Druthers Brewing of Saratoga Springs, a newcomer to the Capital 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 in suburban Colonie 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.
Thirty different restaurants were entered in the competition, many of them with more than one recipe.
The winners and their mac-n-cheese dish’s name or signature ingredients:
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.
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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