Newcomers dish up big in Mac-n-Cheese Bowl

COLONIE -- Druthers Brewing of Saratoga Springs, a newcomer to the region's drinking and dining scene, also was new to the fourth annual timesunion.com/Table Hopping Mac-n-Cheese Bowl.

Nevertheless, it won top honors in the people’s choice voting Saturday at the Marriott Hotel with its deep-fried Triple Pork Mac-n-Cheese Nuggets.

Another first-timer from Saratoga in the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York fundraising event, was Comfort Kitchen, which won the top prize from  panel of judges for its  mac-in-cheese with roasted butternut squash and a drizzle of butternut-squash-seed oil from Saratoga Olive Oil Co.

The winners and their mac-n-cheese dish’s name or signature ingredients, as supplied by event founder Steve Barnes:

Judges’ choice: Comfort Kitchen, butternut squash.
People’s choice, 1st: Druthers Brewing, deep-fried Triple Pork Nuggets.
People’s choice, 2nd: Albany Pump Station, Pump Station Burger.
People’s choice, 3rd: Mazzone Hospitality, 7-Hour Cherry Pepper Pork.
Best display: Hannaford/Elegant Touch Catering.
Best home cook (judges’ award): Jill Kavanagh, Down Home Pasta and Cheese (recipe here).

Some restaurants that participated on Saturday regularly offer the mac-n-cheese they featured; others will be running it as a special in the coming days. Call to confirm.

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