Saturday, October 24th, A Snappy Event will host the 6th annual Mac Off competition from 2 to 7 p.m. at The Grove at Patriots Point in Mount Pleasant, located at 40 Patriots Point Road. Yours truly will be one of the critics in the “Critic’s Choice” competition this year. I get to judge a mac & cheese contest! All my dreams are coming true.
*swoon*
No other food combines love, comfort, and Southern roots like mac and cheese. This melt in your mouth mainstay is a classic that is served as a side dish, a pasta entrée, a casserole, fried appetizer or even dessert on many Charleston menus. The Mac Off gives tribute to our Southern love of this versatile cheesy dish and seeks to crown the best of the best in Charleston.
Last year, 6,000 people gathered to sample traditional and gourmet offerings of mac and cheese and award bragging rights to “The Best Mac & Cheese” in Charleston. This year, local restaurants and chefs will compete for the title again.
Event attendees will have the opportunity to savor over 20 delectable macaroni and cheese samples and cast a vote for their favorite at the end of the event. A guest panel of local celebrity judges will also choose their favorite and present two awards at the end of the competition: Best Mac and Cheese in Charleston: Food Critics Choice (which I will be judging!), and Best Mac and Cheese in Charleston: People’s Choice.
Some of this year’s participating competitors include Roti Rolls, Bohemian Bull, The Loophole, Southerly Restaurant and Patio, Cherrywood BBQ & Ale House, The Fish House, Charleston Artisan Cheese House, Smoky Oak, The Shelter among others.
However, macaroni and cheese isn’t the only attraction at the festival. This year live music will be provided by Banana Pancakes and Bootless, our second-annual Home Grown Cooks competition will showcase local home chefs, and this year the Mac Off takes mac and cheese eating to a whole new level with the first macaroni and cheese eating competition sponsored by Charleston Artisan Cheese House. Attendees will also enjoy a farmer’s market-inspired Vendor Village hosting local artisans and craftsmen and a Kid’s Zone sponsored by Annie’s Nannies and HOPE Acres Rescue.
Tickets are $10.00 in advance and can be purchased online at www.charlestonmacoff.com. Food and Beverage tickets will be sold for $1.00 within the event. Tickets can be used to purchase Mac and Cheese, Beer, Wine and Soda. Part of the proceeds from this event will benefit Lowcountry Local First, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that seeks to cultivate an environment of success for local independent businesses and farmers. Through its Buy Local, Eat Local and Local Works Initiatives, LLF raises awareness about the positive fiscal and societal benefits of supporting a local living economy and assists local businesses with enhancing their growth and visibility.
