Chili Cook-off returns, to popular acclaim

SALISBURY — The popular Noble Horizons Chili Cook-off, a highlight of the Fall Festival, returned this year after a one-year hiatus. More than 150 people came to Noble on Sunday to sample 35 different types of chili (15 made by professional chefs, 20 by amateurs). The judges for the professional category were Carol Lalli, former editor-in-chief of Food and Wine magazine; Michelle Scicolone, editor of “Joy of Cooking,” and Irene Sax, a former food editor for Newsday. The amateur entries were judged by tasters in a People’s Choice vote. This year, three chefs tied for first place. All three won stuffed chili necklaces made by artisans in Stockbridge, Mass., as well as gift certificates to the Country Store at Noble. This year for the first time the contest was held at Noble, in the community room. In recent years, it had been held on the town Green, in front of The White Hart inn —although the first competition 10 years ago was held behind what is now the Country Bistro in Salisbury (when it was Thyme Enz Harvest). “Despite exhaustive efforts to secure a new in-town location after the White Hart closed, we could not find a location able to handle the event’s needs,” reported Caroline Burchfield, director of community relations for Noble, and the organizer of the cook-off. “We regretfully canceled plans for the 2011 cook-off and hoped that the White Hart Green would be available in 2012. When it became clear that it would not reopen in time for the 2012 Fall Festival, we made the decision to move to Noble Horizons.”A special shuttle was available for transportation along the Chili Trail from the center of town to the Cobble Road retirement village. “The number of guests always varies by the weather,” Burchfield said, “but we were at absolute full capacity at the peak of the event. The weather drove us indoors, and it worked beautifully. A nice byproduct was the opportunity it afforded Noble residents to enjoy a festive afternoon with fellow community members.”This year’s cook-off was sponsored by St. John’s Episcopal Church and ConnecticutCare.Live music by Goza had the judges and tasters dancing to a mellow salsa beat throughout the event. The top three prizes in the professional category this year went to the Oakhurst Diner in Millerton (first place), the Boathouse Restaurant in Lakeville (second) and LaBonne’s Market in Salisbury (third). The three nonprofessionals who tied for first place were Stephen Smith with his Texan Red; Ryan Castaldi with his Sasquatch Chili and Geoff Sherrill with his Celestial Chili.