com. Steve Balas, owner of Steve’s Snappin’ Dogs, donated 15 percent of the proceeds to Project Angel Heart, and participants opened their hearts and wallets to donate extra cash.
Our own columnist, Penny Parker, second from right, was among the judges Saturday for the grilled cheese tasting at Steve’s Snappin’ Dogs. (Facebook photo)
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