Did somebody say good ‘ol, homemade, brisket cook-off?

This year was Innovative-IDM’s 4^th annual Brisket Cook-off in our Dallas office. Contestants from Innovative along with SMC Dallas lined up to participate in the event. We had five tasty briskets submitted in the Best-of-the-Best Brisket contest. Return contestants Mike Kutac and Jeff McVicker from SMC Dallas came in strong with their submission and Michael Mueller from Innovative-IDM had a title to protect. New challengers, also from Innovative-IDM, included Galen Derrickson and Cyrus Jahani and they did not disappoint. And who can eat all that meat without sides? The Dallas CIA team, Omar Mediano and Lonnie Gillilan provided a variety of scrumptious options including potato salad, coleslaw, corn casserole, chili, pickles, onions and an assortment of desserts and beverages. The food was ravaged and almost no meat was left in sight. The lunch was enjoyed by many, not just from our Dallas office but also by our vendors such as SMC, Omron and Staff Force. Once everyone ate, the heat was on to pick the best-of-the-best. Dallas Branch Manager, Steve Middlebrook and Innovative-IDM’s HR Manager, Mark Brewer, announced the winners in the following groups.

Competition Judging:

Five peers and vendors voted for their favorite brisket prior to the feast. They were tasked with determining which brisket tasted the best, looked the best and smelled the best. And, the winners were…

• 1^st Place – Michael Mueller
• 2^nd Place – Jeff McVicker
• 3^rd Place – Cyrus Jahani

People’s Choice

Additionally, everyone who attended the event had the opportunity to choose their favorite brisket. Who knew a poker chip would hold so much power? When the chips were counted, the power went to…

People’s Choice – Michael Mueller