Of 32 foods and drinks in Smile Politely’s Food + Drink Tournament, we’re now down to the Elite 8. At this point in the tournament, all the beverages have been eliminated. The single elimination tournament has taken out all but eight foods. Let the record state that I am very, very sad to see my favorite cake, the most excellent tres leches cake by Rick’s Bakery, knocked out. Also eliminated by their top-seed competition in the Sweet 16 round: Mindy’s Italian sandwich from Cheese & Crackers, Neil St. Blues’ jambalaya, the goat cheese croquettes at The Bread Company, Watson’s slush, Riggs’ Hefeweizen, and Smith Burger Co’s amazing Glazed and Confused burger.
The only upset of the entire Sweet 16 round was the face-off between Baldarotta’s Porketta & Sicilian Sausage’s porketta sandwich, ranked 7th for their division, against second-seed Urbana’s BakeLab croissants. In the end, the Lincoln Square Mall sandwich shop won with an impressive 60-percentage points of reader vote.
The Elite Eight
Another set of favorite foods are poised to be eliminated. After this round, we’ll only have four foods remaining. Who can say which food will win? You can, dear sweet reader. It’s readers like you that will decide. The link to vote for the Final Four is at the end.
The Space’s Smashy McSmashface v. Black Dog’s Burnt Ends
If there’s any matchup to watch this round, it’s this one. This year’s top-seed will battle the reigning champ in a nail-biting battle of burger versus burnt ends. The Space’s Smashy McSmashface smashburger has a wagyu beef patty smashed to lacy perfection on a diner griddle, topped with melted cheese plus house-pickled red onions and jalapeños. It’s a perfect match for Black Dog’s burnt ends, which is the barbecue joint’s most popular dish. I love a Cinderella story, so I’m rooting for the funky burgerhouse’s signature burg to take to the Final Four.
Manolo’s Spotted Goat v. Baldarotta’s Porketta
This Urbana matchup will pit Manolo’s legendary Spotted Goat pizza against Baldarotta’s namesake sandwich. Baldarotta’s Porketta & Sicilian Sausage’s porketta sandwich (7) defeated Art Mart’s pumpkin cookie (9) in the first round. Last round, the sandwich dominated BakeLab’s croissants (2), and in this round, the porketta will take on their stiffest competition yet: SP’s Pizza Tournament winner Manolo’s most beloved pizza. The Spotted Goat will be tough to beat.
Sam’s Cafe French toast v. Miso Brownie at Suzu’s Bakery
This Elite Eight round will pit Sam’s versus Suzu’s in a Downtown Champaign sweets battle. Sam’s Cafe and Suzu’s Bakery are across the street from one another, but these foods couldn’t be farther apart. The classic diner’s French toast serves an unpretentious plate of the most amazing hot, cinnamon slices of battered toast, that I love so much. Its competition this round is Suzu’s Bakery’s miso brownie. The Japanese dessert is a delicious, tall, skinny slice of brownie with hardened chocolate and chocolate-coated crunchies on top.
Old Orchard pizza v. Maize Tacos al Pastor
Lastly, we’ve got a bowling alley pizza versus a Mexican restaurant’s pork taco. Old Orchard’s pizza comes cut tavern-style and has that yummy, gooey cheese pull, but I don’t know how it will beat Maize’s taco al pastor. If that taco can defeat Seven Saints’ cheese curds and Rick’s Bakery’s tres leches cake, then I’m predicting Maize’s saucy, slow-cooked pork on handmade corn tortillas to knock out the ‘za this round.
Vote for the Final Four here.
Voting for this round ends Wednesday, March 27th at 5 p.m.; Final Four announced 9 a.m. on Thursday.
