Mac and Cheese Bowl

As I previously mentioned, one of Jim's Valentine's Day presents was tickets to the Second Annual Mac and Cheese Bowl.  (We missed this event last year because we were on our honeymoon. Priorities, right?)  This sold out event was held yesterday afternoon and we had a really great time testing all of the delicious recipes.  There were approximately 1,500 people in attendance and, while it felt cramped at times (mostly due to the strollers...ugh), we never had to wait more than a few minutes for a sample.

One of our favorites was the three little pigs from Valente's , which features soppresetta, prosciutto, pancetta, aged provolone, Parmigiano Reggiano and mascarpone cheeses. Not surprisingly, Valente's won Judge's Choice for the second year in a row, as well as People's Choice this year. Others that stood out were the buffalo chicken from The Standard, ham and bacon from Wolff's Biergarten, and bacon and horseradish with tomato chutney from Wishing Well. I also loved the Italian Ice station set up by Perrecca's at the 3/4 turn. By that point, we were hot and thirsty and it was just what we needed. I'm sure it also helped cleanse our palates.

In addition to voting for your favorite three versions, there was also a Best Display contest. I was very torn between Jack's impressive ice sculpture and the Wolff's display
which included the famous boot filled with
peanuts and a simple /twig arrangement,
which dangled peanuts off of multi-colored
ribbons. I regret that I didn't take a picture
of that one.

As you can see, Jim and I enjoyed ourselves very much. I think he actually tried all 30 concoctions whereas I avoided the lobster, crab, beef and pulled pork versions. Regardless, I definitely need to work off all of the calories I consumed. By the looks of this overflowing garbage can, we weren't the only ones who enjoyed ourselves :)