Photos by Ron Elkmn
More than 350 residents, civic and business leaders dressed in their alma mater or favorite college team’s colors to rev up fans before the Palm Beach County’s only NCAA-sanctioned college football bowl game. Kicking off a hearty wave of Palm Beach County pride for the Cheribundi Boca Raton Bowl, the 2019 Great Chefs Tailgate Showcase & College Football Spirit Night hosted this week at the Renaissance Boca Raton Hotel drew more tailgate culinary creativity than ever before. All while raising over $15,000 in funds from two tailgate events combined for Spirit of Giving’s annual holiday gift drive and boosting bowl game ticket sales.
Participating chefs and brewmasters at the Cheribundi Boca Raton Bowl Great Chefs Showcase & College Football Spirit Night.
In a friendly competition, dozens of the area’s popular restaurant, country club, hotel, cooking school chefs and brew masters pleased the palates of event-goers with their signature twists on tailgate classics. Featuring several returning contenders and six first-timers, every chef brought their A-game. Samplings ranged from sides and entrees to beverages and desserts. Validating that football and beer are a popular team-up, a dedicated roster of breweries featured flights of diverse craft brew samplings as well.
Each chef and brewmaster presented their creation to a panel of expert foodie media, personalities and bloggers while guests casted their votes for the “People’s Choice” winner. The panel of expert judges – made up of foodie media experts and bloggers – noted they were “highly challenged” this year. The judges were Sun Sentinel Food & Dining Critic – Michael Mayo; Longtime food journalist covering South Florida, frequent columnist for Florida Weekly and The Coastal Star newspapers, Boca Magazine- Jan Norris; Boca Magazine Managing Editor – John Thomason; Two Forks & A Cork Blogger – Wayne Augustin; SteppingOutFlorida.com Editor/Blogger – Deby Goldfarb.
Great Chefs Tailgate Showcase Committee
And the 2019 Great Chefs Tailgate Showcase winners are…
While the real winners are the children benefitting from Spirit of Giving’s Annual Holiday
Gift Drive, the culinary victors who spent the last few weeks heating up their creative
cookery to put a new spin on tailgate classics were:
- Grand Champion: Boca Raton Resort & Club, Chef Scott Manocchio, Woonsocket’s Dynamite Sloppy Joe and Tuscan Cheesy Polenta
- People’s Choice: Ceasar’s Famous Ribs, Chef Bill Ceasar, Pulled Pork and Jerk Ribs
- Most Spirited: Cinnaholic Gourmet Cinnamon Rolls, Gourmet Cinnamon Roll Variety
- Top Tailgate Taco: Applebee’s® Neighborhood Grill + Bar, Chicken Wonton Tacos
- Best Sandwich: Bazille, Chef Fredericks Edwards, Crispy Chicken Sandwich with
Apple Onion Slaw - Best on a Bun: Boca Raton Resort & Club, Chef Scott Manocchio, Woonsocket’s Dynamite Sloppy Joe and Tuscan Cheesy Polenta
- Crowd Pleaser: Bolay, Executive Chef Justin Brady, Slow Roasted Short Rib,
Island Sweet Mash, Pickled Shallot and Coconut Cardamom Panna Cotta, Roasted Pineapple Compote, Pistachio - Best Pulled Pork: Ceasar’s Famous Ribs, Chef Bill Ceasar, Pulled Pork and Jerk Ribs
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Andy Thomson, Monica Mayotte, Andrea Levine O’Rourke, Robert Weinroth, Scott Singer, Bill Ceasar, Pauline Ceasar, Jordan Sherwood
- Best South of the Border Dish: Chartwells at FAU, Campus Executive Chef Shane Lynch, Yucatan-Style Cochinita Pibil, Slow-Roasted Achiote Marinated Pork Served in a Fresh Corn Tortilla with Green Pico De Gallo, Pickled Red Onion and Queso Blanco.
- Best Wings: Cheffrey Eats, Chef Jeffrey Lemmerman, Chicken Wings with Special B.O.M.B. Sauce. (made and served at Barrel of Monks Brewery)
- Top Tailgate Treat: Cinnaholic Gourmet Cinnamon Rolls, Gourmet Cinnamon Roll Variety
Cinnaholics Todd & Naomi Cohn
- Most Creative Slider: Harvest Seasonal Grill & Wine Bar, Executive Chef William Ring, Pulled Pork Sliders featuring Slow-roasted Pork Tossed with “Figgy-Q” (House-made Fig BBQ), Israeli Apple Slaw and a Soft Challah Slider Bun
- Ultimate Tailgate Classic: Hooters, Chicken Wings and Sauces
- Best of Bakery: La Boulangerie Boul’Mich, French with a Latin Twist:
Guava and Cheese Croissant
La Boulangerie Boul’Mich Max Ramp and Owlsley
- Most Savory Short Rib: Los Bocados, Chef Robby Bushman, Guajillo Glazed Short Rib
Served Over Chipotle Slaw - Best Burger: E.A.T. Eatery & Taproom, Chef/Owner George Patti, The Frita- Chorizo Patti, Smoked Cheddar Cheese Sauce, Candied Bacon and Crispy Fried Potato Chips
- Best Floridian Fare: Oceans 234, Sous Chef Joseph Ballivian,
Key West Pink Shrimp + Florida Citrus Tostadas - Best Comfort Food: Renaissance Boca Raton Hotel, Chef Marco Villanueva/Bob Hester,
Chili Con Carne made with Ground Beef, Red Beans, Chili served in a Phyllo Cup
- Best Seafood Dish: Sammy J’s Kitchen + Cocktails, Executive Chef Randy Luedders,
Shrimp n’ Grits, Creamy – Spicy Cheddar Cheese Grits, Sautéed Fresh Corn, Mushrooms, Spinach and Tomatoes - Best Seasonal Sweet: Seasons 52 Grill & Wine Bar, Executive Chef Brian Besaw,
Mini Pumpkin Pie - The Ultimate Dipper: The Melting Pot, Milk, White and Dark Swirled Chocolate Strawberries and Boston Lager Cheddar Cheese Fondue
- Best Veggie Burger: True Food Kitchen, Executive Chef Brian Stevenson,
Unbeetable Slider Burger - Best Handheld: Tucker Duke’s Boca Raton, Chef Chris Cartenuto,
Spicy Middle Eastern Arayes
Judges Announces Grand Champion – Boca Raton Resort & Club
And the 2019 Cheribundi Boca Raton Bowl “Best Brews” Award winners went to…
- Best Blonde Brew: Barrel of Monks Brewing, #99 Hoppy Belgian Blonde Ale –
7% ABV and Three Fates Tripel – 9% ABV (Brewed with NFL Hall of Famer Warren Sapp) - Best Seasonal Brew: Crazy Uncle Mike’s, Mike Goodwin, Octoberfest Lager
and Physical Graffiti IPA - Tastiest Craft Ale: Due South Brewing Co., Doug Fairall, Carmel Cream Ale
- Most Creative Brew: Prosperity Brewers, Dominick Peri, Cheribundi HEF-A-U:
Classic German-style Hefeweizen (wheat beer) infused with Cheribundi juice - The Sweetest Ale: Mad Robot Brewing Co., Allen Steen, Sandal Clad Cyborg and
Mexican Chocolate Cake Stout
“Once again chefs, mixologists, and brewmasters did not disappoint,” said Doug Mosley, executive director of the Cheribundi Boca Raton Bowl, one of 41 postseason college bowl games in the country and the only one hosted in Palm Beach County. “Each year at this tailgate showcase we see and taste more creative tailgate-inspired originals cooked up
and on tap then the previous year, all to support the bowl and Spirit of Giving.”
Brian Stenberg, Andy Thomson, Craig Fox
Pam Weinroth, Bob Tucker, Amy Devlin, Robert Weinroth, Liz Hagensick, Tim Devlin, Jason Hagensick
According to Mosley, this year’s sixth annual bowl game will kick off in the Florida sunshine on Saturday, 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 will have conference tie-ins with teams from Conference USA, the American Athletic Conference and the Mid-American Athletic Conference.
Featuring all the pomp and circumstance of traditional bowl events, the Cheribundi Boca Raton Bowl 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. The event has become a celebrated annual holiday tradition in Boca Raton and Palm Beach County as it lives up to its other name, “Boca’s Biggest Annual Outdoor Party”. 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).