By Cathy Miller

For a half-century or so, chili-cooking competitions, or cook-offs, have been a part of Americana. Everybody loves chili, but everybody also has their own twist – from spicy to meaty, saucy to bean-y! But who can make the best pot of chili?

The Washington Business Improvement District hosted its first in a series of quarterly cooking competitions on Saturday, February 25 at Buttzville Brewing Company, in Washington. The Chilly Days Chili Cook Off featured eight competitors and attracted over 30 people who came for tastings and judging.

The coveted first place went to Kevin Miele, Jr., who took home a ribbon and a $50 gift card to Buttzville Brewing…and the all-important bragging rights!

Miele said, “It was a great competition with lots of good people and lots of good food.” His chili was made with slow smoked meat and Crack of Dawn breakfast stout from Buttzville Brewing. It was smoky, hearty and full of bold flavors.

His winning dish isn’t a signature family recipe. Rather, it’s something he’s been mulling over for a while – it’s not written down, it’s all in his head. He cooks a lot of different chilis, often using a dark beer in the dish, but the idea to smoke a chuck tenderloin was something new.

Miele and his fiancé Angel, owners of Blood Moon Performance, live in Washington. Blood Moon opened their doors in Washington in May, 2021, and recently relocated to Belvidere. Look for them on Facebook and Instagram.

Matthew Orenstein, of Washington Borough, earned second place in the Cook Off and was awarded a ribbon and a $10 gift card to Buttzville Brewing.

WBID executive assistant Colleen O’Neill, who organized the event, was more than pleased with the turn-out and the caliber of entries. She said, “The Washington Business Improvement District office wanted to add a few more small events to our calendar to increase community involvement. What better way to get people together than with food! People love to cook and love to eat so why not do something that has the best of those worlds while also bringing foot traffic to the borough and highlighting some local businesses.”

The BID plans to host a Quarterly Community Competition every three months, with the next one being a Bread Bake Off in May. Each competition will take place at a new host location to highlight a different business with each event.

Register to be a competitor and see if you have what it takes to be the best in town. Or just come down for a public tasting pass to sample all of the competitors’ dishes that day and be a judge for best-dish-in-show!

For those interested in the history of chili (yes, there are books on just that), a very thorough book is “The Great Chili Book: 101 Variations On The Perfect Bowl of Red” by Bill Bridges.

Another one, more difficult to locate, is “With or Without Beans” by Joe E. Cooper, published in 1952. Some consider it THE authority on chili history and lore.

Keep checking www.washingtonbig.org for more information on the upcoming cook-offs and other special events happening in the Borough. The WBID is on Twitter, too, #MeetMeInTheBorough.