Sausagefest 2011 Review

Sausagefest #14 – Summary & Results

For the first time in Sausagefest history we had to deal with some rainy weather. But, we had positive things happened that helped us deal with the weather.

First, we had Spontaneous Tent Erection (STE, for you medical types) and that saved us from:
A. Electrocuting Irv and his musical equipment
B. Kept our sausage serving buffet dry
Many thanks to our friends who brought the extra tents. May your STE powers stay with you forever.

Second, several people walked up to me and said. “It never rains at Sausagefest.” Proving that a positive attitude can overcome obvious empirical evidence to the contrary. I think the wine and beer consumption helped bolster that ignore-the-weather attitude.

Here are some of the measures of our misbegotten behavior:
• For the first time ever we had more sausages consumed and tasted than wine. We sampled 31 different sausages and drained 28 bottles of wine.
• We had at a minimum 86 people in attendance – documented by photographic and other CSI (Criminal Sausage Investigations) evidence.
• We had the first sausages on the grill by 4:30 PM and the lights in the wine bar went off at 1:30 AM Sunday morning. Rain was coming down pretty good but at this time of the party no one noticed.
• We had two people take headers into terra firma. No injuries to report on either.
• The beer consumption was dramatically up. We had a variety of type flight micro-brews and our recycle bins were overflowing with that evidence.

The Winners of Sausagefest 2011:

Best Theme for Sausagefest 2011:
Osama Bin Sausage – Marc Zider

Best Home Made Sausage
• Kielbasa – Ed Grabowski (welcome back to the Winner Circle, Ed!!!)

Best Store Bought Sausage
• Philly Cheese Steak Brats, from Mariano’s – entered by the Wippman’s and Duffey’s

Best Italian Sausage: (two way tie)
• Sanagan Meat Market, Toronto, Canada – entered by Mr. Fuld
• Fausto’s, Arlington Hts, Ill – entered by the Kleiva’s

Best Sausage & Vegetable Pairing
• Italian-Mexican Sausage & Pepper, Paulina Market – entered by Rohrbach-Klott

Sausage en Croute
• Sausage Torte – home made – entered by Mr. McClure (second year in a row).

Creativity Award
• Piggy’s in a Blanket – entered by Lawrence (a first time winner from Champaign, Ill)

Best Home Made Desert
• Almond Cake – entered by Sue McClure

Best Store Bought Desert
• Fruit Torte – Mariano’s, Arlington Hts, Ill., entered by the Wippman’s.

Best Red Wine
• Parusso, Barolo, 1998
Honorable Mentions: 2008 Turley, Old Vines, 2008 Scott Harvey Zinfandel (Amador County Mountain Selection), 2007 Opolo Vineyards, Petite Sirah (Paso Robles)