“Taste of the Works” Staff Potluck

Yesterday the staff at The Works Museum hosted their first Taste of the Works potluck. We’re all about creativity and innovation here, so of course we had to add a twist and make it a food-meets-engineering competition. Each person that brought a dish was eligible to win in one of six categories. At first we weren’t sure if people would get on board, but our amazing staff DID NOT DISAPPOINT (I still can’t stop laughing at the “Lox and Dam”).

And now, for your viewing pleasure, I present the winners of our first (and certainly not last) Taste of the Works.

The Winners

Structural Engineer Award – Best use of layers, height, etc.

Winner: “London Broil Is Falling Down”

Who knew deli meat was a candidate for best structure? This build-your-own sandwich bar had me cracking up the moment I saw it. Bonus points for being delicious and customizable.

Chemical Engineer Award – Best mix of flavors or ingredients

Winner: “Smokey-Spicy Mac n Cheese”

The owner of this dish isn’t native to the Midwest, but you wouldn’t know it based on her flawless use of cheese and meat. I’m still in a food coma 24 hours later.

Persistence Award – The “Looks odd but tastes great” or “Huh, that’s different ” award

Winner: “I’m Prettier with Gluten Salad Pilot”

Gluten-free dishes aren’t always the prettiest, but they sure can be the tastiest. This twist on pasta salad was a staff favorite.

Best Design – Most beautiful, easy, fun to eat, etc.

Winner: “OCD Tarte aux Fruits a.k.a. I8π”

If this doesn’t scream “I work at an engineering museum” I don’t know what does. The precision! The masterful use of color! The deliciousness! A+.

Most Creative Name – The best engineering or Works-related name

Winner: “The Thermo-Regenerated Reuben Sandwich”

What potluck is complete without a slow cooker full of cheesy dip? I would never have thought of deconstructing a sandwich into dip form, but it was absolute genius.

Best Grocery Cart Engineer – The thing we know you bought at the grocery store but are sure glad you did!

Winner: “Mixed Fruit”

I’ll admit I dropped the ball here and forgot to take a picture. That’s the thing about this category… it’s not flashy, but it does the trick. Think of the most exquisite grocery store fruit platter imaginable. Can you picture it? This was better.

Honorable Mention

Here are a few more favorites from the potluck. I am still so blown away by the creativity and talent of my coworkers. Leave a comment with your favorite dish, or an idea for the next potluck (I didn’t win anything so I need all the help I can get!).

Lox and Dam

Architecture: Tomato Towers

Cupcakes

Build-Your-Own Meatball Skewers

Coconut Rice and Beans