Two local restaurants are squaring off in the Delaware cheesesteak Munch Madness championship, and the contenders that made it to the final round may surprise you.  

The championship (or Round 5) begins Saturday, March 29.

Lettuce explain: This is about Delaware cheesesteak glory. Readers can vote for their favorite cheesesteak they want to see crowned as the best in the state. As you’ll soon notice, every vote is important. (Go to the poll below.) 

Final 4 recap: 1 Delaware cheesesteak match was close; the other not so much

Last week, before the championship round, we were halfway correct when we predicted the matches between the last four finalists would be close.

Casapulla & Sons in Elsmere cruised to victory against Ioannoni’s near New Castle, racking up 2,290 votes to 1,705. In our prediction, we gave the edge to Casapulla because the family business has six locations across the state, compared with Ioannoni’s one and only shop. But we didn’t expect Casapulla to win big. Ioannoni’s, however, didn’t shrink away from the fight. The restaurant went the distance and hung tough. Yet, Casapulla had too much fire power and eventually forced the stubborn Ioannoni’s to get out of the kitchen. 

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Owner shares what makes Little Vinnie’s Pizza & Pasta’s cheesesteak the best

Michael Degnars shares why Little Vinnie’s Pizza & Pasta’s cheesesteak is the best in Delaware as it advances to the Final 4 of the Munch Madness tourney.

The nail-biter match came when Little Vinnie’s Pizza & Pasta in Wilmington faced off against Nick’s Pizza Parlor & Bar in Brandywine Hundred. It was a battle of new school versus old school, and the more seasoned restaurant had the upper hand.

Little Vinnie’s squeaked by with 1,620 votes to 1,612 votes. Close cheesesteak battles like that can be hard to swallow, especially for the fans who poured blood, sweat and cheers into the voting ballots. Munch Sadness is real, but there could be only one winner from those two juggernaut restaurants. It was a heck of a match.  

Delaware cheesesteak championship: Munch Madness winner prediction

It’s easy to assume Casapulla is going to be the favorite to win the Delaware cheesesteak Munch Madness championship because the restaurant has used its brute strength to power through the last two rounds. They’re on a roll.

Then again, it was no tiny feat for Little Vinnie’s to get past Nick’s Pizza. The spirit of the late great George Foreman has followed Little Vinnie’s into the championship, where the restaurant steps in as the underdog. 

Can Little Vinnie’s take down Casapulla? Yes, but it’ll need its fans to vote like crazy to help the restaurant win. That could be too much to ask for a smaller shop like Vinnie’s to ask for, since Casapulla has great name recognition throughout the state, along with locations in every part of Delaware, except Kent County.

All in all, we predict Casapulla is going to be too hot for Little Vinnie’s to handle. But this is March Madness; surprises are always in play. 

Thousands of nominations for best Delaware cheesesteak 

Last month, you sandwich lovers cast 1,100 votes for your favorite go-to spot for cheesesteaks around the First State that you wanted included in our Munch Madness challenge.

We sliced that thick mountain down to a chewy bracket featuring 32 shops ready to unapologetically smack you in the mouth with a fresh cheesesteak.    

How does the Delaware cheesesteak tournament work?  

Each week, readers vote and determine which restaurant/shop has the top cheesesteak in each face-off. 

And each week, cheesesteak shops are sliced in half, based on your votes. 

The bracket began with 32 shops, then 16 and then eight and then four. Now we’re down to the final two competing in the championship, and after this week, a winner will be selected and that sandwich will receive a greasy and golden crown. 

To vote, simply click below on the cheesesteak you want to win. That’s it. 

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Schedule for Delaware cheesesteak March Madness 

Below is when new brackets will be announced for the tournament: 

• Round 5 with 2: Saturday, March 29 to Friday, April 4 
• Winner: Monday, April 7 

If you have an interesting story idea, email lifestyle reporter Andre Lamar at alamar@gannett.com. Consider signing up for his weekly newsletter, DO Delaware, at delawareonline.com/newsletters. 

Delaware lawmakers will hold donation drives in Glasgow and Milford to support the Food Bank of Delaware after the nonprofit’s food deliveries were canceled by President Donald Trump. 

The Trump administration halted food aid shipments and funding earlier this month, resulting in a roughly 900,000 meal shortage for the Delaware food bank. The federal government’s actions have resulted in food banks across the country scrambling to make up for the shortfalls.  

In February alone, more than 50% of the food distributed by the Food Bank of Delaware came from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Emergency Food Assistance Program, which supplies essential items to food banks across the country.  

Delaware Democratic legislators are hosting two donation drives to raise awareness of the recent cuts: 

• House Democrats will a food drive from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, April 1, at the Food Bank of Delaware’s Glasgow location at 222 Lake Drive.  
• State senators will hold a similar donation drive at the food bank’s Milford location from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, April 3, at 102 Delaware Veterans Blvd. 

Rep. Eric Morrison, who is organizing the event, said he’s a regular volunteer at the food bank and has seen the increased demand for the nonprofit’s services. 

HOW TO HELP: How you can help the Food Bank of Delaware after Trump cancels food shipments

“Without the regular support from the USDA that they rely on, the Food Bank will not be able to feed all of the Delawareans in need,” he said in a news release Friday. “Now is the time that we must band together and do what we can to assist the Food Bank and our neighbors in need.” 

Delaware legislators are inviting residents to take part in the food drive by donating to the Food Bank. Most-needed items include: hot and cold cereals, peanut butter, canned fruits and vegetables, canned meats, rice and pasta.   

For more information on how to donate to or volunteer with the Food Bank of Delaware, visit www.fbd.org/get-involved.  

Got a tip? Contact Amanda Fries at afries@delawareonline.com.

I consider myself an adventurer at heart.

Over the last 17 years, my family and I have gone on many adventures up and down the First State. From hiking and cycling around Lums Pond State Park to taking a weeklong getaway to Fenwick Island, we made it a goal to try and explore as much as Delaware as we could, taking in all our new home had to offer.

That’s part of what drew me to being a journalist in the first place: the chance to go somewhere new, meet new people and learn what truly drives them to do what they do.

Whether it was a Lewes restaurant hosting drive-thru movie nights, a Middletown student collecting donated prom dresses or small-business owners pushing for lawmakers to raise the minimum wage, covering Delaware not only allows me to tell the stories that need to be told but also to learn more about a state I have called home for the last several years.

When I first joined The News Journal last summer, there was no shortage of breaking political news: The previous legislative session just ended. Then-Gov. John Carney declared his candidacy for Wilmington mayor, leading to the gubernatorial race. Then-U.S. Sen. Tom Carper announced his retirement, leading then-U.S. Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester to run for his soon-to-be-open seat. Several political newcomers vied for vacant positions at Legislative Hall.

Needless to say, there was a lot to explore.

For the last several months, my reporting has taken me to new places across the First State, introducing me to fresh and reacquainting me with familiar faces, and experiencing some traditions and big events: attending the Delaware State Fair in Harrington. Talking with now-U.S. Rep. Sarah McBride in Wilmington. Attending Return Day in Georgetown. Speaking with now-Gov. Matt Meyer while walking through downtown Dover – the list goes on.

With the legislative session underway, a slew of bills have been (re)introduced and potentially could lead to change in the First State – including, but not limited to, enshrining reproductive freedom in the state constitution and reintroducing the end-of-life options act.

Delaware House Rep. Kendra Johnson’s service came from divine inspiration

Don’t get me wrong: It’s not always an easy road. Aside from the constant fear of getting stuck in traffic – which, knock on wood, has happened only once – there’s also one question that continues to linger in the back of my brain: What if?  

Ordinarily, this question wouldn’t bother me. Heading out into the unknown was an adrenaline rush – I thrived on it.

But now, with the current political climate, an air of uncertainty hangs in the air. Thoughts of what might happen, how it might trickle down and who may be caught in the crossfire.

While that question hangs in the balance, and may keep me up at night, I’ve come to learn this is what we as journalists do: We continue to do what we do best. We put ourselves out there, absorb as much as possible and tell the stories that must be written.

This is all part of the process: We have a general idea of where we’re going, but we have no idea what we might encounter – or learn – when we get there.

Because journalism in itself is an adventure – and I cannot wait to see where it takes me next.

One final note: I am the author of The Press Room, a weekly roundup to what’s new, what’s happening and what’s changing in First State politics. As always, if you’re interested in sharing story tips, ideas or observations, please send them my way at omontes@delawareonline.com.

Olivia Montes covers state government and community impact for Delaware Online/The News Journal. If you have a tip or a story idea, reach out to her at omontes@delawareonline.com.