One has strawberry preserves.
One has stuffing.
One has tuna.
All have the main ingredient of what makes a spectacular grilled cheese sandwich: cheese, bought locally.
Five Armstrong eateries are participating in the quest for the city’s best grilled cheese sandwich, part of the lead-up to the popular Cheese – It’s a Natural festival at Centennial Hall on Nov. 4.
Celebrity judges Brian Martin of SUN-FM, Roger Knox of The Morning Star, Cam Luckock of Your Country News and Will Hansma of the Okanagan Advertiser got to taste the five competing sandwiches and make their picks for the winner. The media judging winner will be revealed Nov. 4.
In the meantime, the public has a chance to weigh in and pick its winner.
“You can have their grilled cheese entry at their restaurant and then you can vote if you think theirs is the best,” said event spokesperson Patti Ferguson. “You can vote for each one over and over, but you have to eat it, which is not going to make you suffer much.”
Competing are:
The Wild Oak Café with its Cranberry Revy Grilled Cheese (complete with stuffing);
The Brown Derby Café with its Ooey Gooey Good Tuna Cheddar Grilled Cheese;
The Armstrong Hotel with its Good Morning Grilled Cheese (which includes the strawberry preserves);
The Station Diner with its Asiago Turkey Melt;
JJ’s Pizza Plus with its Cheesy Garlic Toast Grilled Cheese.
“OMG, they were all so delicious,” said Martin. “Very, very tough to pick a winner.”
The public has until Nov. 3 to taste and vote. Winners will be announced at the festival.
Tickets are now on sale for Cheese – It’s a Natural event, which is Armstrong’s annual celebrations of all things cheese.
The event is set for Saturday, Nov. 4, at 7 p.m. at Centennial Hall (doors open at 6 p.m.). Tickets are $25 in advance and $35 at the door.
The free daytime event runs at the hall from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Last year, more than 600 people came through the doors for cheese and spirits tastings, and to hear the winners of the local cheese contest.
“New this year at our Cheese 101 seminar, our participants will learn all about cheese including how to assemble a charcuterie board,” said event spokesperson Patti Noonan, executive director with the Armstrong Spallumcheen Chamber of Commerce.
