Get ready for the great Sliders and Wings faceoff

Ridge foodies have a new reason to rejoice – the debut of the Sliders and Wings competition, with local gourmands having the opportunity to sample the offerings of more than 10 area eateries, while helping to raise money to benefit the St. Nicholas Home.

A donation of $20 (which goes to support the home’s renovation fund) gets you admission to the first-of-its-kind event – officially titled Bay Ridge Restaurants BBQ – which will be held on the grounds of the home, 437 Ovington Avenue, from 1 to 5 p.m. on Sunday, May 3.

The event is the brainchild of Monsignor Jamie Gigantiello, who is a trained chef and who was one of the originators of the popular Taste of the Ridge. With that event, begun 19 years ago, “We didn’t know what to expect the first time,” Gigantiello noted. As it turned out, back in 1996, “We had almost 1,000 people, and the line was around the block.”

For this new event, Gigantiello noted, “Everyone is into sliders today and wings are always popular,” and explained that, as judge, he also will have the opportunity to sample all the crave-worthy specialties, with restaurants awarded for “creativity, taste and presentation,” among other things.

Gigantiello predicted that, not only will participating eateries come armed with their signature preparations, but also that they would “try to be a little more creative as well.”

With the list of participating restaurants still in formation, 11 have already signed on. They are the Bay Ridge Manor, the Bean Post Pub, Burger Bistro, Cebu, Giacomo’s, Greenhouse Café, Kettle Black, Lone Star, Mejlander & Mulgannon, the Pearl Room, Pipin’s, Salty Dog, Skinflint’s and Yellow Hook Grille.

Gigantiello, who hosts a cooking show, “Breaking Bread,” on NET TV, said he hoped that he would be able to feature the competition on a future episode of the show.