One of the best gigs you can get is being a judge at Loughran’s Chili Cookoff. You don’t need credentials. And you don’t have to pass a test. You just have to show up in time, and be willing to taste and grade about 20 samples of homemade chili. It’s the equivalent of a free meal.
The event is no secret. It’s been going on for 34 years. Recently, it’s become a tradition on the Sunday before the Super Bowl. Owner Jim Loughran believed the day needed an event to make up for the lack of a playoff game. The Pro Bowl wasn’t enough of an attraction.
Apparently, he was right, because his restaurant on Route 94 in Salisbury Mills was packed on Jan. 26. An hour before “tasting time,” contestants were walking in with their crock pots. I questioned a few of them.
Lou Cascino said he was entering the contest for the third time, using a recipe that was passed down from his grandmother. John Finneran, who owns the Caldwell House, claimed he was just a messenger. His wife had done all the work.
Terry Gayton admitted to being a past champion. She’s participated at least 10 times, trying a different recipe on each occasion.
The participants brought in their crock pots as if they were carrying the Holy Grail. Mr. Loughran lined them up in the kitchen, and assigned a number to each one. Just as the first samples were ready to be distributed. Tom and Patti Brand rushed in with their entry. They had almost forgotten what day it was.
Staff members used trays to carry each batch out from the kitchen. The batch was identified by number and not by the name of the chef. So the people who entered the contest could also serve as judges. As they received each sample in a plastic cup, they rated it from one to five on a score sheet.
At the end of the contest, each entrant received a Loughran’s gift certificate, with the winner getting a bigger prize than the others. It doesn’t matter if you’re a judge or a participant, everyone comes out ahead.