The Great Mac and Chili Contest returns November 6th 2016

Vote for your favorite 

Connecticut Mac-n-Cheese and Chili 

At the Great Mac & Chili Challenge

Who has the best mac n' cheese and chili is as controversial as the current presidential election but one thing is for sure, at least one election this November will be more than just palatable, it will be delicious! 

The Great Mac and Chili Challenge, sister event to Yankee Magazine's top event of the season Chowdafest, comes to Westport's Sherwood Island State Park on Sunday November 6th just two days before the national election.  “We love the timing of this event” said Jim Keenan, event director.  “Voting is on everyone's mind especially this year so why not vote for something all-American like who has the best mac 'n cheese and chili”.


There are twenty entries featured in this event over three categories:

• Classic Beef Chili, 
• Creative Chili and 
• Mac n' Cheese.  

Restaurants include defending champions, Chili Bomb of Fairfield (classic chili), Little Pub of Fairfield, Greenwich, Ridgefield and Wilton (creative chili), along with Simply Delicious of Norwalk (mac n' cheese). 

Keenan says that like Chowdafest, this event is designed to promote terrific chefs and their restaurants, giving people a “little taste” of why they should visit these restaurants.  “If you think this is good, wait to you try the rest of the menu” Keenan says.  He adds the timing is great as the weather is perfect for comfort food and it will help the restaurants create momentum into the upcoming holiday season. 

Other restaurants in the competition include The Blind Rhino in Norwalk, Bogey's of Norwalk, DrewbaQ a food truck in Fairfield County, Hub & Spoke of Black Rock Bridgeport, TruNorth of Black Rock Bridgeport, Walrus & Carpenter of Black Rock Bridgeport, Liquid Lunch of Shelton and Milford, Hoodoo BBQ of Ridgefield, Old Post Tavern of Fairfield, Geronimo of Fairfield and New Haven, Chef's Table of Fairfield, and Judy's Bar & Kitchen of Stamford.

Some of these restaurants have entered in more than one category.

Previously, this event has been held over Super Bowl weekend the past couple years and was formerly known as Chilifest.  When asked about the date, venue and menu change, Keenan said “Most chili cook-offs are held outside mainly because it's difficult to find an indoor venue big enough to accommodate all the chili lovers but also because the fall weather makes us appreciate warm comfort foods even more.  We tweaked our name because we wanted to be different from all the “fests” that are around because we're a different kind of an event.  Calling it “The Great Mac and Chili Challenge” has a great Charlie Brown, Fall kind of vibe to it which brings out the kid in all of us.  We're thrilled to move the event to Sherwood Island as it's been an ideal venue for Chowdafest.  However, we'll be in the open air covered pavilion as this event is smaller than Chowdafest.  From the emails and Facebook comments, people seem really excited about coming in a few weeks.  It should be a hot ticket.”

The event uses the successful people's choice format of Chowdafest, giving everyone a spoon, ballot and pencil upon entry.  However voting is slightly different as people are given three votes per category.  “Sometimes it's just too hard to narrow your favorite to just one” Keenan noted.  However, for those who can narrow their choice to just one or two, people can give all three of their category votes to just one restaurant or break them up giving one restaurant two votes and assigning the third to someone else.  “The restaurants work very hard at trying to get more than just one vote in their favor”.

Tickets to the The Great Mac and Chili Challenge are just $15 adults, $5 kids (6-12) and parking is free.  The event runs from 11AM to 3PM and the ticket includes sampling of ice cream and milk from The Farmer's Cow too.

Purchase tickets HERE

The event will benefit the Turtle Shell Fund and Friends of Sherwood Island.

For additional information about The Great Mac and Chili Challenge, please visit www.MacAndChiliChallenge.com or email event director, Jim Keenan at jimk@twistbrandraising.com

The Great Mac and Chili Challenge
Sherwood Island
Sherwood Island Connector
Westport, CT 06880
www.MacAndChiliChallenge.com

MacChiliFest in Westport CT to Benefit the Turtle Fund

MacChiliFest comes to Westport Connecticut on Sunday February 7th!

You remember ChiliFest, right?  Well, this popular event now includes a mac 'n cheese competition! 

Yup! ChiliFest just got better!

“Pairing mac 'n cheese with our chili competition was a natural” said Jim Keenan, event director.  “People know this event as Chilifest but we wanted to tweak the name so people understand immediately we're more than just great chili this year”

MacChilifest will take place at Bedford Middle School in Westport CT on Sunday Feb. 7th from 11am to 3pm.  The event is promoted as a pre-Super Bowl event as the Super Bowl is held later in the day.  

“The big game doesn't kick off until close to 7pm” said Keenan.  “So instead of hanging around to go out or have friends come over, people come out in droves to judge the best chili and now mac 'n cheese in Fairfield County.  It's a tailgate atmosphere where most people come in their favorite team jersey.  Some even put on eye black.  Even the band from Sacred Heart University comes and pumps up the crowd in anticipation of the big game later that day.”

AND! THERE's MORE!!

MacChilfiFest will be filmed for Firehouse Kitchen, a popular television program centered around the incredible food creations of firefighters, will be filming a future episode at MacChilifest on February 7th.

Tickets are available online now at www.MacChilifest.org as well as at the door.  

Adult Tickets are $15 

Children Tickets (aged 6-12) are $5.  

Everyone is given a spoon, ballot and pencil, and then set off to enjoy unlimited sampling of 20 different kinds of chili's and mac 'n cheese entries from 18 restaurants as well as local fire departments. Their votes will determine the winner in the classic beef chili category, the creative chili category and the new mac 'n cheese category. 

“We've added some new heat to the chili competition with several new restaurants in the competition this year.  I'm equally excited about having a mac 'n cheese division as these entries are sophisticated.  Mac 'n cheese has become the trendy playground for chef's to showcase their culinary creativity”  Keenan said.  “It's definitely not the blue box mac we grew up with.  Kids of all ages will love this new addition to chilifest”.

The table is set for another strong competition with defending champions Geronimo (Fairfield & New Haven), Southport Brewing Co. (Fairfield & Milford) and the Westport Fire Dept all back to defend their category titles from last year.  Looking to dethrone them is Blind Rhino (Norwalk), Bobby Q's (Westport), Chef's Table (Fairfield), Chilibomb (Fairfield), Da Pietro's (Westport), DrewbaQ (food truck), Little Pub (Greenwich, Ridgefield and Wilton), Liquid Lunch (Milford and Shelton), Mac' It (Norwalk), Old Post Tavern (Fairfield), Sam's American Bistro (Stamford), Simply Delicious (Norwalk), Tru North Tavern & Table (Black Rock), Wire Mill Saloon & BBQ (Redding/Georgetown) and the Weston Fire Department.

MacChilifest benefits the Turtle Fund which seeks to promote the education of young people in art, music, theater, skilled craft and other creative pursuits in order to create a rich cultural heritage for tomorrow.

Chilifest is proudly sponsored by Stop & Shop, Volvo of Westport, The Greens of Canondale, Cabot Cheese, Chaboso Bakery, Tabasco and WEBE 108.  

For more information about Chilifest please visit www.MacChilifest.org  

Bedford Middle School  

88 North Ave, Westport, CT 06880

Chilifest Westport CT 2015 Winners

Congratulations to the 2015 ChiliFest Westport CT winners!

Bedford Middle School in Westport CT was home to the ChiliFest CT contest! This fierce and fun competition is brought to you by the same folks who host ChowdaFestCT!

Nearly one thousand people were on hand to welcome the return of Chilifest to Westport!

Let's face it - all the chili entries were DELICIOUS - and each deserves the win!

So many great chilis to choose from!  

How hard it was to pick just one!

But YOU were the judge - and decided that the winners were:

Classic Beef:

Southport Brewing Company who took the Classic Beef category with their Maple Stout Chili.

Others in the classic beef category that need to be mentioned are Black Cat Grille in Redding, defending champion Bobby Q’s of Westport, Chilibomb in Fairfield, Little Pub of Greenwich, Ridgefield and Wilton and Old Post Tavern of Fairfield who placed 2nd with their “Deflated Super Bowl Chili”. SBC entered a Maple Stout Chili made by co-owner and master brewer Mark DaSilva.  Their winning recipe included SBC’s very own brewed stout.  “We wanted to blend the best of our brewery and kitchen” said a noticeably happy DaSilva.  “We’ll have to figure out how to share this trophy at all three locations” he added. 



Creative Category:

Geronimo of Fairfield won the Creative Chili category with their Hatch Green Chili

Their Hatch Green Chile edged out entries from The Boat Yard BBQ & Grill of Stamford, Cask Republic of New Haven and Stamford who placed 2nd, The Chef’s Table of Fairfield, Liquid Lunch of Shelton and Milford and Simply Delicious of Norwalk.  “I tweaked our recipe a bit” said Chef Tim Scott of Geronimo.  “I’m glad I did as the competition was top notch.”


Local Firehouse Chili:

The firefighters of Westport took the firehouse chili category narrowly beating fellow firefighters from Bridgeport and Weston.

This was probably my favorite category of the year as it featured the culinary talent of local firefighters.  Sponsored by Local Kitchen and Beer Bar, the category was easily the most heated competition of the day.  With a win by less than 30 votes, chef/firefighter Toby Ostapchuk noted “We entered our Checkered Flag Chicken Chili. It’s been a long time favorite of the department so we decided to enter it.  We call it checkered flag because the black and white beans makes it look like a checkered flag.  I hope more fire departments enter next year. It was a lot of fun.”

And I personally enjoyed meeting Westport’s First Selectman Jim Marpe and watching him don an apron and help serve samples alongside Westport firefighters. 

Event Chair Jim Keenan (below) was pleased with the event turnout as we joked and chatted about eating chili at 11:00 in the morning!

Everyone loved the Chili!

And Westport First Selectman, Jim Marpe made the rounds with ChiliFest mascot Chef Ref to celebrate the return of Chilifest!

The Sacred Heart University Band played and got everyone in the mood for some great chili!

The men’s club at the Unitarian Church in Westport plus over a hundred student athletes from the Sacred Heart University football, women’s hockey, women’s golf and equestrian teams helped orchestrate parking, sold and accepted tickets, separated recycle and compostable waste, worked with restaurants and tabulated votes.

Besides sampling chili, attendees also got to sample mini-tiramisu from The Greens of Cannondale and Tony Aitoro mingled with the crowd handing out his famous chocolate chip cookies served at Aitoro Appliances in Norwalk. Fellow sponsors Stop & Shop and Volvo of Westport provided some much welcome relief to attendees who sampled over 1,800 gallons of chili.  Stop & Shop served water throughout the event while Volvo of Westport handed out mints in a tin shaped like a Volvo as people handed in their ballots.

The big winner was the Turtle Shell Fund, the event’s beneficiary.  The Turtle Shell Fund seeks to promote the education of young people in art, music, theater, skilled craft and other creative pursuits in order to create a rich cultural heritage for tomorrow.


Chilifest is proudly sponsored by Aitoro Appliances, The Greens at Cannondale, Local Kitchen & Beer Bar, Stop & Shop, Sustainable America, US Foods, Volvo of Westport and WEBE 108.

For MANY MORE PICTURES of the event visit the Home Place Facebook page==>> HERE

and while you're there...don't forget to "like" us! 

For more information log on to the ChiliFest website at http://www.come2chilifest.com/

A big thank you to the ChiliFest sponsors!

Chilifest 2015 in Westport CT - You Be The Judge!

UPDATE  --- Read the RECAP =====>>>> HERE

Chilifest in Westport CT 

Chilifest in CT

Get your tickets to Chilifest now!

Chilifest is a pre-Super Bowl event that takes place on Feb. 1, 2015 at Bedford Middle School in Westport CT from 11AM to 3PM.   Just like its sister event, Chowdafest, everyone is given a spoon, ballot and pencil, and the opportunity to sample 18 different kinds of chili and to vote on their favorites.

Chilifest will feature THREE categories of chili:  classic beef, creative chili (turkey, vegetarian, green etc.) and “Firehouse” chili.

Twelve local restaurants will compete in the classic and creative categories while firefighters from the Fairfield, Norwalk, Trumbull, Weston, Westport and Wilton Fire Departments are slated to compete in a separate category for best firehouse chili.

Jim Keenen, event director for Chilifest says,

“We're excited to find out which restaurant people believe has the best chili - and equally thrilled to be holding a separate competition to determine what firehouse makes the best chili too. Fire departments are famous for their chili. Some of these fire fighters really know their way around the kitchen."

The Firehouse category is sponsored by Local Kitchen & Beer Bar of Norwalk and Fairfield to remind people to support their LOCAL fire department.

Some of the restaurants competing in the 2015 competition include:

• Bobby Q's (Westport)
• Cask Republic (New Haven, Stamford)
• Chef's Table (Fairfield), Chilibomb (Fairfield)
• Liquid Lunch (Milford, Shelton)
• Local Kitchen & Beer Bar (Fairfield, Norwalk)
• Naked Greens (Norwalk, Wilton)
• Simply Delicious (Norwalk)
• Southport Brewing Co. (Branford, Milford, Southport).  

The entire roster of competitors will be finalized soon (and this list will be updated at that time.

Tickets bought online are just $10 adults, $5 for kids ages 6-12.  “At ten bucks, they make great stocking stuffers” said Keenan.  Tickets at the door will be $15.  Tickets can be purchased online at:  www.Come2Chilifest.com

Chilifest benefits the Turtle Fund which seeks to promote the education of young people in art, music, theater, skilled craft and other creative pursuits in order to create a rich cultural heritage for tomorrow.

Chilifest is proudly sponsored by Aitoro Appliances, Stop & Shop, Volvo of Westport, Local Kitchen & Beer Bar and WEBE 108.  For more information about Chilifest please visit  www.Come2Chilifest.com,

Chilifest 

Bedford Middle School

88 North Avenue

Westport CT 06880

Feb. 1, 2015

11:00am - 3:00pm