Recap - Rock the Tot at Bar Louie ~ Adventures of The Foodaholic: New Shake Shack in Coral

Who doesn't like a good tot? Well, on Thursday, September 19th, I sure had my fill of them. Bar Louie locations around the country hosted their 6th annual "Rock the Tot" tater tot-eating contest and set out to break the world record of most people eating the tasty treat at the same time. I went to the location in Midtown Miami, at 3201 N. Miami Avenue, Suite 106. The place was packed and spirits were high. There was entertainment, great food and lots of beer and cocktails flowing.

Since I had never eaten at Bar Louie before, I decided to ingest more than just tots for the evening. However, I can see why they choose their tots as the celebrity of this event. They totally rocked. We tried their Loaded Tots, crispy yummies topped with queso, bacon, scallions and a spicy mix. They had a slight kick and huge flavor. I really couldn't stop popping them in my mouth.

Loaded Tots

Blackened Salmon Sliders

Mango Mojito

While we waited for the competition to start, we also tried the Meatballs Al Forno and the Blackened Salmon Sliders. While the Loaded Tots were the winners of the night, the meatballs were swimming in a tasty marinara sauce with mozzarella cheese. They were served with a generous portion of parmesan crostini. The salmon sliders were a great pick too. Served with french fries, the salmon had a nice, smoky flavor that went well with the bacon, fresh spinach, tomato and pesto mayo. I have to tell you the Mango Mojito I was sipping while the totters were rocking the tot was spectacular. I totally loved the sweet element of the mango puree on the Cruzan Light Rum blended with lime, mint, pure cane syrup and ginger ale.

Meatballs Al Forno

The winners were impressive! I saw tater tots being smothered, pancaked, and practically swallowed whole in the quest for the prize. First came the guests, then came the employees and the crowd kept cheering. Ian, the manager, took the win for the employees. He had a huge incentive: if any of them won, they got to write their schedule for a couple of weeks. Oh Ian, you were a sight to see popping those watered-down tots!

Nobody's writing their own schedule if Ian can help it!

While I whimped out from competing when I saw the level of tot eating expertise and determined faces that were all around me, I did pick up a few foolproof strategies that I plan to implement next year. Ain't nobody taking that Rock the Tot trophy from me then!