Thanks to everyone who came out to the 6th Annual Grilled Cheese Smackdown!
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6th Annual Grilled Cheese Smackdown
Every culture has a tradition that transcends time and becomes a shining beacon of pride. The Romans tout their architectural acumen, Hawaiians boast a proud wave riding culture, and Toad&Co is known the world over - nay, across the galaxy - for our unparalleled expertise in making grilled cheeses.
But this rich cultural tradition (yes, we’re talking about the cheese) didn’t just pop out of thin air. No, the Grilled Cheese Smackdown was born out of both necessity and celebration. A celebration of the divine union of bread and cheese, and the need to find the one grilled cheese to rule them all. In 2012, the inaugural Grilled Cheese Smackdown was held by a handful of Toads in the office kitchen. It was the stuff legends are made of - fontina, cracked pepper jack, triple-cream brie... a tradition in the making. Well, grilling.
Over the years, the Grilled Cheese Smackdown has become a melting pot of intense competition, family rivalry, and good ol' fashioned fun. Competitors line up at the ready and have 30 minutes to crank out 10 sandwiches - 2 for the judges, 8 for the crowd. Hungry onlookers watch the masters work and wait patiently for a bite of the good stuff. For the purists, a Make-Your-Own grilled cheese table has all the butter, bread and cheese you could ever want, and we recommend dunking into the world's best tomato soup from longtime partner Organic Soup kitchen. To wash everything down, Draughtsmen Alework’s Blond Buxom poured freely all evening!
The stuff dreams are made of (CARBS).
A young chef in the making.
Even puppies love the Grilled Cheese Smackdown!
While the competition at this year's Smackdown was intense, a few sandwiches stood out. A rookie Toad&Co team, Kira and Helena from our Design and Product Departments, came out swinging with the "Santorini Panini", a beautiful basil and olive sammy that left everyone’s fingers Greecy (see what we did there....). Longtime competitors, UCSB’s Bren School warded off all bad spirits with "The Vampire Slayer" with heaps of garlic and a parmesan crust that slayed the taste buds. Our neighbors at Toad HQ, Team Ontraport's sando, "The Briegal,"made good use of brie and granny smith apples. DE-LISH.
The Santorini Panini, in all its Greecy glory!
UCSB's Bren School knows that presentation is everything at the Smackdown.
A little of this, and a little of that. It all came together for Ontraport's Briegal sando!
But impressing the crowd is not enough. The judges are the ultimate authority on who will take home the coveted Golden Spatula Award. This year’s judges included past champions from Visit Santa Barbara, chefs from Organic Soup Kitchen, and our very own Toad Danny. In the post-eat interview, Danny referred to the event as “the best day of his life!” We can relate. When the dust settled, the judges declared the winner of the Golden Spatula to be UCSB’s Bren School for their scary-tasty Vampire Slayer Sandwich! 1st place at the Grilled Cheese Smackdown is an honor indeed, but the coveted People’s Choice Award is the true vote of the masses. More votes were tallied this year than ever before, and the perennial favorite, Alpha Resource Center once again clinched the people’s choice award. As an event that has come to define Toad&Co and will (hopefully) take over the world, the Grilled Cheese Smackdown once again proved that a group of friends and a few beloved snacks is really all you need for an afternoon of epic proportions.
