After taking the pandemic year of 2020 off, the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk Chili Cook-Off is back.
Chili eaters will take over the Boardwalk this Saturday, Oct. 23, when more than 30 amateur and professional teams making meaty and/or vegetarian chilis will compete for cash and bragging rights.
Awards will be given for Best Amateur Red, Best Amateur Vegetarian Red, Best Professional Red, Best Professional Vegetarian Red, along with People’s Choice, Most Tasted and Best Theme.
Tasting kits, $10 for six tastes (plus a people’s choice ballot), go on sale at 10 a.m., and the public tasting begins at 1 p.m. Admission to the Boardwalk is free.
This year’s cook-off proceeds will benefit Your Future is Our Business, a nonprofit organization that provides career-path learning opportunities for K-12 students in Santa Cruz County, along with internships for post-secondary students.
In other Boardwalk food news, Bites & Brews — which pairs food by Boardwalk chef chef Scott Meyer with craft beers — returns on Thursdays and Fridays from 4 to 8 p.m. through Nov. 19.
This week’s bites include tri-tip sandwiches and samosas; the Oct. 28-29 menu features crab sandwiches, street dogs and fried artichokes. For beer details, go to https://beachboardwalk.com/Boardwalk-Bites-Brews.
Source: www.mercurynews.com