Eat All About It: Weather may be cooling down, but food’s heating up

Spicy food is not my forte.

Don’t get me wrong, I like a bit of heat at times, especially when I’m eating Indian, Thai, Mexican and a few other things. But when I was asked to be one of the judges at Saturday’s Fiery Foods Festival in Pasco, I wondered: how fiery are we talking?

Eight food trucks participated in the Fiery Food Truck Faceoff and submitted what they considered their hottest dish. That’s easier said than done, especially when you consider that one of the competitors was a snow cone vendor.

Two vendors, though, hit the mark in providing a creative item that had enough heat that it got your attention without burning your taste buds off so you could enjoy the other flavors as well.

Jiggy’s bacon and jalapeño burger gave you a quick flash of fire, partly thanks to some red hot Cheetos I saw in there, but it didn’t overwhelm. And it was massive, loaded with other toppings.

Fresh Out The Box, an Asian fusion-inspired food truck, had some great Korean barbecue mini soft tacos. Their heat was balanced by the sweetness of some pineapple and a dipping sauce.

Jiggy’s took home the $250 Judge’s Award while Fresh Out The Box won the $500 People’s Choice Award. It was a tight vote by the judges, I have to say, but we all agreed they were the top entries by far.

But I’d be remiss to not mention runners-up WE Ice and Texas Roasted Corn. The snow cone vendor’s cinnamon-flavored Red Hot Foxy Lady was a relatively cool break from the other entries, and the roasted corn, seasoned and spiced in front of you, was pretty and simply delicious.

Fresh Out The Box and Jiggy’s debuted with Pasco’s Food Truck Friday at Third Avenue and Clark Street this year and can still be found there through Oct. 30. Fresh Out The Box is also in downtown Pasco on Monday through Thursday.

Buffalo Wild Wings

National sports bar franchise Buffalo Wild Wings has finally arrived in the Tri-Cities, and will open its doors to customers Sept. 21.

The restaurant, at 8551 W. Gage Blvd. in Kennewick, will have its Fast Break promotion from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on opening day as well as happy hour from 3 to 6 p.m. and then from 9 p.m. to closing.

The sports bar is in the former home of Tony Roma’s. Buffalo Wild Wings is known for its selection of wings and sauces.

Highlighting local

Know a local food joint that’s a bit off the beaten path? Let me know about it. Email suggestions to tbeaver@tricityherald.com.

This story was originally published September 15, 2015 at 5:10 PM with the headline "Eat All About It: Weather may be cooling down, but food’s heating up."