Wayne County Restaurant Hosts French Onion Soup Competition

The culinary scene in Northeast Pennsylvania often highlights favorites like pizza and buffalo wings, yet a new contest is bringing a lesser-discussed delicacy into focus: French onion soup.

Califf Krajkovich, a restaurant owner in Wayne County, has organized a unique competition called The Onion Cup. Throughout February, local chefs will vie for the top spot as the public votes for their preferred version of this classic dish.

“January and February tend to be the slowest months for restaurants,” Krajkovich noted, emphasizing the importance of local businesses supporting one another during these times.

The Onion Cup: How does it work?

Due to the preparation style of French onion soup, which involves broiling cheese on top, a traditional cook-off wasn’t feasible. Instead, Krajkovich developed an online platform and map to guide people to participating eateries, where they can sample and vote for their favorites.

The voting process is streamlined with QR codes available at each restaurant, allowing patrons to cast their votes from February 1 to 28. The top choice among diners will earn the People’s Choice Onion Cup Champion title, while a select group of local celebrity judges will decide the Judge’s Choice Winner.

Restaurants on ‘The Onion Trail’

The Onion Trail online map features 20 eateries across Lackawanna, Pike, Susquehanna, and Wayne counties competing for the cup. Krajkovich mentioned, “I’ll be surprised if somebody makes it to all 20, but I think most people will at least travel to three.”

Among the contenders are The Settlers Inn, Wallenpaupack Brewing Company, and Cooper’s Seafood House. Linda Schlier, who owns the Lager Haus in Tafton, shared that their French onion soup is incredibly popular, selling 130 crocks every 10 days, including a prime rib variation.

Schlier, who recently opened her restaurant, heard of The Onion Cup through social media and thought it was an excellent initiative, especially during the cold month of February. Krajkovich expressed his enthusiasm, saying, “I would like to help some of the restaurants boost their French onion sales a little bit. All of the restaurant owners, everybody’s super excited.”

This event has fostered a sense of camaraderie among restaurant owners while stirring up a bit of friendly rivalry. Krajkovich, who is also competing, has a friendly wager with the owner of Cora’s 1850 Bistro in Hawley: “Whoever gets the least amount of votes has to go wash dishes at the other restaurant.”