Hot Competition In Chili Cookoff At Chinese Restaurant

It’s a little known fact that the Ming Dynasty wasn’t just big on vases. The Imperial Chinese also made a mean batch of chili con carne.

OK, so we made that up.

That didn’t stop the Mandarin House restaurant from hosting a chili cook-off in its lounge Saturday. Who cares if the dish isn’t from the Far East? Said contestant Marilyn Moore: “It’s a good thing to have a pot of chili on. Kids can eat, neighbors can eat, everyone can eat.” So there you go.

Folks arrived hauling crock pots steaming with beans and (for now) inert gases. “Hotel California” played on the jukebox. And a beaming Jim Miller surveyed it all from behind the bar,

“Gawd, this is fun,” he said.

Miller’s not the owner; he’s about as Chinese as Paul Bunyan. His girlfriend, Shiao-Hui Lee, took over the place six months ago when her parents retired. The chili feed was Miller’s way of heating up an icedover winter. Lee was all for it.

“It sounded like a good idea,” Lee said. “We never did anything like this before.”

This was a serious competition. Take Moore. She’s been cooking chili for years, she said, and is a cook-off veteran. Not even Spam escapes her culinary competitiveness - she has twice entered contests featuring the mystery meat. “The ones that won were hot,” Moore said. “The Cajun Spam, all that.”

Meanwhile, Miller readied the award ribbons, and dropped Rolaids in a paper bag for the “hottest/ spiciest” prize. And someone decided it was time to hear “Hotel California” again.

After about an hour, all 19 contestants had shown up. The chili was poured into little square tins and numbered (this was all fair and square). And by now, the place was completely jammed with folks rolling dice, drinking beer and getting a little restless.

And someone plunked down more change to hear “Hotel California.”

“OK, everybody, the chili is out on the table!” Miller called. But if you eat any, he warned, you have to vote.

“Even the contestants?” someone yelled. Yes, even them.

“Did you bring the ‘Wizard’ air freshener?” somebody else piped.

The connoisseurs formed a line all too close and comfy for folks about to devour 19 helpings of chili. Lee’s retired father leaned forward for a tight shot with his camcorder.

The jukebox changed its tune. This time someone opted for the live version of “Hotel California.”

These tasters were a tough crowd. No. 2 was too sweet, a lady decided. No. 1 was spicy-hot (but temperature-cold), someone else said.

But Ken Uttke found his favorite early on. “So far, five is best,” he said. “When you eat it, it tastes really good. Then the heat sets in. I like that.”

By her fifth or sixth trip, Moore’s eyes were starting to get a little misty. “You know what I’d like now? A glass of water.”

Uttke dived in the constantly-revolving line again, fork at the ready. “Five’s still the best,” he declared.

“That’s mine,” Moore whispered with a nudge. “I’m looking at the blue ribbon.”

In the end, a lady named Marge Wagenius took the top prize instead. But everybody had a good time, even those who didn’t take home the Rolaids.

Those Mings never had it so good. But they, at least, were spared The Eagles.

, DataTimes MEMO: Valley Snapshots is a regular Valley Voice feature that visits gatherings in the Valley. If you know of a good subject for this column, please call editor Mike Schmeltzer at 927-2170.