REGISTER TO COMPETE, BUY GENERAL ADMISSION TICKETS OR SIGN UP TO BE A JUDGE NOW!!!
COMPETITION REGISTRATION NOW OPEN! SIGN-UP FOR YOUR CHANCE AT VICTORY HERE!
TICKETS NOW ON SALE, GET YOURS HERE!
This year’s event will take place on National Grilled Cheese Day, April 12, 2014 at Los Angeles Center Studios in downtown Los Angeles.
It will not be the 3rd 10th Annual or the 2nd 11th Annual or even the 12th Annual.
It will be The Last Grilled Cheese Invitational.
We have fought a great battle and we have won. We have had a great time doing so. After so many years and soooo much cheese, quite simply, it’s time. Our insane committee of hard working volunteers has done years of backbreaking work to make this event happen and, well, it’s time.
The Last Grilled Cheese Invitational will be a glorious day for cheese!
This year’s event will be just as spectacular as in years past, with one added bonus. A final, fifth competition heat, where all previous Grilled Cheese Champions throughout the years will be invited to compete for the grand crown, the Final Grilled Cheese Champion!
General Admission tickets are available here!
Judging Society Membership and Tickets are sold out for 2014!
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The Grilled Cheese Champion
Luck McNulty – “The Recumbent Vicar”
Spaz Award
Jennifer Vela – “Neapolitan Blown Apart”
People’s Choice Award
1st Place – The Grilled Cheese Truck
2nd Place – Elbows Mac & Cheese
3rd Place – Trailer Park Truck
Love, American Style Category – White Bread, Orange Cheese & Butter
Amateur
1st Place – Taylor Henderson – “Totes MaGoates”
Raw toast, butter, orange cheese
2nd Place – Rudi Samonte – “Cheddar Squared”
Cheddar Cheese, white bread & Butter
3rd Place – Marie Cammack – “Inside Out and Bustin’ Out”
White bread, butter, sharp cheddar, extra sharp cheddar and American.
Professional
1st Place – Greg Paul of The Oaks Gourmet – “Powder Finger”
Homemade Extra Sharp American melted and powdered on pan di mie.
Missionary Category – Any Type of Bread, butter and cheese
Amateur
1st Place – Luck McNulty “The Recumbent Vicar”
A combination of seven different cheeses
2nd Place – Jeff Bernal – “El Hefe!”
Cheddar, American, Parmesan & Butter on Sourdough
3rd Place – Aaron Gariepy – “Uncle Jesse”
Private Recipe
Professional
1st Place – Michael Davidson – “The Legend”
Cabot Aged White Cheddar, Orange Cheddar, Mozzarella & Spring Hill Farms butter on Acme bread
2nd Place – Erik Kelley “Ma Che Bella Piato di Ravioli”
Private recipe
3rd Place – Paul Inserra “De-Lish”
Muenster Cheese, Guglhupf’s Pumpkin seed cheddar bread and butter
Kama Sutra Category – Any type of bread, butter and cheese PLUS additional ingredients – savory
Amateur
1st Place – Jenny Harrison – “And on the 8th Day, the Lord Created Grilled Cheese” RAMEN
Japanese White Bread, VEGAN Jalapeno Garlic Havarti Cheese, Ramen, Sriracha Broth Reduction Sauce
2nd Place – Rebecca Shergill – “P*rk Brie Baby One More Thyme”
Sourdough Bread, Brie Cheese, Thyme, butter, Candied Bacon, Apple/Maple Glazed Ham, Arugula pesto, Jalapeno Apple Chutney and Garlic Confit
3rd Place – Aften Detwiler – “Beer Smothered Clucker”
Pulled Beer Can Chicken, IPA Cheddar, Heirloom Tomato, Braised Kale on Homemade Beer Bread served with homemade honey mustard
Professional
1st Place – Lou Dave – “Potsticker Meltz’
Bread, Cheese, Pork, Green Onion, Sriracha and wontons
2nd Place – Jennifer Vela – “Put Some South In Your Mouth”
Sweet Potato Bread, Fontina, Cheddar, Grits, Virginia Ham and Peach & Pepper Jam
3rd Place – Albert Lara-Rodriguez – “Bacon Butter Crunch”
Organic White Cheddar Cheese with Guacamole, tomatoes & bacon butter on Sourdough Bread
Honey Pot Category – Any type of bread, butter and cheese PLUS additional ingredients – savory
Amateur
1st Place – Joe Harkenrider – “The Napoleon Fromage Homage”
French bread, French toast, butter, American cheese, fudge blueberry cheddar cheese, blue berries, Fontina cheese, powder sugar and a side of maple syrup garnish.
2nd Place – Laura Caccavo – “Birthday Cake Martini”
Funfetti challah, mayo, honey goat cheese, blue cheese, extra sharp cheddar, American cheese, confetti cookie crumbles icing and vodka spray
3rd Place – Matthew LaForest – “Hell’s Angels”
Angel Food Cake, Kiwis, Cream Cheese, Mascarpone, Dark Rum and some kind of vanilla booze
Professional
1st Place – Jennifer Vela – “Neapolitan Blown Apart”
Chocolate Wafer, Dark Chocolate Pop Rock Ganache, Chocolate Cream Cheese, Raspberry Chevre Vanilla Bean Mascarpone, Berry Balsamic Sauce
2nd Place – Michael Marrone – “Hard on the Outside 2.0”
Coffeegrind & Lavender Cheddar plus thick-cut, dark chocolate covered bacon on Crème Brulee’d Sourdough
3rd Place – Rick Webster – “Borracho Figs & Cheese”
Spanish bread with Figs in a brand sauce, a variety of Spanish cheeses and topped with pine nuts.
]]>Los Angeles Center Studios
1201 W. 5th Street.
Los Angeles, CA 90017
Public Transportation
Red Line/Light Rail
The 7th & Metro Station is the most convenient to the GCI. The GCI is just a few blocks away.
(NOTE: There is no pedestrian access across the 110 on either 6th or 5th, so please use Wilshire Blvd.
Use the address of the Studio to find the Metro route most convenient to you.
DRIVING – Be sure to carpool to the event!
Parking Lots
There are several pay lots run by Athena Parking that are convenient to the GCI.
MAIN LOT IS AT 6TH & BEAUDRY
Street Parking
Most street parking immediately around Los Angeles Center Studios will be unavailable by the time the event opens, so if you are looking to park on the street, start looking for parking a few blocks away from the studio.
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The registration for the 2013 Mother Loaded eating contest is now closed.
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- VOLUNTEER to help make this crazy, cheese event happen!
- Enter the COSTUME CONTEST and win a prize!
- Enter the CHEESE CALLING Contest and scream for victory!
- Please us with POETRY and make us smarter!
- Put up your DUKES and become a GRILLED CHEESE CHAMPION!
- Join our JUDGING SOCIETY to judge the best in grilled cheese!
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The 11th Annual Grilled Cheese Invitational is happening on April 20th, 2013 at Los Angeles Center Studios in downtown Los Angeles and will be the biggest, cheesiest, MOST imperial delight to ever land on the toasted, melted shores of Los Angeles.
NOWHERE will you find more hot cheesy goodness than at the GCI, with vendors such as The Grilled Cheese Truck, Heywood Grilled Cheese, The Counter, Greenspan’s Grilled Cheese, The Oaks Gourmet, Melt It, Elbows Mac & Cheese, Cheesy Amigos, Dogtown Dogs, and many more, you’ll be able to pack your belly to bursting with hot cheesy goodness!
Plus, there’s music! The infamous RICHARD CHEESE AND LOUNGE AGAINST THE MACHINE will be playing the GCI at 12:30pm! ALL THIS CHEESE will definitely turn it up to 11!
There’s cooking demos, costume contests, poetry contests, cheese calling contests, music, food, beer, glory, glory and MORE glory!
What? You haven’t bought tickets yet! Well not to worry.
Tickets are on sale now! Even though we have reached capacity for official judges for 2013, don’t you worry because you can still vote in the People’s Choice awards by purchasing as many hot and fresh grilled cheese from our vendors that space and time will allow.
Our Sponsors are totally the best people EVER!
The 11th Annual GCI is presented by The Grilled Cheese Truck, the most followed food truck in the world and creator of the infamous “Cheesy Mac & Rib,” a powerhouse sandwich with Sharp Cheddar Cheese, House-smoked BBQ Pork, Southern-style Macaroni & Cheese and Caramelized Onions on French Bread. At the event, you can participate in their “MotherLoaded Eating contest, which takes place at 4:20pm. Enter the contest here!
Our exclusive cheese sponsor, CABOT CREAMERY, has teamed up with our bread sponsor La Brea Bakery and will be providing samples of grilled cheese made from award-winning cheddar and other delicious cheeses. We also have free samples from Boulder Canyon potato chips, Kruegermann Pickles and Jarritos soda pops!
Visit the fundraiser Beer Garden curated courtesy of Beer Belly to get tastes from New Belgium Brewing, Lagunitas Brewing, Sierra Nevada and more. Proceeds from the beer garden benefit the Rotary Club of Los Angeles.
We’ve pulled out all the stops for this year and it’ll be one for the record books. On 4/20, there’s only one place to be and that’s at the 11th Annual Grilled Cheese Invitational!
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CABOT® CREAMERY IS HEADED WEST
FOR THE 10TH ANNUAL GRILLED CHEESE INVITATIONAL
Cabot Cheese Is An Exclusive Sponsor Of The National Competition in LA
Cabot, VT (March 1, 2012) – As hearts and minds turn towards spring, the farm family owners of Vermont-based Cabot Creamery Cooperative can’t wait for April and the 10th Annual Grilled Cheese Invitational (GCI) to arrive.
Founded in 1919 and widely known as makers of “The World’s Best Cheddar,” Cabot is proud to announce that it is the exclusive Cheese sponsor of the 2012 Grilled Cheese Invitational which will be held on April 28 at the world famous Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA.
“We’re truly excited to be a part of this amazing and zany event that strives to honor a little bit of the ‘chef’ in all of us,” says Candace Karu, Cabot’s Favorite Foodie and Lifestyle Commentator and one of the executive judges for the Grilled Cheese Invitational competition. “April is National Grilled Cheese Month and being a part of the Grilled Cheese Invitational is a unique opportunity for our farmers to share the Cabot brand with our good friends from the west coast. Food is all about fun and the GCI takes that fun to a whole new level. We’re proud to be involved with the event and we look forward to sharing our World’s Best Cheddar with everyone at the competition.
Indeed, Cabot knows a little bit about competing in the cheese world. The cooperative has won virtually every major award for best tasting cheddar and has captured numerous “World’s Best” cheddar titles in national and international competitions including the World Championship Cheese Contest, World Cheese Awards, US Championship Cheese Contest, International Dairy Deli Bakery Association Show, and the American Cheese Society. And Cabot also holds the Guinness® World Record for The World’s Largest Grilled Cheese Sandwich (Nov. 2000 in Everglades City, FL weighing 320 lbs.) and The World’s Largest Mac & Cheese (September 2010 in New Orleans, LA weighing 2,469 lbs).
“Growing up on the east coast, Cabot was my family’s ‘go to’ cheese when we wanted some of ‘the good stuff!,’ says Tim Walker, Chief Instigator and Founder of the Grilled Cheese Invitational. “Cabot’s dedication to communities and their farm families makes their cheese taste event better and I for one am glad they are a part of our 10th year!
While attending the largest grilled cheese contest in America, attendees can visit Cabot’s “Cheddar Reception” tent, a 40’ x 40’ area chock full of delicious Cabot cheese samples and piping hot Grilled Cheese sandwiches featuring some of Cabot’s greatest grilled cheese sandwich recipes and lots of Cabot giveaways.
The Grilled Cheese Invitational, which started in 2003 as a bet between Founder Tim Walker and a group of his closest friends, has grown into a national movement dedicated to perfecting the art of grilled cheese.
“This year mark ten years of cutthroat, competitive grilled cheese sandwiches,” Walker says. “What started as a friendly wager between friends has grown into a national movement of cheese fiends dedicated to perfecting the art of Grilled Cheese. When we started, the Grilled Cheese was orphaned into the dark world of the ‘kids menu’ in most restaurants, left to suffer needlessly with fish sticks and chicken nuggets. Now, thanks to our efforts, the Grilled Cheese is taking center stage in the role of America’s sandwich! With four competitive categories, amateur and pro chefs cooking side by side and all sorts of special judges awards, and with Cabot’s help, this year will be the best thing to happen to mankind since the invention of sliced cheese!”
ABOUT THE GRILLED CHEESE INVITATIONAL
The Grilled Cheese Invitational (GCI) is the largest, craziest, and most exciting Grilled Cheese cooking contest in the country and is the best thing to happen to sliced cheese since sliced bread! The event was created by Tim Walker in 2003, in an artist loft in Downtown Los Angeles as a competition between friends and since then, has grown into a national movement dedicated to perfecting the art of grilled cheese, with thousands of cheese fiends and regional competitions across the country. For more information, go to: http://www.grilledcheeseinvitational.com
ABOUT CABOT CREAMERY COOPERATIVE
Cabot Creamery Cooperative has been in continuous operation in Vermont since 1919, and we make a full line of cheeses, yogurt, sour cream, cottage cheese, and butter. Best known as makers of “The World’s Best Cheddar,” Cabot is owned by 1200 dairy farm families located throughout New England and upstate New York. For additional information on Cabot Creamery, visit http://www.cabotcheese.coop
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Bread-Butter-Cheese-Victory!
Get your tickets HERE!
The 10th Annual Grilled Cheese Invitational
The Rose Bowl
Parking Lot F
(Parking in Parking Lot K)
Pasadena, CA 91103
4/28/2012
11:00am – 6:00pm
$15
The 10th Anniversary of the Grilled Cheese Invitational is happening on April 28rd, 2012 and it is the biggest thing to happen to cheese since man first learned how to milk a cow!
For the 2012 event, we’ve relocated to the Rose Bowl to make the event easier to get to and enjoy, with cooking demos from master chefs, live bands, costumes, poetry, yelling and more!
JUDGING SOCIETY MEMBERSHIPS FOR THE COMPETITION HAVE SOLD OUT but that doesn’t mean there’s no cheese. Attendees will still be able to judge the People’s Choice awards by selecting and devouring $2 -$5 samples of some of the best grilled cheese the world has ever known from our exclusive gourmet vendors.
Think you got what it takes to be a “Grilled Cheese Champion
?” Put up your dukes and REGISTER AS A COMPETITOR Each competitor will receive a sampler of cheese from Cabot Creamery, as well as an on-site kit filled with OXO supplies!
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Check Out Free Stuff From Our Sponsors: Our exclusive cheese sponsor, CABOT CREAMERY, will be providing samples of grilled cheese made from award-winning cheddar and other delicious cheeses. We also have free samples from Boulder Canyon potato chips, Kruegermann Pickles, Izze Sparking beverages, Fuze beverages!
Visit the Beer & Wine Garden to get tastes from New Belgium Brewing, Lagunitas Brewing, Stone Brewing, and more.
Back by Popular Demand: March Fourth Marching Band are driving their weird selves all the way down from Portland, OR to come and rock us to pieces with their massive, musical, marching riffs!
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