The Cord taste-tested the Presidential Dishes and this was our favourite

It’s that time of year again, Golden Hawks. Election season is in full swing — and that means Presidential Dishes are ready to try. Created by each candidate, every option is available to order off the Wilf’s menu for $13.99. A group of The Cord’s staff gathered together to taste test each dish and give them a rating out of five, taking into account the presentation, name, taste and overall creativity. 

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Klaudia’s Fantastic Fajitas are definitely the most visibly accessible and customizable choice for a variety of dietary restrictions and preferences, which makes it easy to tweak them to suit your desired tastes and needs. 

Served with salsa and sour cream, these are a standard option that’s difficult to go wrong with — even for the pickiest of eaters. In terms of seasoning, it’s not overwhelming by any means. The chicken we got with them was bland without the toppings layered on top. It’s pretty much up to the eater to take charge of making sure there’s enough flavour, but once that’s achieved, they taste good. 

That being said, we were all relatively satisfied with the presentation and overall final product. The name is simple and pleasant, but we agreed that there could have been a little more creativity added to it to make it more unique. 

If you’re looking for a safe choice that’s not too adventurous, but still holds out on the menu, Klaudia’s dish pulls through. 

Rating: 2 out of 5  

I’ll start by saying that we could appreciate the sentiment behind this dish and it was certainly one of the more unique choices, but it ultimately didn’t stand out. 

Not only did it taste and look like something you could easily make yourself, it certainly isn’t worth $13.99. We ended up picking out a majority of the toppings, especially the olives which were a bit overpowering, and even though the flavour was fine overall, it’s not something any of us would have ordered on our own. 

The side of toast it comes with was chewy and a bit tough and it didn’t really add anything to the overall dish. 

And while the name seems to have some effort behind it, it just doesn’t come across the way it wants to. 

One of us suggested the name “Frit-Talha” as an alternative, since it felt like more of a frittata than an omelette.  

If you’re an egg lover who enjoys eating them at any time of the day, then this is sure to please you, but otherwise, it really isn’t worth the cost. 

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 

This dish is the ultimate hangover/comfort food. Similar to Wilf’s beloved Loaded Fries, this saucey option packs a punch with a creative blend of flavours and textures.

If you’re a passionate blue cheese hater like the Instagram commenter who snidely remarked that “the loaded fries tasted like asshole. Hot blue cheese should not be a topping,” you can always substitute it — or forgo it altogether. 

Zemar’s fries ultimately won for creativity: both with the name and the execution — and the presentation was oddly appetizing as well. We completely finished it within minutes and our group unanimously agreed that it was the best one we had tried. 

If you want a shareable menu pick that hits the spot and is worth the price, these fries are the best choice.  

Rating: 2.5 out of 5 

The Boneless Bites are definitely the least creative option that’s available to order and it really shows in the final product. 

You can get these with your preferred choice of wing sauce; we decided to go with Rock N’ Roll, which is typically a universally liked sauce. 

It felt like there was something missing from the dish; it was likely due to the tasteless rice that seemed dry and a bit hard, which a sauce or another element would have helped fix. 

The chicken tasted great and was the highlight of it overall, but it felt like that was the only redeeming factor.