Celebrity judges will vote for best tasting chili and best decorated restaurant booth. They include Greenville County Chief Magistrate Judge Diane Cagle, Meteorologist John Cessarich, Mayor Rick Danner, radio personality Leisure Suit Larry, Miss Cherokee County Kristen Smith, Miss Greenville County Brittany Rose Sweeny, Miss Greenwood Kyrsti Vaught and South Carolina Homes & Gardens Magazine Food Editor Linda Weiss.
Event chair Ellen Madden said she expects good weather for the cook-off.
“We are hoping for a record crowd in our third year of the event,” she said. “It grows continually. We have 21 restaurants this year, up from last year’s 14. An attractions element has been added. A really great band, Millhouse, will be playing at the event.”
Barley’s Taproom will serve its house chili, which is the offspring of a cow and buffalo, according to head prep cook Tim Peters. Blue Ridge Beefalo supplies the downtown Greenville pizzeria with the meat, which has less fat than beef.
The chili cook-off marks Barley’s return to Greer, after participating in Oktoberfest two years ago.
Rich Flagg could end up as the favorite at this year’s cook-off. The cook at Blue Ridge Brewing Company in Greenville cooks a Texas-style chili-a no bean chili with andouille sausage, course ground chuck and beef tips.
Flagg said he has won the Fall for Greenville chili cook-off a few times and has taken second twice.
“I make it in the restaurant occasionally, every time it is a little bit different. It starts with the same things…but there is really no recipe to it,” he said.
The Bullpen on Trade Street will enter “The Bullshootin’ Chili this year.
Café Rivera owner Lucinda Rivera said the restaurant’s chili is a black bean with grilled churrasco steak with chimichiurri, which is Argentinean-style meat. Having been open only a few months, this will mark the first-year Lucinda and her husband, Bruce, will enter a chili.
First time participant, Crissy’s Deli, will bring chili served in the restaurant, according to owner Crissy Wood.
Ellen’s Delicatessen owner Ellen Roberson is preparing 35 gallons of chili for this year’s event. She plans to bring a healthy choice to Trade Street for the cook-off because her restaurant serves foods that are healthy. The restaurant’s chicken chili will be its first entry into the contest.
“The chili that we are making has a traditional base. We are adding a smoked beef brisket, making it a mixture of the brisket and ground beef,” said Great Bay Oyster House owner Alex Christofferson. He said the idea for his chili came to him after he smoked a beef brisket.
It will mark the third year the downtown restaurant has participated in the event, which he said is a great way to showcase the area.
“Whether it is a retail store not participating, they are going to be seen by thousands of people,” he said. “It is really great exposure for the city.”
Coming from Haywood Road in Greenville, Jason’s Deli catering manager Brandy Sandage will bring over a southwest chicken chili. “It will have a little bit of a kick to it. We will have some sides like onions, jalapenos and cheese,” she said. The Killeen, Texas native just located to the Greenville store in January.
“I want to see what the community and culture is like out here, because it is way different in Texas,” Sandage said. “The chicken chili is a little bit healthier option, but it is also different.”
Justin’s Steakhouse owner Bernie Kavo is excited about another opportunity to showcase his downtown Greer restaurant.
“It fills the street. Anytime we can get people here to bring commerce to Greer, it is always good for the businesses,” he said.
This year, the restaurant will make 30 gallons, after running out of chili at the previous two cook-offs. Kavo hopes the table will run out of its Mexican-style chili again this year. He said the chili has chipotle peppers and big chunks ground certified Angus beef.
Previous favorite, Lunch and Such, is looking to earn top billing after winning the inaugural event. Owner Todd Gibson said he went through 25 gallons last year, and plans to make even more. The key ingredients are the fresh peppers added to the chili.
“I hope to reclaim the trophy,” he said. “Hopefully we can keep selling and not run out.”
This year’s event marks the second year that M & J Crossroads will participate in the event. Owner Toni Blackwell said the Lyman-based restaurant ran out of chili first last year.
The “Crossroads Kick-Butt Chili” was a work in progress as of last week. Blackwell guarantees the chili, which she called a master of minds, will be good.
Layne Sims, owner of Sims BBQ in Duncan, will bring a family recipe to the cook-off. The recipe is a combination of one of his recipes, and one from his wife’s side of the family.
“Last year was our first year in it,” he said. “We weren’t really prepared, I think we had about 20 gallons. We sold out in about 45 minutes.”
But this year, Sims plans to bring more of his ‘Bama style chili, where he is originally from.
Defending champion Southern Thymes restaurant on Trade Street hopes to repeat in this year’s event. Owner Wendy Mitchell said the ‘Slap You Silly Chili” will be entered again this year.
“It is a traditional style chili, with a few extra ingredients that I can’t share,” she said.
Also entering the cook-off are Fatz Café, Ricky’s Express, Waffle House, Demetre’s Gourmet Deli and Publix.
“We are hoping for another fabulous event. We want to bring more people to Greer Station, show them what we have here, and bring them into the community. It will help our restaurants and businesses as well,” Madden said.