Restaurants compete for top chili awards

Warm up your taste buds this winter at the 17th Annual Downtown Chili Cook-Off presented by Pepsi Cola, C.H. Robinson Worldwide Inc, ABC 29&8 and WTCM on January 29th in Downtown Traverse City. Participants can sample the mild to the wild as the area’s top restaurants vie for awards in various categories.

Northern Michigan’s ultimate chili challenge takes place from 11:00 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Park Place Dome in Downtown Traverse City. Additional seating will be provided in the lower of the Park Place Hotel and feature a cash bar.

The Chili Cook-off attracted approximately 1,700 participants in 2010, who sampled the many chilies and voted for their favorites. Area restaurants will be cooking up their special recipes as they compete in eight different categories – 1, 2 and 3-alarm, white, vegetarian, no bean, seafood and ethnic as well as the coveted “people’s choice” award. The event will be featuring three organic chilies this year!

Chili lovers can choose a sampler of eight chilies for $8 or single bowls of their favorites for $4.  Pepsi products will also be available.  All proceeds from the event help support such Downtown community activities as Friday Night Live, Celebration for Young Children, the Downtown Art Walk, holiday activities and many other free downtown events throughout the year.  “The Downtown Chili Cook-Off continues to be a community favorite. What a great way to spend a cold snowy Saturday sampling chili by local chefs,” says Marketing Director, Colleen Paveglio. Following is a peek at who will be competing:

  • Cherry Republic
  • The Dish Café
  • Hanna Bistro
  • Lil Bo Pub & Grille
  • Minervas
  • Mt. Holiday
  • Omelette Shoppe
  • Oryana Lake Street Café
  • Prime Time Pub
  • Scalawags Whitefish & Chips
  • The Soul Hole
  • Union Cantina

Morsels Bite Sized Bakery & Gourmet Coffee will be serving cornbread morsels to compliment the competing chilies.
The Annual Chili Cook-off is hosted by the over 200 merchants, restaurants and businesses who are members of the Downtown Traverse City Association. For more information or to volunteer, call the DTCA office at (231) 922-2050 or email colleen@downtowntc.com