The Block hosted a Macaroni and Cheese Throwdown event on Saturday Nov. 17. Tickets to the event cost $15 to sample seven unique variations of macaroni offered (one from each food truck), and a token to vote for your favorite macaroni execution. The Block also sold a $20 ticket that added mimosas to the experience. Eager attendees formed lines from the beginning of the event at 1 p.m. until closing at 6 p.m. While this wait seems like a downer, the Block staff and food trucks were prepared for the crowd and kept things moving quickly and smoothly.
Go Vegan San Antonio featured a vegan-friendly version of the traditional macaroni and cheese. The dish was made with egg-free elbow pasta and a sauce made with non-dairy Follow Your Heart shreds, non-dairy milk, carrots, onions, potatoes, cashews, hot sauce and spices. The cooks at Go Vegan really know what they are doing — you would never know that their macaroni and cheese doesn’t actually contain cheese!
The Ronin Ramen food truck was next up on the list. Despite macaroni and cheese not being their specialty (judging from their truck name), they knew what they were doing. The taste testers raved about their combination of classic macaroni and cheese, because they switched it up by mixing in shredded brisket, a Texas favorite. But they didn’t stop there; they daringly topped the perfect pair with cheesy Goldfish crackers.
Bob and Timmy’s Grilled Pizza on Wheels decided to give the macaroni a sophisticated approach. They whipped up a beautiful lobster bisque macaroni and cheese. The dish was creamy and cheesy with a touch of lobster and spices. The cooks added garnishes that really brought the whole presentation together.
This next sample was a big shock. Twisted Traditions lived up to their name getting really creative with their presentation. They created a fried egg roll with brisket and macaroni and cheese filling, topped with a tangy barbecue sauce and garlic aioli. There are no words for the flavor explosion of this bite. Who knew that such different types of food are able to come together so seamlessly?
The Bull Goji Boys food truck tried its luck at an underappreciated version of macaroni and cheese: the deep-fried macaroni bite. The combination of the crispy exterior with a cheesy center is any macaroni lover’s dream — especially here in the south where the best foods are fried.
The most eye-catching presentation of macaroni and cheese came from SlimeDog food truck. The chefs served their take on pasta in a cone! They dipped the cone in melted queso and scooped macaroni and cheese inside. Lastly, they topped it with crumbled Hot Cheetos, feta and sprouts. Eager samplers lined up at the beautiful sight.
Last but not least, Chef Jose B, appealed to Texan’s spicy side, by creating a white cheddar jalapeño macaroni and cheese paired with a crispy chicken wing. The pasta was incredibly creamy and had just enough spice for flavor, but not too much to leave tasters afraid of taking the next bite. The chef fried the wing perfectly and it had incredible flavor — a power duo that had me coming back for more!
Eager attendants voted for their favorite version of macaroni and cheese by placing their coin in the respective container. Then the wait began. The Block announced the winner of the Macaroni and Cheese Throwdown on Sunday afternoon on their Facebook page: “WINNER of the Mac & Cheese Throwdown is … Twisted Traditions-SA! Out of seven competing food trucks, a whopping 182 of 651 people chose the Cheesy Swine, a pulled pork and mac & cheese egg roll that left your taste buds dancing with flavor!”
