The Great Westport Sandwich Contest Begins
Photo taken at today’s kick-off event at Manna Toast. L-R Selectwoman Jen Tooker, Molly, Ira Bloom, WWCC President Matthew Mandell, Rep. Jonathan Steinberg, First Selectman Jim Marpe, RTM Sal Liccione, Selectwoman Melissa Kane, Rep. Stephanie Thomas, WWCC Board Member Cara Mocarski (contributed photo)
Press ReleaseThe Westport Weston Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce a new event for the Town and its residents, the Great Westport Sandwich Contest. This event is a follow up to the highly successful and embraced Pizza, Burger and Soup Contests run the last three years.
Today at Noon, First Selectman Jim Marpe proclaimed the month of March as Westport Sandwich Month. This announcement and the kickoff of the event took place at Manna Toast, on Church Lane.
This year’s contest is dedicated to the memory of longtime chef and owner of A&S Fine Foods, Albert Pizzirusso, who passed away suddenly earlier this month. Albert was a wonderful man and great supporter of the Chamber. He will be missed.
The contest, to take place throughout the month of March, will have 18 and counting sandwich making restaurants, delis and markets competing in ten different categories to be crowned Best Sandwich Maker in Westport. Judging will be done by the residents of the Town by voting on-line for each category. Furthermore, by voting, each participant is entered into a drawing to win a free sandwich from one of the ten winning restaurants. Over 4000 votes were cast in the last three contests.
"This is a fun way for our community to interact, support our local restaurants, delis and markets and best of all get to eat lots of sandwiches," said Matthew Mandell, Executive Director of the Chamber about his newest event. "It's all about creating experiences and this will be a positive for everyone; businesses, residents and of course the Town as a whole.”
The 18 competitors so far from across the town are: A & S Fine Foods, Calise’s, Capuli, Don Memo, Fortuna’s, Deli Grammie’s Donuts & Biscuits, Joe’s Pizza, Kawa Ni, Layla's Falafel, Manna Toast, Match Burger Lobster, Mystic Market, Organic Krush, Out Post Pizza, Rive Bistro, The Granola Bar, The Whelk, Winfield Street Deli.
The Ten categories are: Best Chicken Sandwich Best Steak Sandwich, Best Vegetarian Sandwich, Best Combo Sandwich, Best Club, Best NY Deli, Best Pressed Sandwich. Best Breakfast Sandwich, Best Wrap Sandwich, and Best Fish/Seafood Sandwich.
Each Restaurant, Deli or Market may enter up to four categories, but can only win two at most.
Residents have a month, beginning on March 1 and ending on March 31, to visit all the venues, enjoy the offerings, then go to the Chamber's Sandwich Contest web page to vote via cell phone or PC. As the community participates throughout the month the social media hash tag #greatwestportsandwich can be used in posts. The more pictures of people eating sandwiches the better.
Sponsoring the event again is Westport law firm Berchem Moses PC. "We are pleased to sponsor this event. Not only is the Westport Weston Chamber of Commerce an outstanding organization, but there is nothing better than a good sandwich," noted Berchem Moses PC Westport managing partner, Ira Bloom. "I hope to sample them all during the month."
The winning restaurants or markets, to be announced in April, will receive a plaque to commemorate their achievement. For more information and to access the voting pages, go to www.westportwestonchamber.com/sandwich