By Staff
Some love it hot. Some love it mild. But most agree it's one of the best ways to warm up on a cold afternoon in Michigan.
Returning to downtown Dowagiac on Saturday, Feb. 3, during the 11th annual Dowagiac Ice Time Festival of the Greater Dowagiac Chamber of Commerce, is the Professional Chili Cook-off from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
"The chili crawl, as most locals call it, is oftentimes a friendly, yet fiercely-fought competition between our participating restaurants," said Vickie Phillipson, program director of the Chamber and Downtown Development Authority.
As one of the auxiliary events of the Feb. 3 winter arts festival, the professional cook-off features five restaurants located downtown within easy walking distance to the central business district.
Participating sites are Beeson Street Bar and Grill, Wood Fire Italian Trattoria, The Wounded Minnow Saloon and Zeke's Restaurant on Front Street; and the Fraternal Order of Eagles next to Preferred Printing on E. Railroad.
Chef Jeremy Erb of Wood Fire Italian Trattoria will be defending his 2006 winning title, as he heads back to the kitchen to make what restaurateur Larry Seurynck has called the world's finest chili.
"While Erb shied away Thursday from revealing his top-secret ingredients," Phillipson said, he slipped up long enough to tell her that he's been scouting the marketplace for "some special peppers."
Festival goers last year will recall Seurynck and Erb successfully campaigned for votes, as they tempted appetites with the thought that world-class chocolate had been added to Wood Fire's chili. Indeed, as they were counting on, who doesn't like chocolate?
Yet, with Chef Erb offering only a sly smile, as he dodged questions on this year's recipe, one can only wonder what he has up his sleeve for the 28 gallons of chili he'll prepare for this year's event.
Another major contender in the chili cook-off is Vada Keesler of Beeson Street Bar and Grill, who claimed title to the 2005 winning recipe and is gearing up to rechallenge Chef Erb for the 2007 title. Tom Burling, co-owner of Beeson Street Bar and Grill, says, "Vada's mild chili is truly loved by all of my customers and is in high demand throughout the year, and even into the summer months." Beeson Street counts on ground beef and "Vada's own mix of spices" to chalk up enough votes to win back the title.