Chili Cook Off Held at Lake Las Vegas Resort

There are always interesting events taking place in Las Vegas. On Saturday, February 13 I attended the second annual Silver State Regional Chili cook off at Lake Las Vegas. The event, which drew over 1,000 attendees, was co-sponsored by the International Chili Society and The Village at Lake Las Vegas.

The International Chili Society (ICS) is a non-profit organization whose purpose is to promote the appreciation of chili, sanction chili cooks offs worldwide, and raise money for local charities. Since I am a chili devotee after spending years in Texas and Cincinnati, I did not want to miss this event.

I was not disappointed. There were approximately 30 booths where cooks were preparing a minimum of 10 gallons of red chili, chili verde, or salsa. Most of the cooks were individuals that enjoy preparing chili as a hobby. But some of the booths featured chefs from the village restaurants such as The Sonrisa Grill and the Casino Monte Lago Restaurant. Several of the booths were elaborately decorated adding to the fun.

Visitors could purchase a five dollar tasting kit which contained a cup and spoon for sampling chili and a voting ballot. Yes, the cook off involved a contest and the visitors got to vote for their favorite chili. The cook receiving the most votes got the “People’s Choice Award”

Judges representing the ICS also judged the chili and awarded prizes for best red and verde chili as well as salsa. Prizes ranged from $200 to $400 for the winners.

Chef Rodney Ignaci of Casino Monte Lago won the people’s choice award, while Russell Barnes won the Salsa Award, Al Henry won the Chili Verde award, and Mike Stewart took first place for Red Chili.

Eating chili and learning some of the fine points of preparing it was fun, but being at The Village at Monte Lago on a mild sunny day was really pleasant. Moat folks have heard of the financial problems facing Lake Las Vegas resort , but you wouldn’t know they existed the day of the cook-off.

The atmosphere at the event was upbeat, the grounds were well kept, and the restaurants were full. There were singles, couples, and families with kids of all ages. In fact, special entertainment and games kept the kids busy. The village is planning other events such as a beer-fest in the spring.

Details on the upcoming events can be found on their web site http://www.montelagovillage.com/ or by calling 702-564-4766. Information on the ICS can be obtained at www.chilicookoff.com

by Burt Davis