Chili Cook Off 2010 – Bend Oregon

2010/01/25

On Saturday The Athletic Club of Bend and Scanlon’s hosted up to 17 restaurants and chefs who cooked up their best chili concoctions. All proceeds donated to the Education Foundation for the Bend La Pine Schools.

Some friends, the Wife, and I made it over to the Athletic Club of Bend for this event and had a great time. After paying the measly $10 per person we were warned to “pace ourselves” but of course I did not. I sampled 16 of the 17 recipes and I really enjoyed about many of them. I applaud all of the restaurants for showing up and helping to raise money for a good foundation.

Jake’s had one of the best Pork Verde’s amongst the lot. Yeah, Jake’s Diner had the best Pork Verde. They also had a sirloin chili that I liked a lot but everyone at our table couldn’t stop talking about the verde. Turns out, since he had two, they could only turn in one for judging and it was the verde that went out as their entry.

Zydeco had this white bean and duck … uh … stew? I wouldn’t classify it as chili but it was very good. They served it with crunchy bread crumbs and topped with crispy duck skin that had been smoked. That skin was insane! So good.

Joolz offered a very unique take on chili and I ended up giving them my vote as my favorite. Elk, chickpeas, a light Feta, tabbouli, and of course…the main attraction of any good chili…Fritos!


I’m joking about Fritos being a key ingredient but damn if I don’t love some Chili Cheese Fritos. Not the flavored ones, the plane ones with a scoop of chili over them covered in cheese and a dollop of sour cream.

Pisano’s had the most technically sound chili in my mind for a chili competition. No beans, only red sauce and meat. That a boy! He said it was mild but it ended up being one of the spiciest of the bunch. I would gladly have that chili over a dog any day.

Country Catering made a classic chili con carne with smoked brisket and everything was cooked perfectly.

After completely stuffing my face on chili, I passed out on the couch. The Wife made a pot of coffee and then passed out as well while it brewed. Heard one of my friends did the same as soon as he got back to his place. Loved it! What a great Saturday!

Restaurants that participated in the 2010 Chili Throwdown:

Scanlon’s – Chef Brad

Zydeco – Chef Steve

28 – Chef Travis

Country Catering – Chef Cody

Joolz – Chef Ramsey

Broken Top – Chef Matt M.

Deschutes Brewery – Chef Matt N.

The Bagel Stop – Chef Dave

Elk Lake Resort – Chef Tony

Jakes Diner – Chef Jim

Parilla Grill – Chef Jeff

Sysco – Chef Kevin

La Rosa – Chef Roberto

El Burrito – Chef Jason

The Oxford – 10 below – Chef Sam

Pisano’s – Chef Ed

Lake Creek Lodge – Chef Ann

{ Comments on this entry are closed }

Taco Bell – Beefy 5 Layer Burrito

2010/01/22

Beefy 5 Layer Burrito

Well I didn’t even make it a full year since my last visit to Taco Bell. But that Beefy 5 Layer Burrito just looked too good to pass up. I know I should never EVER look at fast food or chain restaurant commercials and think “that looks good” because it NEVER looks like it does on TV or on the menu.

Seriously, why do restaurants put photos of their dishes on their menu’s? The only restaurants that can get away with this are Asian restaurants. When I’m looking over a menu and see Gai Prig Prow, Mar Far Chicken, Moo Goo Guy Pan, or Hamachi Kama, I, like my fellow white brethren, have no idea what we’re ordering. Asian restaurants get a pass. Everyone else, I know what chicken wings, burgers, burritos and so on look like. If you show me:


Don’t deliver this piece of shit:


Taco Bell’s photo looks sooooo good. For ONLY $0.89 you get beans, beef, sour cream, shredded cheese, and a secret layer of NACHO cheese. Nacho CHEESE!! That’s like when Pizza Hut brilliantly put cheese in the crust and everyone freaked out. Anytime you can stuff more cheese into anything…DO IT.

What pisses me off is that I should have known better. I mean I know that anything I get is NOT going to look like the photo or what I see on TV. But I noticed a menu item called the Cheese Roll-Up – “A warm, soft flour tortilla rolled up with a blend of three real cheeses and melted to perfection.” TO PERFECTION!!! I make this appetizer in my microwave and will melt the cheese to perfection every time. It’s not rocket surgery.

The Cheese Roll-Up is $0.79. The Beefy 5 Layer Burrito is only TEN CENTS MORE. To add Beans, beef, sour cream, and nacho cheese is only TEN CENTS more. I’m confused. Even a soft taco is $1.29 and it is a smaller tortilla, beef, a sprinkle of shredded cheese and some effing lettuce. I get two more ingredients on this burrito and SAVE money! I should have known. You won this round Taco Bell. Damn you.

You Midwest transplants are going to comment something stupid like “But BOR, how can you bash on great restaurants like Olive Garden and Applebees and yet you’ll eat at Taco Bell?”

Well my nascar lovin friend, I am willing to waste $0.89 on a nasty ass burrito knowing what I’m getting into. Taco Bell is gross. We all know that. What I don’t like doing is paying $15 and up for an entree of nasty ass burritos or the Italian/Australian wanna be equivalent. I don’t like wasting my money on an overpriced deep fried onion or “the best” salad and bread sticks followed by mediocre pasta bowls.

$0.89 for a burrito is worth the risk and gives me something to write about.

Taco Bell
1104 NE 3rd St
Bend, OR 97701
(541) 389-5179

{ Comments on this entry are closed }

← Previous Entries

Next Entries →