Who’s got Sonoma County’s best cheesesteak?
Mamadios, a three-year-old sandwich pop-up, took top honors at Parliament Brewing Company’s annual Cheesesteak Festival on March 21 in Rohnert Park, earning both the judges’ award and the people’s choice prize.
Run by Chris Amadio and Sasha Zukanoff, the operation unseated last year’s judges’ winner, Streetside Asian Grill, in a field that included Golden Steak Warriors, Lila’s Streetside Eats, The Spot and Canevari’s of Santa Rosa.
Mamadios’ secret to success is sticking to tradition: finely chopped steak griddled and topped with melted white American cheese, served on Amoroso rolls imported from Philadelphia.
The other secret ingredient, according to Zukanoff — who stepped away from lengthy lines of eager eaters for only a moment to answer a reporter’s questions — is pure love.
For judges, authenticity outweighed experimentation. A kimchi-topped variation drew little enthusiasm, while sourdough bread and oversized cuts of onion and red pepper divided opinion. Big swings don’t always hit home runs.
But the real fun of contests like this is the mock intensity chefs toss around like kosher salt, secretly rooting for their rivals while smack-talking anyone within earshot. Food turns into a serious sport when bragging rights and an oversized trophy are on the line.
Upcoming competitions include the Battle of the Brews on April 11, the Bros vs. Pros cocktail competition at Hanson of Sonoma Distillery on April 12, the Windsor Chili Cook-Off on Sept. 12 and the Sonoma County Harvest Fair on Oct. 10.