Winner: Gregger’s
Restaurant: Olive & Finch, Denver
Sandwich Creator: Chef Mary Nguyen
Inspiration: “Tongue is an underutilized and underrated cut of meat. Since Americans don’t typically consume it in their diets, I thought that serving it in an American lunch staple would be a great way of introducing the cut of meat to the masses.”
Key Ingredients: Long-braised, thinly shaved beef tongue, roasted garlic puree, caramelized onions, roasted peppers, arugula salad, tarragon vinaigrette and a warm, crusty baguette.
Price: $12.50
Food Cost: 27 percent
What the Judges Said: Beef tongue can be so fantastic in the hands of someone who knows how to handle it, and Nguyen is a master. After the meat is braised for six hours, she sautés it in it’s own braising liquid, which makes it incredible tender and flavorful. When the meat is kissed with the roasted garlic puree and tarragon aioli, it becomes other- worldly. Topped with the caramelized onions and roasted peppers—it’s game over.
Honorable Mentions:
• Estofadas y Queso, Kika Tapas, Cambridge, MA
• Beef Heart Reuben, Mabel Gray, Hazel Park, MI
• Tartare, Flying Squirrel Bar, Chattanooga, TN
• It’s Not a Rueben Reuben, The Curve Sports Tavern, Punta Gorda, FL
• Dirty South, Jamwich, Rome, GA
