The 8th Annual Kosher Chili Cookoff gathered the Houston Jewish community as well as our neighbors at Congregation Beth Yeshurun, regardless of affiliation. 30 local organizations and businesses fired up the competition with their unique kosher chili recipes each vying for bragging rights to the best kosher chili in Houston. Over 2000 attendees were able to eat as much chili as they could consume.

Attendees enjoyed a chilly day with live music, a moonwalk, an obstacle course, balloon artists and face painting all while sampling some of Houston’s best kosher chili.

City of Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner welcomed guests and visited booths and tasted many of the chili entries. Attendees also spiced up the event with an exciting raffle during the sets of several local live entertainment acts. The event began with Mikol Makom Band, followed by the Lanier Middle School Kletzmer band directed by Leonardo Hernandez. The cookoff ended with celebrity and media food judges announcing winners from the 30 sampled kosher chili recipe entries received throughout the cookoff.

The coveted best chili and first place award was presented to the Bellaire Jewish Center team. Followed up by Aishel House “Holy Chili Peppers” team winning 2nd and 3rd place awards for their two separate chili recipe entries.

The TeDan Surgical Innovations team won the Showmanship Award with their Bloody Mary IV bags, and the Congregation Beth Yeshurun team received the People's Choice Award. All winning teams were presented with trophies.

Celebrity and media judges included Kathleen Ballanfant of the Village and Southwest Newspaper; Carlos Brandon from Houston Food Finder; Houston City Council Member Ellen Cohen District C; Tom Flynn with H Texas Magazine; Michael Garfield of iHeartMedia and KPRC-AM 950; Dai Huynh of The Buzz Magazines; David Leftwich of Sugar and Rice Magazine; Ruchi Mukerjee and Sandeep Khandelwal of Lights, Camera, Action; Jacob Reiner of Fox Channel 26; and Matt Riklin from The Jewish Herald Voice.

This event was made possible with the support of our sponsors:

Mostyn Law Firm - In Memory of our Great Friend, Steve Mostyn

Jim S. Adler, PC

Kenny & Ziggy's

Monty & Ramirez LLP/Center for Latino-Jewish Relations (CLJR)

National Prosperity Insurance

Tony Buzbee for Mayor

Alan Rosen Harris County Constable Precinct 1

Proguard Self Storage

TEI Traffic Engineers, Inc.

Interra Capital Group/Dunhill

Nationwide Insurance/Slater Insurance Agency

Upstream Energy Services LLC

Copy.com

HKA (Houston Kashrus Association)

JGR Computer Services/Tech Southwest

Mikol Makom

MKT (Mehadrin Kosher of Texas)

Saint Arnold's Brewery

Acme Party & Tent

Brian Gavin Diamonds

Chris Brown for Controller

Elma & Alex Flores

Gross & Foster Financial Services

Judge Mike Engelhart

Judge Robert Schaffer

Judge Steve Kirkland

Meyerland Area Democrats Club

Morris, Lendais, Hollrah & Snowden

Rockwell Management

Sanford L. Dow

Terrain Solutions Inc.

Belden's

Event Yard Greetings

Katz Coffee

Laykie's Gourmet Café at the J

PV Rental

BellaireConnect

CKW Luxe

Cleverley Stone Show

Hot in Houston Now

Houston Food Finder

Houston Patch

JHV (Jewish Herald Voice)

KEY Magazine

Swoon Katy

Swoon Memorial

Texas Lifestyle Magazine

Village News & Southwest News

Yelp

For more information please visit www.houstonkosherchilicookoff.com