What's the best Fall River food? Vote now in Round 2 of our special tournament bracket.
FALL RIVER — It's time for Round 2, the quarterfinals of our head-to-head tournament to determine our favorite iconic Fall River food.
There were some difficult decisions to make, but hundreds of you did your civic duty, narrowing down our original list of 16 classic Spindle City dishes to just eight.
The voting only gets tougher from here as the choices become increasingly painful to imagine. A world without Patti’s Pierogis? Who would want to live in such a dismal place? However, we again ask you to banish half of the choices below by picking your favorites. This is the price we must pay to discover true culinary excellence.
Voting will open each Wednesday for three weeks and close on Sundays.
Here are your contenders. Keep scrolling to vote!
'Tis the season: Time for Thanksgiving sandwiches: Here's where to get yours.
Chouriço and chips vs. Caçoila
Last week’s poll saw chouriço and chips top chow mein for sandwich supremacy by 62% to 37%. Although the chow mein sandwich is a Fall River phenomenon with its own theme song, the spicy chouriço and chips was the overwhelming favorite.
It now goes up against caçoila, which last week topped Hartley’s pork pies by about the same margin. Fall River may be an ethnically diverse community, but clearly the Portuguese are still dominant, at least as far as the kitchen is concerned.
Chouriço and chips
The classic English fish and chips gets a Portuguese twist with spicy sausage sliced in rounds instead of seafood. The best way to eat chouriço and chips, of course, is to pack the fries and chouriço into a hearty roll.
Caçoila
A feast favorite, this Portuguese variation of slow-cooked pulled pork or beef is usually served in sandwich form, though some local chefs have adapted it to fill everything from omelets to Chinese wontons.
Lebanese meat pies vs. Hot cheese sandwich
In another easy win, the Lebanese meat pie was victorious over the French meat pie by 66% to 33% — and the Lebanese meat pie isn’t even circular.
The delicious Middle Eastern envelope now faces the hot cheese sandwich, which in a stunning upset squeaked by the bookmakers’ favorite Coney Island hot dog. The hot cheese, available at only a few diners citywide, won the match by 50.6% to 49.4%, or just 16 votes — not enough to trigger an automatic recount, poll-watchers.
Lebanese meat pies
Immigrants from the Middle East brought over the Lebanese meat pie, a triangular packet of fluffy, breadlike dough packed with minced meat that bursts with flavor.
Hot cheese sandwich
No, it’s not a grilled cheese — the classic hot cheese sandwich, once a staple but still found at a few diners in the city, is made with crumbly warm cheese served in a hamburger bun with chopped onions, relish and a touch of yellow mustard.
Take the challenge: Chopped cheese sandwiches have hit Brockton. Stop by Khalil's Kitchen to participate.
Sweet bread vs. Malassadas
When it comes to baked goods, this might be the most difficult choice one might ever face. Last week, Portuguese massa mopped the floor with pasteis de nata, 68% to 32%. And malassadas absolutely trounced bolos levedos, with 84.5% of the vote.
But this week’s voting, pitting two temptingly tasty sweet treats against each other, likely won’t be so easy — and one of these formidable challengers will taste bitter defeat.
Portuguese sweet bread
Most often associated with Easter but still available year-round, Portuguese massa is a marvelously golden, sweet, fluffy treat — with or without a boiled egg baked inside.
Malassadas
These golden brown plates of luscious fried dough, coated in sugar, are most often found at Portuguese festas, though any time can be festa time if you’re creative enough.
Kale soup vs. Portuguese steak
In another show of dominance by the Azorean culinary culture, kale soup took the golden ladle over Venus de Milo soup, 66% to 34%. The traditional stew now goes up against the Portuguese steak, which easily beat Patti’s Pierogis with 77.5% of the vote. It's now up to you to decide which Portuguese comfort classic is best.
Kale soup
Caldo verde is a signature dish of Portugal, a warm, robust soup made with shredded greens, potatoes, onions, garlic, and chouriço or linguiça.
Portuguese steak
Azorean immigrants who couldn't afford beef back in the Old Country made a steak dish one of their favorites in America — but still thrifty, cut thin, sometimes pounded flat, marinated in garlic and wine, and served topped with a fried egg and red pepper strips.
Dan Medeiros can be reached at dmedeiros@heraldnews.com. Support local journalism by purchasing a digital or print subscription to The Herald News today.
This article originally appeared on The Herald News: Fall River food: Pick your favorite dish in Round 2 of our bracket
