Enter the Soup Kitchen Sandwich Special

flyer by Patrick Moberg

It’s a charity cook-off of an entirely new breed! This soup and sandwich-off, which will take place in two Saturdays in the backyard beergarden of t.b.d., is not just an opportunity for amateur cooks to serve the best combo special the city has seen. It’s a chance for them to roll up their sleeves in community service afterward (at a date to be determined by the winner), and serve the winning dish to the needy at the Greenpoint Soup Kitchen. It’s souper.

The idea was hatched by Noah Berland (with the help of myself) on the premise that most fundraiser events simply throw money at their cause. So why not, this time, throw volunteers? The proceeds made from the $10 suggested minimum door entry will go toward the cost of ingredients for the winner’s meal, and any extra will be donated to the soup kitchen for their other needs.

So come make the best sandwich and/or soup (see rules below) on the 15th! All attendees and contestants at the cook-off will have the chance to sign up to volunteer at the soup kitchen, anytime. But other than that, the event will be a fun, food-filled affair just like any cook-off — and hopefully better, between the creative soups and sandwiches, spacious garden of t.b.d. (and its chef Jon Meyer’s fantastic barbecue food, which will be available during and after the event), and community spirit. Yes, there will also be bike valet!

The winner will be decided by a panel of judges, which includes staff from the Greenpoint Soup Kitchen. An audience favorite award will be handed out, but the first-place winner with the judges will be crowned the head chef at a later volunteer day at the soup kitchen, just down the street from t.b.d. This head chef need only supply his or her time and sandwich-making mastery at the volunteer day. Prizes will be presented to winners, too.

To enter the cook-off, write to souperdoupersandwich@gmail.com.

Guidelines:

-Please prepare enough of your original soup, sandwich, or combination of both for approximately 150 samples to serve. Entries will not be judged as different categories for just-soups, or just-sandwiches. So just come with whatever you think the judges will find most impressive — a perfect combo, a truly great sandwich, or your famous soup.

-A sandwich constitutes anything “sandwiched” between two pieces of bread. This can be any type of bread; just don’t make corn tortilla fajitas or wraps, dumplings or stuffed veggies of some sort. Ice cream sandwiches are okay!

-Please let us know in your email whether your dish requires heating equipment such as a chafing dish and sterno. We will provide napkins, compostable plates, bowls/cups for soup and utensils. Please bring anything else you may need to serve with.

-You can enter as a team of up to two people, who will get in to the event free. Others may help out at your serving station, but they’ll need to pay the $10 entrance donation.

-Write to us with any other questions at souperdoupersandwich@gmail.com! Hope to see you there!