Tailgate-inspired Culinary Competition Cheribundi Boca Raton Bowl’s Tailgate Party Presented by FPL Benefited Spirit of Giving’s Annual Holiday Gift Drive That Brings Holiday Magic to Thousands in Palm Beach County
Food, football, fundraising and community spirit were center field at Palm Beach Outlets last night as a roster of top chefs and mixologists served up their A-game in friendly competition at Cheribundi Boca Raton Bowl’s Tailgate Party Presented by FPL. There were plenty of creative tailgate-inspired tastings on the leaderboard; as well as meet-and-greet opportunities with ESPN on-air personalities while broadcasting live to raise funds to support Spirit of Giving’s Annual Holiday Gift Drive that benefits more than 4,000 in Palm Beach County.
As one of the lead-in events for the sixth annual Cheribundi Boca Raton Bowl, guests enjoyed mixing-and-mingling with fellow college football fans and community partners, as chefs showcased their own “takes on tailgate classics” ranging from sides and entrees to beverages and desserts. The panel of judges included Jeff Ostrowski, Palm Beach Post; Liz Petoniak, Palm Beach Illustrated; Joe Grant, Marshall Grant, PLLC; and Brian Moll, Coca-Cola. The judges determined the Grand Champion award, while guests got to cast their own votes for the People’s Choice award
Anne Grant, Joey Grant, Cassidy Grant
Ed Diener, Linda Davidson, Sue Diener
Bill St. John, Shanna St. John, Linda Paton, Doug Paton, Jon Kaye
And the 2019 winners are….
- Judges’ Choice / Grand Champion: Bolay
- People’s Choice: Ceasar’s Famous Ribs
- Most Spirited: CWS Kitchen + Bar
- Best Twist on a Taco: Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill + Bar
Chicken Wonton Tacos – Tangy Chicken-Stuffed Wonton Shells, Slaw and Cilantro
- Best Sweet and Savory Dish: Bolay
Dish-Slow Roasted Short Rib, Island Sweet Mash, Pickled Shallot; Dessert-Coconut Cardamom Panna Cotta, Roasted Pineapple Compote, Pistachio
- Best Dessert: Caribou Coffee
Honey Baked Ham and Swiss on Fresh Baked Croissant with Dijon Aioli. Dessert: Blueberry Streusel Muffin paired with Salted Sweet Cream Crafted Press and Laminita Single Origin Costa Rican Coffee - Best BBQ Dish: Ceasar’s Famous Ribs
Pulled Pork and Jerk Ribs – Slow Cook for 6-8 hours and Topped with Homemade BBQ Sauce
Mohamed Abdalla, Rick Lassiter, Liz Petoniak, Jon Kaye, Sally Shorr
Rachel Duewer, Theresa Agricola, Bonnie Kaye, Rose Perry
- Best Burger: CW Kitchen & Bar
Cordero Carnitas Burger – Three-Meat Blend, Cilantro Citrus Slaw, Pickled Onions, Feta, Queso Fresco, Salsa Verde Aioli Served on a Tuxedo Sesame Crusted Brioche
- Best New Concept: Drive Shack
Compressed Watermelon Bowl – Compressed Watermelon, Avocado, Cucumber, Green Onions, Sweet Soy and Jalapenos
- Best Handheld: Garden Grille at Hilton Garden Inn
Street Tacos – Choice of Chicken, Beef or Pork
- Best in a Bowl: LIME Fresh Mexican Grill
Asada Steak Bowl: Marinated Skirt Steak, Rice, Black Beans, Pico de Gallo, Caramelized Onions, House-made Salsa Asada, Cojita Cheese, Tortillas Strips
- Best Sandwich: Lynora’s
Lynora’s Market Sandwiches
- Best Slider: Morton’s The Steakhouse
Mesquite-smoked Pulled Boston Butt Sliders – with Pickled Red Onions and a Chipotle Blueberry BBQ Sauce
- Best Seafood Dish: Outside the Box Food Truck and Catering
Spicy Shrimp Taco – Citrus Marinated Shrimp, Red Cabbage, Pico de Gallo, Avocado, and Sriracha Aioli on Flour Tortillas
- Most Creative Cuisine: Palm Beach Gardens Marriott
Grilled Jamaican Jerk Chicken – in Spicy Waffle Cone with Yellow Rice & Peas
- Best International Dish: Tucker Duke’s Lunchbox
Spicy Middle Eastern Arayes – Beef Stuffed Pitas
- Worth the Extra Napkins: Twin Peaks
Carolina Pulled Pork Sliders – In-house Smoked Pulled Pork Topped with a Carolina-style Tangy Mustard-based BBQ sauce with Pickles and Bacon Slaw
- Best Chicken Dish: Wyndham Grand Jupiter
Chipotle Braised Chicken Tacos – Pico de Gallo, Shredded Lettuce, Flour Tortilla, Cotija Cheese,
Cilantro Crema
Marriott PBG Station:
From left; Fletcher Mayes, Jorge Lopez, Nicole Tamanini, Mike Jimenez, Jacqueline Ouellette, Dakota Konstas
Best International Dish: Tucker Duke’s Lunchbox
Florida Power & Light Company (FPL) was the presenting sponsor of the Cheribundi Boca Raton Bowl’s Tailgate Party. They are, also, teaming up this year with the Cheribundi Boca Raton Bowl to showcase and support talented robotics teams across South Florida throughout the 2019 college football season. Robotics teams across the county are at work building robots that will compete against each other to kick a field goal. The winning team will be awarded a $5,000 scholarship, courtesy of FPL, and the opportunity to be featured on field during the 2019 Cheribundi Boca Raton Bowl game.
Grand Champion Award Winners- BOLAY
Bill Ceasar, Ceasar’s Famous Ribs
“As always, this annual, spirited, laid back fan and fundraising event generated plenty of community pride and support for Spirit of Giving,” shared Doug Mosley, Executive Director of the Cheribundi Boca Raton Bowl. “For collectively delivering a big win on so many levels, our deepest appreciation goes out to our presenting sponsor FPL; our event host, the Palm Beach Outlets; the chefs who each year ‘up’ their game; the spirited attendees who come out to cheer on their favorite culinary masters and our panel of esteemed judges.”
About the Cheribundi Boca Raton Bowl: 2019 Game Moves to New Day, Time and Network
After spending five years on the Tuesday evening before Christmas and being aired on ESPN, the
2019 Cheribundi Boca Raton Bowl will kick off in the Florida sunshine on Saturday afternoon, December 21 at 3:30 p.m. ET at FAU Stadium and will broadcast nationally on ABC as well as on ESPN Radio and locally on ESPN 106.3 FM. The bowl game has conference tie-ins with teams from Conference USA, the American Athletic Conference and the Mid-American Athletic Conference.
As one of 41 postseason college bowl games in the country and one of 15 owned and operated by ESPN Events (a division of ESPN) the Cheribundi Boca Raton Bowl is the only one hosted in Palm Beach County. As a celebrated annual holiday tradition in Boca Raton and Palm Beach County that lives up to its other name, ‘Boca’s Biggest Annual Outdoor Party’, the event features all the pomp and circumstance of traditional bowl events. It is a high-energy, entertaining experience for both college football fans and non-fans alike and allows the national spotlight to shine on Boca Raton and Palm Beach County. Bowl week activities will begin on Tuesday, December 17 with the arrival of the participating teams; days, times and sites for the team welcome parties, beach parties, luncheon, pep rallies and other bowl week activities will be released at a later date. For more info, visit www.CheribundiBocaRatonBowl.com and/or follow through social media on Facebook (Facebook.com/BocaBowl), Twitter (@BocaBowl), and Instagram (@BocaBowl).
