It was a potluck of epic proportions.

(And we are not just talking about the size of my swollen stomach in the potluck's aftermath. What's that? No, stop it. You definitely did not see three plates of food in front of me at the same time.)

Tables creaked under the weight of a record-setting 25 dishes. Stomachs stretched to capacity from the valiant attempt to sample every dish once (and some multiple times. I'm totally not talking about myself here). Minds blown by the sheer difficulty of choosing three dishes to vote for from the aforementioned incredible 25.

But when the dust settled, it was Shervin Aghili's Saffron Chicken With Jeweled Rice that claimed the top spot with 28 points, outlasting Sam Heindel's Fruity Fluff (17 points) and Nick Shaffer's Pad Thai (16 points) as well as 22 other excellent dishes. Tatonka Tater Tot Casserole and Grandma Dororthy's Cheesecake (which is a recipe that I desperately, desperately need. Please Grandma Dorothy, call me) narrowly missed the podium, finishing with 14 points apiece.

On a night when the votes were spread evenly among the masses of food, Saffron Chicken With Jeweled Rice refused to be denied. Facing an onslaught from 24 foods (quite literally. Saffron Chicken's manager, Aghili, expressed concern when he saw the amount of food jostling for spots on potluckers' plates and mixing in with the delicately prepared Jeweled Rice), Saffron Chicken simply executed on a higher level than the rest of the competition, its chemistry with Jeweled Rice honed over years of collaborating in foods more apparent than ever.

"I don't know what I'm eating anymore, it's all ******** delicious," a delirious potlucker said. "But this Saffron Chicken is a dish fit for kings."

I could ramble on for pages about the qualities of all the foods at the table (no literally, for pages. All my foreign friends think Americans think and talk about food all the time because of me. And we haven't even started discussing desserts), but I'll turn it over to the foods themselves and let them do the talking.

Once again, thanks to all you terrific potluckers for all the terrific potlucking. Everyone and the dish they brought:

Mason Kelley - Chocolate-Covered Bacon
Brian Munger - Spanish Cocktail Meatballs
Linsey Kach - Veggie Pizza
Shervin Aghili and Lyndsey Brozyna - Saffron Chicken With Jeweled Rice (1st Place)
Sam Heindel - Fruity Fluff (2nd Place)
Joe Napolitan - Southwest Burrito With Beer
Seth Cohen - Chocolate Coffee Stout Pulled Pork Sliders With Breck Bourbon Chipotle BBQ Sauce
Janet Stanley - Chili
Michael Meloy - Graham Cracker Dessert
Rob Clay - Chops And Cheese
Janelle Hess - High Country Cornbake
Rory, Fish and Alysa - Chunky Funky Munkey Cookies
Sarah Paris - Tatonka Tater Tot Casserole
Matty Ice - Crackers and Cheese
Samantha - Sweet And Spicy Potato Crusties (sorry for the spelling errors, handwriting semi-unreadable)
MIke Macri - Texas Caviar
Shira Ellenson - Fried Rice
Nick Shaffer - Pad Thai (3rd Place)
Johnny P - Dank Drizzle (not nearly as gross as the name sounds, in fact, delicious)
Diane - Grandma Dorothy's Cheesecake (a winner in my book. Anytime a recipe with "Grandma" in the name doesn't manage to win, you know it was a good potluck)
Johnny N. - Nachos
Austin H. - Man Dip
Evan N. - Sloppy Joe's
Dave J. - Chicken Enchiladas
? - Dark Chocolate Milk Chocolate S'More Bars

Monday Night Potlucks will pick back up next week (Feb. 2), with eating commencing at or around 7 p.m., but we recommend showing up early to get a table. We can't wait to see what you bring next!

(Editor's note: Broken Compass Brewing's Monday Night Potlucks are popping off every Monday night, with eating starting around 7. We encourage everyone to contribute a dish every now and then, but everyone in the brewery is welcome to sample the food and vote for their favorite dishes. First place wins a 64 oz growler and fill, second place a 32 oz. growler and fill and third place a free pint. See you there!)

MNP Week 14: A Potluck Fit For A King