911 dispatchers win Windsor Chili Cook-Off

REDCOM, Sonoma County’s 911 fire and emergency dispatch center, won the judges’ First Place award, and the Novato Fire Department won the People’s Choice Award at the second annual Windsor Chili Cook-Off on Market Street at the Town Green Saturday.

Chili tasters voted for their favorite entry by clamping colorful clothes pins on the rim of a metal can at each booth.

There were 17 entries in this year’s competition, with each contestant cooking 10 gallons of chili. About $12,000 was raised in the process, benefiting the Windsor Fire Foundation and the Windsor High School Vineyard Academy.

Sonoma County Supervisor James Gore placed third, and Stephen Moyer’s mom and pop Windsor business, Chili Chunkers, placed second with the seven judges.

REDCOM’s Kenny Reese said dispatcher Krista Butts was “the heart and soul” of the REDCOM team.

“She brought a fantastic recipe,” Reese said, which included creamed corn, pineapple, basil, chipotle, brown sugar and a Lagunitas beer marinade.

“Kenny totally trusted me with the recipe. To win is just amazing. Last year we had a snafu, the chili got burned, and we wanted to redeem ourselves this year,” said Butts, 28, of Santa Rosa.

Novato Fire Department Capt. Erich Mesenburg said it was an honor to win the People’s Choice, which engineer Marv Brandon called the best award of the competition.

“Why try to please seven people when you can please the masses?” Brandon said.

The Novato Fire Foundation sponsors programs at its fire academy for at-risk youth 10-14 years old. Brandon said the chili recipe has won 22 state titles and has gone through different phases over the past five years.

“The recipe is not too hot. We want everyone to enjoy it,” Brandon said.

Healds Burger restaurant of Healdsburg was third, and the Harer family of Windsor’s Chili Ninjas was second in the People’s Choice Award.

Other entries were Patterson’s Pub and Grill, Rincon Valley Fire Department, Windsor Vineyard Academy, Eyes on the Green Ophthalmology of Windsor, Sonoma County Animal Shelter, Santa Rosa Firefighters, Pacific Sportsman of Santa Rosa, KIN restaurant, Sonoma Brothers Distilling of Windsor, the Windsor Fire Protection District and North County Consortium Bridges Community Based School at Windsor High School.

Teacher Joanne Collins said this was the Bridges’ School’s first chili competition. Students found the recipe, did prep at the school and made the chili at the Town Green.

Eyes on the Green’s Robert Gregg Jr., O.D., said coriander seeds in the chili “bring clarity to the pallet.”

Contact Windsor Towns Correspondent James Lanaras at WindsorTownNews@gmail.com.