OMG.
Armstrong’s Wild Oak Café won the Judges’ Choice award in the city’s best grilled cheese sandwich competition among local eateries, part of the build-up to the annual Cheese – It’s a Natural Festival on Saturday, Nov. 3, at Centennial Hall.
OMG, text slang for Oh My Goodness, certainly applied to the Wild Oak’s winning fare. It’s also the first three letters of the delicious champion grilled cheese for 2018.
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“OMG is ‘Oh My Gord,’ which features roasted squash tomato jam, rosemary garlic mayo, spinach, gouda and onion on sourdough bread,” said Caitlyn Mundell of the Wild Oak.
Judges Roger Knox of The Morning Star, cheese poet David Beaudoin of Lake Country, whose Instagram account is squeaky_cheese, Brian Martin of Beach Radio and Cam Luckock of Your Country News scored the Oh My Gord 92.5 out of 100.
“It’s oozing with cheese, gooey, and there are beautiful grill marks,” said Martin.
Second place went to the Jamaican BBQ Pork Aged Cheddar grilled cheese from the Brown Derby Café, which received 85.6 points.
“Fabulous,” said Knox. “Grilled to perfection.”
Fairways Bistro came a close third with 84.5 points for its Darren’s Southern Fried Chicken BBQ Grilled Cheese.
“Very colourful, great combo and tasty,” said Beaudoin.
Station Diner’s The Rocket — featuring tomato, bacon, turkey, bacon aioli, Swiss, cheddar and pepper jack cheese, and arugula, garnered 80 points. A pair of Diner diners were also enjoying The Rocket as judges chowed down.
“I’d order it again,” said Luckock. “And wow, they make their own bread. Awesome.”
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Now that you know what the judges think, it’s your turn.
Get out and taste and vote at these restaurants for your favourite.
“The People’s Choice award gets the restaurant an engraved plaque for their wall for the next year and bragging rights,” said Patti Ferguson with the cheese festival.
The People’s Choice winner will be announced at Cheese – It’s a Natural” festival on Nov. 3 at 1:45 p.m.
You can also enter your own favourite grilled cheese in the amateur contest on that day. It starts at 1 p.m. Pre-registration takes place at the Armstrong Spallumcheen Chamber of Commerce by calling 250-546-8155.
Beaudoin will be offering seminars on cheese during the festival.
