The 1st Annual Great Ballard Chili Cook Off

Cook Off Co-Founders CB and Kevin....and Me!

A few months ago CB asked me if I was available to be a judge for a chili cook off. Me? A judge? I guess since I love food and am part of this kick-ass food blog that is all the qualifications required. I was honored to participate. Now, the story goes something like this, two friends got to talking about how they both made some good chili and somehow it turned into what will be now known as the 1st Annual Great Ballard Chili Cook Off aka a friendly competition between chili chefs voted on by their friends and families.

I arrived at 1pm with my mom at the Sunset Hill Community Club house which is located in West Ballard. This is a great space, check it out.

Upon walking in, I was welcomed with a stylish and personalized judge's apron and a robust introduction from Chili Emcee Chas. Seated in front with the other 4 judges and four ballots, we patiently waited for the unveiling of the 4 chili's entered in the competition.

Each chili was brought out in a white paper cup and all were assigned a specific number. The first chili I sampled was the one below, this was contestant #4. The first thing that came to mind when tasting this was that all the ingredients were fresh and high quality. This was a top notch, choice chili. With two kinds of andouille sausage and bites of flavorful chicken the textures in this chili were my favorite. The ratio of meat to beans was tasty and the growing heat really made this a great chili. Let me also point out that cheese on anything wins.

The second chili I tasted was the green chili from contestant #2. The chili was thin more like soup but the taste alone made up for the consistency. Immediately touching my tongue this chili had an immediate bite. The pork was soft and the rich and spicy blend of chilies like poblano and jalapenos along with the red beans made a fabulous tasting chili. The layers of ingredients were evident when looking closely at the bright color and textures in this chili. Served with a slice of tortilla this chili had the heat that I absolutely love about chili. Superb.

Let me introduce you to chili #3, which was a thick, rich and sweet masterpiece. The one word you might to use describe this is succulent. I was waiting for the heat and it was there but subtle. I enjoyed the honey sweetness that lingered in your mouth. With a mix of portuguese sausage and kahlua pork you knew upon eating this how long it took to prepare. Although quite thick and reminiscent of bbq you would put on a bun, this chili created a lane all its own. It was during this taste, I realized that all of the chili we were eating were so different! Served with a soft slice of white bread, the whole package was there to win.

Lastly, I sampled the chili with the best presentation, contestant #1. Coming out with its own corn muffin and a patriotic plate, I loved the extra flare for the judges.This was the veggie chili and it was a first class mix of black beans, sweet corn and squash. I loved how all the veggies were crisp and flavorsome. Served with a white cheese blend on top and a side of lime, the flavors were blended quite well creating a unique, rich, meatless chili . The consistency was great and the blended beans almost created the texture of authentic refried beans which truly held the variety of veggies together. Only thing I would have added to this chili was more heat. This was a very good veggie chili and definitely stood strong among all the meaty competitors.


So now what? All the judges had to circle a number on a small slip of paper between 1-4.

Who is going to win!??!!?

Two awards were given away at the 1st Annual Great Ballard Chili Cook Off, one from the judges and one from the people. Four of Ballard's finest chili cooks waited to see who was going to get the bragging rights for this first annual event.


While we waited we were treated to some soulful songs from Youth Rescue Mission. Check out their myspace to listen to some of their music. Great harmonies for chili eating.

Emcee Chas Roberts was entertaining all afternoon and as he stepped up to the mic to announce the winners we all waited on his news and laughed with him, not at him. I have seen this guy host a few things at Re-Bar, kick-ass.

The judges award was given to the man behind chili #2 and his mamma's recipe, Santos!!!!

The peoples choice was awarded to the man behind chili #3, and chili cook off co-founder, Kevin Sur!!!!

I had a great time and can't wait until next year. I also make a really good classic chili with a few secret ingredients, perhaps I will enter the competition!

ps. i grabbed some photos from Kevin's facebook to supplement my pics. Thanks Kevin!

North Bend

I totally spaced having these pics on my phone. Last month on our way to spokane and then onto montana we started our road trip with a meal in North Bend. We stopped at the North Bend Bar and Grill and they make a pretty damn good bloody mary and some really tasty sandwiches. I went with the club sandwich and a side of fries. North Bend is an interesting place with several small eateries. I know another contributor to this blog might also have some thoughts on North Bend...


If you are ever in the area, I would stop by if you want something that tastes like a home cooked meal. L. had the meatloaf sandwich which he really enjoyed. My only advice would be to stay away from the chicken strips....they were not on point...straight out the bag. The menu was very large...I am sure you can find something with all those choices and a full bar.

North Bend Bar and Grill
145 North Bend Way

Still Kurrent

Happy Hour can be a fun thing if you find the right spot. A few friends of mine who are on the edge of one of the best jewelry businesses ever started (click here)....stopped by Kurrent to plan out our empire and to grab a few snacks and a drink.

Now, I have been to Kurrent before as you most likely read below. But I didnt have the chance to eat there until now. I tried to order the cocktails that I attempted to order last time, which the bartender told me they no longer make. But this time, instead of telling me that the bartender who invented them is no longer there, this server told me they were off the menu because they were disgusting.
Hmmm..... GET A NEW MENU. Anyway, Im not mad. I decided to try the bloody mary, which was quite spicy and tasty.
K. and R. both had standard cocktails as well. Margarita and Martini....classy.

Next we got down on some tofu fries which I was really hoping to try. They were good. Nicely cooked and served with a garlic and paprika aioli. We also tried the "signature" crab cakes. I though these were pretty good too. Nice spice and consistency of the cake. I would have preferred them to be served a little bit hotter, but they were fine. I dont know why they are called signature because they tasted pretty standard to me. They were also served with a sriacha aioli. Nice use of sriacha...it never occured to me to mix it with basically mayo.


Now on to the cracklin calamari salad, which was nice and spicy. I am not a huge fan of calamari but it was good and not full of grease. It might be hard to tell from the picture but the fried calamari was sitting on a bead of cabbage and onions. I navigated around the bell peppers (not a fan) and enjoyed the light soy dressing covering the dish.

We really wanted to try the crab artichoke melt but apparently they rant out and were in the process of making more which according to our server would take several hours. So he offered to buy us another appetizer. We choose the garlic vegetable satay. Which I think you can take one glance of and realize it was not that impressive. I mean come on. Tofu and bell peppers? I was at the minimum hoping for like a piece of squash. I will admit the peanut sauce was tasty, but this dish is totally boring. And if you are not on happy hour its gonna cost you $9.50. No way.

Overall, I think this is a good place to meet a few people. They have a cool little nook with a fireplace which was perfect for us to lay out our beads. And the happy hour prices make it a bit more convincing to eat there. I am not impressed by this food but it was tasty. Next time I might move into the realm of trying and entree because the pictures on their website look good.

Good luck Kurrent your bar seems out of place right now but you might feel better once the huge condo goes up across the street.

600 East Pine
Mon-Sat 11am-2am
Sun 11am-11pm
ps. they have valet if you are that guy or if you hate trying to park on cap hill

Monsoon on 19th

Upon several recommendations, I decided to battle the walk uphill to 19th to try Monsoon.

Monsoon is hidden on 19h and is embedded in a bunch of houses and apartments, it is a true neighborhood restaurant. The menu is full of "Vietnamese cuisine with Pacific Northwest Innovation"...amazing sounding dishes, I didn't even know where to start.

We were greeted by Brian our server who was one of the nicest servers I have ever come across. He took the time to tell us about what we were eating and was all around a very chill guy. He saw me taking pics of the food so I had to drop it on him that I had a food blog. It also tipped him off to letting us know about their monthly family style seated dinners which come with paired wines and food creations off the regular menu. I gotta check that out for sure.

We started with pork ribs:
The ribs were tasty and were sticky with a really tangy 5 spice sauce. The first taste was a bit sweet but after a few more bites the ribs were solid and had some heat. I also enjoyed the pickled veggies on the side.

Then we shared the imperial rolls:
By far one of the best appetizers I have had in a while. I love vietnamese lettuce wraps and this was a great take on that dish. The rolls were filled with this sausage like meat, made up of shrimp and pork, then fried crispy. The combination of all of these flavors was so right on. I was even thinking about them this morning. word.

Then we shared the amazing catfish clay pot:

Anyone who has ever been to Monsoon tells me to try the catfish in a clay pot. Because I know the menu changes this variation was seasoned with thai peppers and a sweet glaze. I loved the fish it was so meaty, I was surprised it was fish. I tried that damn thai pepper to see if it was as hot as Brian claimed it was...and it had some serious heat. This is a great dish and it came piping hot, always a plus.

We also shared some mustard greens:
The greens we crispy and the natural taste of the mustard green really came through. I enjoyed the mushrooms which were also cooked to perfection as an addition to the dish. choice.

Remember when I said Brian our server was amazing? Well to top if off he showed up at the end with some complimentary banana cake.
Yeah, I am not a dessert person but I ate this up. The sauce which was like cream cheese infused with a bit of coconut was creamy and rich. The cake was still warm and was so soft and moist. I could eat this for breakfast every day. This may have changed my mind about dessert.

Hours of Operation

Dinner Every Night 5:00PM - 10:00PM

Dim Sum Brunch Saturday & Sunday 10:00AM - 2:30PM

Location

615 19th Avenue E - Seattle, Washington 98112

Directions Here

Phone

206.325.2111

Reservations

Yes, please inquire.