Call it an upset among upsets!
Thousands of Villagers and area residents flocked to Lake Sumter Landing on Saturday for the 22nd annual Chili Cook-off, sponsored by the Rotary Club of The Villages.
The event also included a home and garden show that featured various booths from local vendors, but there was no getting around the fact that the goal among participants was to sample as much of the tasty chili as possible that was being offered by 36 different groups – all of whom wanted to take home the big trophy and enjoy bragging rights for a whole year.
When the big announcement came shortly after 3:15 p.m., the winning team, Buffalo Pride, looked astonished, happy, surprised and somewhat north of Cloud Nine as they accepted the winning trophy.
“It was a shock,” said Esi Cosenza, of Oxford, who serves as president of the parent’s group at The Villages Charter School.
“It’s so exciting!” added Diane Denicola, of Fruitland Park, the past president of Buffalo Pride.
Every winner of the Chili Cook-Off for the past 22 years has faced the inevitable questions about cooking methods, meat selection and other secret ingredients. For some the answer has been tri-tip beef, while others have turned to prime cuts of steak.
Cosenza, however, said Buffalo Pride really has no big secrets.
“A little bit of this in it, a little bit of that,” she said with a smile.
Denicola added that the group definitely came to the table with a plan.
“Then it turned into something totally different,” she said with a laugh.
When pressed on the ingredients, Cosenza finally came clean – sort of – by admitting they used “90-10” ground beef.
“Ours was what you get in the big pack at Sam’s (Club),” she said with a laugh, adding that white beans and kidney beans also were included. “Whatever we could get for a good deal.”
Finally, Denicola offered up a possible secret ingredient.
“I think it was the spicy mustard,” she said with a sly grin.
Denicola added that this is the first time Buffalo Pride finished higher than the school’s culinary program, which has competed in all 22 Chili Cook-Offs.
“Every year the culinary kids beat us and every year we’re like, ‘Ugh, those darn kids!” she said, adding that an appropriate amount of ribbing and bragging was getting ready to take place.
“Where do you think we’re going right now,” Cosenza said. “Nana boo-boo!”
Shortly before the winners were announced, the contingent from the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office – four-time Chili Cook-Off champions – was hoping to make a comeback this year.
“Last year we lost because we let somebody tweak our recipe,” said Public Information Officer Michelle Keszey.
As for the secrets connected with the tasty law enforcement chili, Chief Dep. Chris Haworth remained close to the vest.
“There are a lot of secrets,” he said with a laugh. “Obviously, I’m not going to tell them.”
As for the event itself, which raises thousands upon thousands of dollars for the Rotary Club to distribute to area charities, Haworth said it’s extremely important for the sheriff’s office to be heavily involved.
“This event is huge, especially because it occurs in Sumter County, in our backyard,” he said. “Winning here means a lot to us because it raises a lot of money for a very good cause.”
As for the thousands who attended the event and paid $5 apiece for a wristband to sample the chili, Haworth said they were quite generous with donations. And in the end, he said, it really doesn’t matter who wins as long as money is raised for the Rotary Club to distribute to good causes.
“They are fantastic about giving the money out to their ultimate end result, which is helping the community,” he said. “That’s what we’re all about.”
Here are the results of the 22nd annual Chili Cook-Off:
- Best chili: First place: Buffalo Pride; Second place: The Villages Professional Firefighters Local 4770; Third place: The Villages Golf Cars (Lake Sumter Landing); Honorable Mentions: Massey, Chili Cats and The Villages Charter Schools Culinary Department
- Booth Awards: First place: Doc’s Restoration’s Rootin Tootin Saloon; Second place: Take Stock in Children; Third place: Chili Cats
- Rotary Club Award: Rotary Club of The Villages – Noon
- Military Award: Col. Phillip C. DeLong Detachment of the Marine Corps League (Devil Dogs)
- Public Safety Agencies Award: The Villages Professional Firefighters Local 4770
- Rotary Club of The Villages Foundation Philanthropic People’s Choice Chili: The Villages Parrot Head Club
- Landscape Award: Touch of Paradise
Nice trophies were handed out to winners in various categories in Saturday’s Chili Cook-Off.