Friday, May 8, 2009
Steamboat Springs — Call it a success if you managed to try each of the 45 chilis, soups and desserts entered in the Seventh Annual Great North Routt Chili Cook Off on Sunday afternoon.
I got through most of the dishes competing for bragging rights in the green chili and "other" - chicken chili, white chili, soups, chili con queso and stews - categories and sampled a few in the red chili group. By chance, those samples included the winners of the three savory categories of the day: Pam Heinrich's "Elkalope Sweet Thang" red chili had a deep, sweet flavor; George Trujillo's "Flat Tops Green Chili" had chunks of soft, spicy green chiles paired with big pieces of pork; and Jean Urban's "Whitey Tighty Chili" had a cheesy-mashed-potatoes-with-chicken consistency. Ten-year-old Zava Zupan's top-place carrot cake had been wiped out by the time I made it over to the Glen Eden Family Restaurant and Tavern's main dining room, where the dessert table was set up.
Relying on the competitive traits of Routt County home chefs, the cook-off attracted about 600 people with the promise of tried-and-true recipes, cold drinks and a laidback afternoon in North Routt. With the event spread out through the building's bar, main dining room and deck, the crowd at Sunday's event felt smaller - though it was 200 people bigger - than it did in 2008, a welcome modification to what's easily become one of my favorite spring events.
Highlights from Saturday's "'90s/U Can't Touch This" dance party at Mambo Italiano:
¤ The first time I've heard "Jump" by Kris Kross since 1992 or so, which is surprising - you'd somehow expect this song to be on more cheesy dance party play lists.
¤ Plenty of sing-along opportunities, particularly for "Killing Me Softly," by The Fugees.
¤ Multiple dance-offs, many of them featuring the MC Hammer parachute pants shuffle.
¤ An opportunity to try to remember the dance Vanilla Ice did in "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze," prompted by trying to remember any dances he made popular with the "Ice Ice Baby" music video.
This weekend's "Spring Prom" marks the halfway point for Mambo's "Mud Season Recession Relief" dance party series. Tickets are $5 for singles and $8 for couples; elaborate prom apparel is encouraged.
