Latest news with #MunchMadness
Yahoo
29-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
It was super close: Top 2 Delaware cheesesteak shops are named. Which is the best?
Two local restaurants are squaring off in the Delaware cheesesteak Munch Madness championship, and the contenders that made it to the final round may surprise you. The championship (or Round 5) begins Saturday, March 29. Lettuce explain: This is about Delaware cheesesteak glory. Readers can vote for their favorite cheesesteak they want to see crowned as the best in the state. As you'll soon notice, every vote is important. (Go to the poll below.) Last week, before the championship round, we were halfway correct when we predicted the matches between the last four finalists would be close. Casapulla & Sons in Elsmere cruised to victory against Ioannoni's near New Castle, racking up 2,290 votes to 1,705. In our prediction, we gave the edge to Casapulla because the family business has six locations across the state, compared with Ioannoni's one and only shop. But we didn't expect Casapulla to win big. Ioannoni's, however, didn't shrink away from the fight. The restaurant went the distance and hung tough. Yet, Casapulla had too much fire power and eventually forced the stubborn Ioannoni's to get out of the kitchen. The nail-biter match came when Little Vinnie's Pizza & Pasta in Wilmington faced off against Nick's Pizza Parlor & Bar in Brandywine Hundred. It was a battle of new school versus old school, and the more seasoned restaurant had the upper hand. Little Vinnie's squeaked by with 1,620 votes to 1,612 votes. Close cheesesteak battles like that can be hard to swallow, especially for the fans who poured blood, sweat and cheers into the voting ballots. Munch Sadness is real, but there could be only one winner from those two juggernaut restaurants. It was a heck of a match. It's easy to assume Casapulla is going to be the favorite to win the Delaware cheesesteak Munch Madness championship because the restaurant has used its brute strength to power through the last two rounds. They're on a roll. Then again, it was no tiny feat for Little Vinnie's to get past Nick's Pizza. The spirit of the late great George Foreman has followed Little Vinnie's into the championship, where the restaurant steps in as the underdog. Can Little Vinnie's take down Casapulla? Yes, but it'll need its fans to vote like crazy to help the restaurant win. That could be too much to ask for a smaller shop like Vinnie's to ask for, since Casapulla has great name recognition throughout the state, along with locations in every part of Delaware, except Kent County. All in all, we predict Casapulla is going to be too hot for Little Vinnie's to handle. But this is March Madness; surprises are always in play. Last month, you sandwich lovers cast 1,100 votes for your favorite go-to spot for cheesesteaks around the First State that you wanted included in our Munch Madness challenge. We sliced that thick mountain down to a chewy bracket featuring 32 shops ready to unapologetically smack you in the mouth with a fresh cheesesteak. Each week, readers vote and determine which restaurant/shop has the top cheesesteak in each face-off. And each week, cheesesteak shops are sliced in half, based on your votes. The bracket began with 32 shops, then 16 and then eight and then four. Now we're down to the final two competing in the championship, and after this week, a winner will be selected and that sandwich will receive a greasy and golden crown. To vote, simply click below on the cheesesteak you want to win. That's it. Delaware summer concert series: Billboard artists revealed in lineup Below is when new brackets will be announced for the tournament: Round 5 with 2: Saturday, March 29 to Friday, April 4 Winner: Monday, April 7 If you have an interesting story idea, email lifestyle reporter Andre Lamar at alamar@ Consider signing up for his weekly newsletter, DO Delaware, at This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Delaware cheesesteak Munch Madness championship: Who is the best?
Axios
21-03-2025
- Sport
- Axios
March Madness meals and deals in Chicago
Chicagoans will be cheering on their favorite college team for the first weekend of March Madness. Zoom in: We've cultivated a list of local bars and restaurants to catch the tournament live while you enjoy food and drink specials. Timeout Market Watch the games in this open-space restaurant in Fulton Market, with massive TV screens and a variety of restaurants to choose from, like Bar Goa for authentic Indian food (my personal go-to), Libanais for Lebanese-inspired wraps and Jojo's ShakeBAR for sweets and desserts. Fatpour Tap Works Try their "Munch Madness" now until April 7, which features eight specialty burgers along with a variety of beer specials. Specials are at all three locations in Wicker Park, Motor Row and Lincolnwood. Moe's Cantina Jake Melnick's
Yahoo
08-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Sweet 16 in Delaware cheesesteak Munch Madness: Who got chopped?
The kitchen just got hotter for 16 restaurants and shops that advanced to Round 2 of the Delaware cheesesteak Munch Madness tournament. The smell of chopped onions still lingers from some of the upsets in Round 1. But it's cook or get cooked in the culinary game. Round 2 begins the Sweet 16 on Saturday, March 8. Readers can now vote for their favorite cheesesteak that they want to make the cut for the Elite 8 in this weekly tournament that will continue until one ultimate cheesesteak champion is left standing. A big matchup to watch in the Sweet 16 is between Little Creek Grill near Dover and Ioannoni's Specialty Sandwiches near New Castle. Little Creek is the only restaurant left in the tournament that isn't in New Castle County, so now they're holding it down for all the folks in Lower Delaware (even though Little Creek is technically located in the middle of the state). It's cliché to brand this as a classic "David versus Goliath" contest, but Little Creek is dangerous with a slingshot. But don't think that Ioannoni's is just big and slow. "Little Creek cheesesteak is wonderful, so much meat and taste is great. My favorite," a fan praised. "Ioannois makes the best cheese steaks in Delaware hands down no competition," a supporter argued. The biggest matchup of Round 2 is between arguably the two most popular restaurants in the tournament: Claymont Steak Shop and Casapulla & Sons in Elsmere. Despite the popularity of both shops, it'd be an upset if Casapulla pulls it off. After all, Claymont Steak Shop is a place that Joe Biden has cosigned. Fans on social media have shared their affection for both shops. "I'm gonna have to give the tilt to Claymont Steaks," one supporter declared. "Casapullas 100% hands down them things so good," a Casapulla fan raved. St Patrick's Day events 2025: Delaware celebrations that are sweeter than Lucky Charms Some of the upsets from Round 1 included a Wilmington battle with Yatz's Steaks and Subs knocking out Pickles & Chip's. The beloved Simaron Pizza & Steak Shop in Dover tried to hold it down for Kent County, but got grilled by Argilla Brewing Co. in Newark. Also, Ochinili's Steaks in Middletown proved too hot to handle for Talleyville's famous Charcoal Pit. Last month, you sandwich lovers cast 1,100 votes for your favorite go-to spot for cheesesteaks around the First State that you wanted included in our Munch Madness challenge. We sliced that thick mountain down to a chewy bracket featuring 32 shops that are ready to unapologetically smack you in the mouth with a fresh cheesesteak. This includes sneaky mom-and-pop shops like Little Creek Grill in Dover, which has a secret weapon called The Scrappy (a cheesesteak created with Hughes Delaware Made Scrapple) to more recognizable heavy hitters like the Claymont Steak Shop, a restaurant where Joe Biden is no stranger. Every week, readers will vote and determine which restaurant/shop has the top cheesesteak in each face off. And each week, cheesesteak shops will be sliced in half, based on your votes. The bracket began with 32 shops. Now we're down to 16 and after this week it'll get cut in half and look like this: Elite Eight, Final Four, until only one sandwich is topped off with a greasy and golden crown. This Delaware town is hot: Named one of 'most charming' small towns in the US by HGTV To vote, simply click below on the cheesesteak you want to win. That's it. Below is when new brackets will be announced for the tournament: Round 2 with 16: Saturday, March 8 to Friday, March 14 Round 3 with 8: Saturday, March 15 to Friday, March 21 Round 4 with 4: Saturday, March 22 to Friday, March 28 Round 5 with 2: Saturday, March 29 to Friday, April 4 Winner: Monday, April 7 If you have an interesting or funny cheesesteak stories, email lifestyle reporter Andre Lamar at alamar@ Consider signing up for his weekly newsletter, DO Delaware, at This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Delaware cheesesteak Munch Madness: Meet the Sweet 16 restaurants
Yahoo
08-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Gabriel Iglesias jokes about love life, border wall ahead of Delaware State Fair 2025
If you're plotting to make comedian Gabriel "Fluffy" Iglesias fall in love with you when he headlines the Delaware State Fair this summer – think again. In a new video uploaded to "The Drew Barrymore Show" YouTube channel on Tuesday, March 4, Barrymore asked Fluffy to spill the beans on his love life. Fluffy discussed how it was difficult to get into a committed relationship because he has trust issues due to his profession. Iglesias made light of his situation by telling a joke that would've easily worked had he saved it for the crowd at the state fair. "Anytime I have given people an opportunity to get inside [of my personal life], it hasn't ended well. So, I'm very scared. I'm very much guarded," Fluffy explained. "I tell people like ... you can get really close, but you know, here's my heart [and] there's a wall. And a wall. And a wall. And a wall. And a wall. I'm like the only Mexican who likes walls," Fluffy joked, causing Barrymore and the audience to crack up and applaud. As if Gabriel "Fluffy" Iglesias wasn't already seen as a teddy bear, the state fair headliner showed an even softer side of his comedic self on "The Drew Barrymore Show." Iglesias shined a light on his little teenage dog Vinnie, who is almost old enough to drive a car. A silly moment occurred when Iglesias explained to Barrymore that Vinnie used to travel with him everywhere, but the furry pet has since slowed down. As the comedian was speaking, a photo of Vinnie, standing on a countertop next to a birthday cake, appeared on the screen, and the audience let out a collective "Awwww." But Fluffy quickly had to set the record straight to let the audience know he wasn't mourning Vinnie. "He's still alive, relax," Fluffy told the crowd, resulting in laughs. "See, you guys killed him right away!" 32 Delaware cheesesteak shops face off: Round 1 of Munch Madness 2025 Fluffy explained that Vinnie is 14 years old. Another photo of the pup appeared on screen and it showed Vinnie looking like a bad boy wearing a red vest with a hoodie. "He was going through his Eminem phase right here," Iglesias commented, tickling the crowd. Iglesias also mentioned he had another little dog named Risa, which means laughter in Spanish. The dog dad said he gave Risa a quinceañera, a special birthday in Latino communities that celebrates a girl's 15th birthday, representing their transition from girl to womanhood. A video played of Fluffy pushing Risa (dressed like a fashion model) in a stylized stroller with flashing lights. Iglesias said Risa almost lived to 17 and people would "freak out" about her old age. "Her anger kept her alive," Fluffy joked, drawing extra chuckles from the audience. "Anger's healthy." Iglesias told Barrymore his nickname came about many years ago when 'I called myself fat around my mom. My mom was like, 'Mijo, you're not fat. You're fluffy,'' the comedian explained. He didn't like the nickname at first because he'd say, 'I'm not a cat!' But it stuck after he began using his mom's line in a joke and people at shows started calling him "Fluffy." Delaware State Fair 2025 full lineup: How and when to buy tickets Fluffy returns to the state fair on Sunday, July 20. The show starts at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $48-$84. The cost of gate admission is: $10 for adults (ages 13 or older) or $10.50 (online) $5 for youth (ages 6-12) or $5.50 (online) Free for kids (ages 5 or younger) Please be aware that purchasing a ticket to the headlining concert series does not cover gate admission into the Delaware State Fair. The 106th Delaware State Fair (18500 S. Dupont Highway, Harrington) spans 10 summer days, starting Thursday, July 17, to Saturday, July 26. For more updates, visit If you have an interesting or funny cheesesteak stories, email lifestyle reporter Andre Lamar at alamar@ Consider signing up for his weekly newsletter, DO Delaware, at This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Gabriel Iglesias jokes about love life, border wall before state fair
