Meet the Chili Makers

The competition was fierce and spicy at the Second Annual Middlebury Chili Festival, with over 40 entrants this year vying for the glory of having the best chili in Middlebury. Contestants competed in one of two arenas, Amateur or Professional, and they were then divided up into categories based on the type of chili they were serving (vegetarian, beef, game, poultry, pork or kitchen sink). These chili aficionados entered the contest for a variety of reasons: the honor of winning the esteemed “Best Chili” title in their category, to attract customers to their restaurants and businesses or simply to have fun and share their delicious food with the community.

Shoreham Inn

The Shoreham Inn was entered under the professional category and served a traditional pork chili. It was the Inn’s first year at the festival, and it was clear that the participants were very excited about the experience. Representing the Shoreham Inn was Shannon Bohler-Small, who explained that the inn opened six years ago, but it does not often advertise its services, so the chili festival is a great event for the inn to gain some publicity in Middlebury. Bohler-Small also wanted to wait and see how the inn fared at this year’s festival before it expanded its chili horizons. “We’ll see how it goes this year. We can branch out maybe next year,” said Bohler-Small. She even hinted at the possibility of a vegetarian chili next year.

Bohler-Small on the festival: “I think we’re in it for the fun, to hang out with other people in town. We’re in it to advertise for the inn.”

Two Brothers Tavern

One of the more well-known professional businesses represented at the festival was the Two Brothers Tavern. It was the restaurant’s second year participating in the festival, and already it had staked out a name for itself: the vegetarian chili (which is on the regular menu) won second place in last year’s ‘professional vegetarian’ category. This year, the return of the regular chili was accompanied by venison chili made with local meat and complemented with maple sour cream. The tavern also served chips and guacamole to cut the chili’s spicy aftertaste. John Davignon, head chef at Two Brothers, had confidence in his dishes. “Last year was a big hit,” he said. “We’re hoping to continue on.”

Davignon’s chili-cooking tip: “Low and slow.”

Inn on the Green

Bruce Grove and his wife spent 20 years in Austin, Texas before coming to Middlebury. They came to Vermont in hopes of opening up an English-style country inn. Their search came to an end in October 2008, when they bought the Inn on the Green in the middle of town. Though he is now a New England resident, Grove still brought a taste of Texas to Middlebury in the form of his “Texas Red” chili, a traditional Texas chili with a solid beef base. The dish is one-third beef and one-third tomato products. The remaining third is made using different kinds of spices and chili peppers. This is Grove’s second year cooking chili at the festival, and though he did not win in his category last year, he is still in it for the fun.

Grove on his chili: “Real chili has no beans. They’re a fixing, so put them on after. Real chili isn’t made with hamburgers, only handcut beef.”

The Farmers Diner

Tod Murphy of The Farmers Diner presented his Vermont Beef and Bean Chili, a hearty traditional chili made with local beans and beef, in front of the National Bank of Middlebury. It was the diner’s first year cooking for the chili festival, and like so many other business contestants, Murphy’s goal was not necessarily to win the contest, but instead to attract more customers to the Farmer’s Diner, which is conveniently open 24/7 on the weekends in case a chili craving strikes in the wee hours of the night. Adding to the stand’s quirky appeal was a giant chicken mascot strutting around, though there was no chicken to be seen (or tasted) in the diner’s chili. Murphy was quick to explain the fowl’s significance: “It’s a chicken. People like chicken.”

Murphy on his chili: “I just want to win the customers’ hearts.”

Larry Naylor

Larry Naylor came as a local independent amateur entrant, meaning he was one of the few amateur contestants with no commercial business to promote. Still, the fact that this was Naylor’s first chili festival and that he was going solo neither deterred his enthusiasm for cooking chili nor impeded the quality of his dishes. Naylor had entered two types of chili in the contest: vegetarian and moose. That’s right — moose. In this unique dish, the moose meat and chili had a deep game taste. Samplers were so quick to try the interesting dish that barely halfway through the festival, the moose chili was nearly gone. Naylor had confidence in his moose chili, and he said that the only chili that could beat his moose chili was his own vegetarian chili — maybe.

Naylor on his chili: “Moose is one of the better game meats. It is more flavorful than others.”

A&W

Gail Daha, manager of the A&W stand on Route 7, was serving up A&W Cheeseburger Chili, a chili made with vegetables, lots of cheddar cheese and a little bit of cream cheese. With a mild flavor and a hint of the oh-so-familiar A&W cheeseburger, this chili is an experimental dish for A&W. They do not serve Cheeseburger Chili at the stand just yet, but if the chili is a success they intend to introduce it there once the stand opens early on April 21. It is the A&W stand’s first year participating in the chili festival, but Daha’s goal was to not worry about winning and instead enjoy the festival experience.

Daha on her chili: “Great on a hot dog, like a cheeseburger on a hotdog. Lots of extra flavor. It’s all about the cheese.”

Middlebury Fire Department

The Middlebury Fire Department entered the festival as last year’s reigning amateur champion. It claimed the prize last year with its Firehouse Beef Chili, and the firefighters were raring to cook more styles of chili and win again this year. They were serving four types of chili: venison, garlic, Southern-style pulled pork and pepper chili. The first three were mildly hot, but the pepper chili was easily the crowd favorite — it was a dish spicy enough to draw tears. Tom Sullivan, who was helping to run the fire department’s stand, recommended all four chili styles as potential winners before the results were announced. As last year’s amateur division winner, the department was hopeful that it would claim the title again this year.

Sullivan’s chili cooking tip: “Try different spices.”

Orwell Fire Department

This was the Orwell Fire Department’s first year participating in the festival. One of many fire department entrants in the festival’s amateur division, the Orwell Fire Department was serving Southwestern BBQ pork chili made with a blend of maple syrup, tomatoes and barbecued pork. They also served white turkey chili complemented with diced cornbread that was baked at the department. Louis Hall, the Orwell fire chief, was supervising the stand and helping serve chili to samplers. He expressed an amazed confidence in his dishes: “I’m surprised about the number of people who have raved about our [chili].” However, he added that the Department’s goal was not to win, but to enjoy the experience.

Hall on the festival: “We’re in it for the fun.”