SANTA CRUZ – The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk’s Chili Cook-Off gets underway on Saturday, October 24. Rain or shine, chefs will be mixing up big pots of chili outside along the Boardwalk, hoping to win cash prizes and bragging rights. With more than fifty entries this year, most competitors will be cooking
2011 Chili Cook-Off event photos
traditional chili con carne, but vegetarian chili continues to attract competitors and tasters.
Local restaurants hoping to secure a win include Aquarius Restaurant, Mackenzie Bar & Grill, Rocky’s Café, Rosie McCanns, Pleasure Pizza Eastside Eatery, and Seabright Brewery.
While the chili competition is serious business, the atmosphere is all about fun. This year’s crop of entertaining team names includes: Lord of the Ribs BBQ, Wine with Swine, Weapons Grade, Aincho Ordinary Chili, Sassy with a Little Chic On, 50 Shades of Hot… Chili, Bad S. BBQ, and the Filet’d Minions.
Competitors include cooking teams from Marysville, Stockton, Atwater, Sacramento, Davis, Lodi, Alamo, Fremont, Los Altos, San Jose, Santa Clara, Los Gatos and Santa Cruz.
Admission is free, tasting kits are $9 for 5 samples. Preparation starts at 9am, cooking starts at 10am, and public tasting gets underway at 1pm. Winners will be announced during an award ceremony near the Beach Bandstand at 4pm.
A portion of the proceeds from this year’s Cook-Off will benefit Walnut Avenue Women’s Center. Boardwalk rides will be open during the event, weather permitting.
For more information visit http://beachboardwalk.com/chili/