The pandemic put an end to many growing traditions, but after a five-year absence, the Red Gravy Cook-Off is returning to South Philadelphia.
Organized by the East Passyunk Crossing Civic Association, the event showcases a cooking competition that brings out delightful aromas and a spirited community.
“We decided to bring it back because it was such a successful community event in the past,” said Terren Proctor, board member and events chair of East Passyunk Crossing Civic Association. “We wanted to see if we could make it happen again.”
The event will take place from 4-6 p.m. in the cafeteria of Saints Neumann and Goretti High School at 1736 S. 10th St. The ticketed event ($20 at https://tinyurl.com/redgravytickets) promises to delight tastebuds as 10 cooks will attempt to create the best pasta pairing.
“We’re going to have 10 contestants from the neighborhood come in and bring a few gallons of their red gravy,” Proctor said. “Then people buy a ticket and come and taste the different gravies and cast their vote for their favorite. After voting they can come up and get a full pasta dinner with some salads and desserts and bread provided by local businesses.”
Some might disagree on whether it’s called sauce or gravy, but attendees will have the final say on the judging that goes into awarding one of two top prizes on the day. The event will award a popular vote and a judges vote as winners of the Red Gravy Cook-Off, with a $200 prize for each winner.
Neumann-Goretti will transform into a vibrant space where attendees can enjoy not just the food and the competition, but also music, a 50/50 and plenty of toys for young children. The event is for all ages. For those 21 and over, each ticket will also include a drink ticket for a beer or a glass of wine. All ages will be able to enjoy the contest submissions that are sure to stir up a few appetites.
“Who doesn’t love red sauce, right?” Proctor said. “I love pasta. It’s one of my favorite meals. I’m really interested to see what everybody comes up with. We’ve got a great variety. There’s going to be meat sauce, vegan sauces, vegetarian, all kinds of sauces that will be entered into the competition. I’m really looking forward to trying them all.”
Official judges will include state Rep. Elizabeth Fiedler, City Councilmember Mark Squilla, Stogie Joe’s Tavern chef Maryann Brancaccio and 2019 event winner CJ Volkstro who went on to open up the now highly regarded CJ & D’s Trenton Tomato Pies.
Not only will the finest red sauces and gravies be on display, the event hopes to stir up some community pride and rekindle neighborhood relationships that also may have waned over the long pandemic.
“I’m really excited,” Proctor said. “This is my first year as events chair and we really wanted to come back with a bang. We didn’t have a lot of events last year and I thought it would be exciting to bring this one back. We tried to have it in April and we ran into a couple of snags and had to reschedule. But it’s something I’ve really been pushing for and I’m really excited we’re going to be able to do this in October.”
