Ahhhhh, riggies. The iconic dish of Central New York. It's something we hold near and dear to our hearts.

You've got your rigatoni pasta. You've got your sauce, whether it be creamy, white or red. You've got whatever meat you decide to make them with. I personally prefer chicken, but some prefer shrimp, steak. There's options. Some add mushrooms. Some add onions. Peppers are a must. The way they are made vary all across the region, restaurant to restaurant.

The real question is - who makes the best? That is soon to be determined as the 315 Foodies put on an event that is sure to be a "war."

Riggie Wars is a competition that is putting restaurants head to head in a BLIND taste test amongst judges and the public to determine who has the best riggies in Central New York.

We've seen chicken riggie contests before, but I think thing that truly sets this event apart from the others is that the event is blind - meaning we don't know what restaurants have provided the riggies. Game. Changer.

The battle grounds will be at Rock Valley Brewing in Little Falls on April 30 from 2PM to 6PM. While you're there, you can try the 315 Foodies beer, brewed in partner with Rock Valley Brewing just for Riggie Wars, the Halfmoon Stout. There's going to be live music, games, and of course, lots of stuffing your mouth with riggies.

If you're a restaurant owner and you think your recipe has what it takes to take the gold, you should apply to take part. There are a few rules that you need to keep in mind upon entering.

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Riggie Wars 2022 - Rules and Regulations

  1. Minimum of 2 full pans of riggies required to enter.
  2. Ingredients must be sourced commercially and a warning sign must be displayed next to your riggies if peanuts, peanut oil, or shellfish are used.
  3. Does not have to be chicken riggies (no wild meats). You will be required to fill out a form with main ingredients, including any meat, so it can be displayed next to your pans.
  4. Everything must be prepared and cooked in a sanitary manner in a commercially permitted kitchen in compliance with NYS Health Dept. guidelines.
  5. Riggies will be served buffet style in chafing dishes. If competitors cannot provide chafing dishes they need to inform event organizers at least 7 days before the event.
  6. This is a blind-tasting competition. Competitors are prohibited from revealing which riggies are theirs.
  7. Violation of these rules could result in disqualification. All decisions are at the discretion of the event organizers.

*These rules are subject to change. Contestants will receive a final copy 2 weeks before the event. 

If you are planning to enter the competition (or maybe you're just curious,) the riggies will be voted on for three different categories.

  • Judges’ Choice - judges vote based on 5 criteria: Appearance, Consistency, Taste, Aftertaste, and "X-Factor".
  • Peoples’ Choice - the people sampling vote for their favorites.
  • Riggie Wars Champion - highest combined total of the two.

My LORD - just thinking about a big giant bowl has my mouth watering. Are you planning on attending? Do you think your restaurant has what it takes to win the war?

You can enter to win here and get your tickets to attend here.

Speaking of riggies: here's just a few restaurants from A to Z that have riggies on their menu that are pretty freaking delicious.

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