Chili cook-off in Redwood City celebrates Super Bowl

Attendees of the event, held 5-8 p.m. Feb. 6 at the Chan Zuckerberg Community Space, can sample each of five chilies and vote for their favorite for just $7.50. 

The chilies up for tasting will be prepared and served by professionals of some local favorite restaurants — Redwood Grill, Vest, Mazra, LV Mar and Ghostwood Kitchen — but the recipes they follow were crafted by five community members who were finalists in a recent judged chili cook-off. 

The individuals selected to advance were Christian Cuevas and Renee Hirschberg along with teams Ayyar’s Kitchen, Cortez Culinary Creations and the Sound Union Red(wood) Hot Chili Peppers. 

One of the chili recipes that was selected as a finalist was made to be “Redwood City-like,” said Andy Swanson, who is one half of the Sound Union Red(wood) Hot Chili Peppers along with John Avilla. Redwood Grill will cook their recipe on Saturday. 

Their “tres carnes” chili, or three-meat chili, is made using ground pork, ground beef and chorizo. All of the items for the recipe were purchased from nearby businesses, and Swanson and Avila ground the meat themselves. 

Added to the meat was dried chili peppers and spices from Chavez Supermarket and a La Luz beer from Ghostwood, a Redwood City craft brewery. 

“We spent time thinking about what makes Redwood City unique and how can we add those flavors to the chili,” Swanson said. 

For a different flavor profile, Ayyar’s Kitchen competed with a family-loved vegan chili zested with Indian spices and chilies. Hamsa Ayyar, one of the cooks, said the chili lets the vegetables speak for themselves. 

“When I make it at home, I can use any vegetables we have,” Ayyar said. “Vegetables have their own unique taste and fragrance so we depend on that.” 

Cooking the Ayyar’s Kitchen recipe will be by chefs from Mazra, which Hamsa Ayyar said will work perfectly considering the restaurant’s similar tasting notes in their Mediterranean cuisine. 

There will be one additional vegetarian chili and two more meat chilies for tasting. More information on each recipe and original cook will be shared at the event, Pamela Estes, executive director of the Redwood City Parks and Arts Foundation, said. 

“We just like to bring people together from the community, and it’s always fun to see people who never knew each other meet and work together,” Estes said. 

In addition to the chili tasting, attendees of the event will also be able to see a replica Super Bowl trophy and ring and a gallery featuring San Francisco 49ers and Oakland Raiders Pro Football Hall of Famers. 

Guests will also be able to bid on sports memorabilia that will benefit the Redwood City Parks and Arts Foundation, the NFL Alumni Association of Northern California, and the Domini Hoskins Black History Museum. 

Visit www.rwcpaf.org to purchase tickets in advance, as space is limited. Minimal tickets will be for sale the day of the event upon arrival. 

The event will take place at 901 Jefferson Ave., Suite 100, Redwood City.