'Daniel Island Dads Chili Cookoff' stirs up tasty fun at Dockery's
Good food wasn’t the only thing simmering at Dockery’s on Saturday, Jan. 19. A little friendly competition was also on the menu.
The restaurant hosted the inaugural Daniel Island Dads Chili Cookoff from 2 to 4 p.m. Bob Reich, administrator for the Daniel Island Dads Facebook group, co-organized the event with Dockery’s General Manager Chuck Isenberg. Almost 100 attendees, along with the culinary team from Dockery’s, tasted chili made by 10 Daniel Island dads. With a temperature around 70 degrees and sunny skies, plus live music and a cash bar, Dockery’s arranged the first annual chili cookoff around their outdoor patio.
Attendees received one ticket and voted by placing it in the jar by their favorite chili. The five chefs on the culinary team made their rounds, tasting each one just in time before the teams ran out of chili.
The judges voted unanimously for the River Green Team’s chili, and that was the crowd’s favorite as well. Named after their street on the island, the River Green Team doubled down with two different chilis. They served one with venison and one with ground beef. Both concoctions were tomato-based with kidney beans, which is where the similarity ended. The venison chili also included ground sirloin and Italian sausage, along with some “heat.” The milder ground beef chili included a secret ingredient, coffee, to add to its layers of flavor.
According to the culinary team and Dockery’s Executive Chef Andy McCloud, “The winning chili was exceptional, with layers of flavor and depth. All 10 chilis were delicious, but River Green Team’s was our favorite today.”
Daniel Island dad Taylor Adams of Holy City Handyman joined the contest unwittingly after commenting on the Facebook post about the cookoff.
“I commented on the DI Dads Facebook post that this would be a fun event, and the next thing I knew I was competing and making chili,” he said. “I used a tailgate chili recipe from a friend, and it turned out alright.”
Bob Reich entered the contest with a chili called, “Colin Reich’s Award-Winning Tailgate Chili,” with Italian sausage, bacon and Guinness, and posted a sign beside the creation that read, “How can it not be perfect?”
Another dad, Jason MacGoan, impressed guests with a surprising pork- and pumpkin-based chili recipe. Todd Ladd of Daniel Island Dinners blessed the crowd with his braised short rib chili, which was nearly gone before the chefs starting their tasting rounds. There was a Mom’s Chili, a healthy Red Zone Chili and even a Devil Dog Chili, and plenty of condiments to go with each dish.
The River Green Team, winner of both awards, the chefs’ favorite and the crowd favorite, included Nate Averill, Frank Ferez, Chevy Sidhy, and Stanley Wilhelm. Their gift card prize winnings and Dockery’s cash proceeds from the event are being donated to a local family who recently suffered a tragedy.