Hey Darwinians,

It's official...the 6th Annual "BEST SANDWICH EVER" contest has begun.  For those that don't know, several years back, we started this contest in hopes of finding the next Darwin FAVORITE.  We were searching for "untapped" sandwich ideas and found some classics:  Pat Johnson's "Optimus Prime" (Year One), Mark Rudy's "Eddie Muenster" (Year Two), Matty K's "When Doves Fry" (Year Three), Alison P's "That's My Jam!" (Year Four) & last years winner Max Freeman's "Porchetta 'Bout It!".  Over the next eight weeks we will be collecting ideas/suggestions/recipes from you guys.  Once we have enough entries we whittle it down to the top 5 and then go about "bringing them to life" at our BSE tasting event.  For every contest we have brought back the winners from precious years to be judges in this years "taste-testing."  For me, the REAL prize (aside from the contest winnings) is becoming part of this panel, tasked with finding the next winner.  Let me tell you how much fun this event is...it always winds up being on of my favorite nights of the year:  a night of great food, great people and tons of culinary/foodie talk.  Now is your chance to join this group.

As you put your ideas together keep these THREE things in mind:
1.  It must be able to be MASS PRODUCED.  The winning sandwich usually goes on to sell a minimum of 100 "units" a day.  So, it can't be TOO involved (eg-tedious assembly, super-long cooking times, staggered cook times, etc.)
2.  It must HOLD UP well.  Once we start our sandwich making process an item might be held for up to 20 minutes before it is assembled.  This means that it has to stand up to higher temps for an extended time, so no soft cheeses, sauces that might break, breads that are NOT hearty enough-"croissants", etc.)
3.  It has to TRAVEL well.  If you can eat it in your car it'll pass.  (Nothing that would require a fork & knife).

And, that's about it.  Try to think "outside" the box.  The competition is stiff and if years past have been any indication we are expecting some AMAZING ideas from this years submissions.  So, feel free to "TWIST" an idea on traditional sandwiches.  Bring us an idea of something DELICIOUS that you've had in other cities and can't find here in the 'CUSE.  Tell us about something wonderful you've seen in a magazine or caught on a cooking show.  Past winners have come from these sources.  Also, for the first time ever we are rolling in a few past submissions to see how those might fare in this years competition.

For your efforts we will award you as follows:
FIRST PLACE:  $100.00 gift certificate (Dinner for TWO) at Riley's Restaurant & a week's worth of lunches at DARWIN.
2nd & 3rd PLACE:  A week's worth of lunches at DARWIN
All finalists will be invited to future BSE winning sandwich "taste testing" & will become a permanent part of our story.

You can submit your entries via e-mail (darwinonclinton@yahoo.com), written down and over the counter & Lisa will be scanning for any Facebook entries.