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Ruskin Chili Fest Is Hot Draw

Tribune photo by LOIS KINDLE

Bill Ansell of Brandon stirs his pot of "More Please" chicken chili at E.G. Simmons Park for the 13th annual Chili Cookoff and Flea Market. First place went to Donnie Mitchell of Venice for his “No Road Kill” recipe; second was awarded to Patrick Pruitt of Seffner for "Back to Nature;" and third place went to Ronnie Barnes of Brandon and Tracy McLellan of Plant City for their "Graveyard Gruel."

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By LOIS KINDLE

lkindle@tampatrib.com

Published: March 4, 2009

RUSKIN - Cloudless skies, cool temps and hot chili drew more than 1,000 visitors to E.G. Simmons Park, where a dozen amateur cooks talked trash and vied for a year of bragging rights.

They were contestants in the park's 13th annual Chili Cookoff and Flea Market Feb. 21.

"You gotta kill it and grill it," shouted Donnie Mitchell of Venice, whose four-man team, Fat Boys, slow-cooked a batch of No Road Kill chili. "Who ever heard of chicken in chili, anyway? Eat some of that Graveyard Gruel he said, referring to a competitor's recipe, and you'll probably end up there."

Playing up to the crowd, Donnie Dorman countered, "Once you've tried No. 4, you don't need any more."

"But ours won't burn your face off," barked Carrie Ansell, another chili cook-off competitor.

The tasting didn't begin until 11 a.m., but there was plenty to do until then.

Mitchell's chili included deer meat, wild hog, buffalo, beef and pork, with a variety of peppers, spices and beans.

"The key is constant stirring," he said.

Others tried different ingredients to sway the voting public, who paid $3 per person to participate in the tasting.

Toni Orfield claimed it was fresh mushrooms.

David Wood cited beer and "a little spice," and Mike Sutko swore it was chocolate.

Tracy McClellan had a more intangible ingredient - his "mama's love."

Seventy-one vendors, who paid $10 each to set up booths, offered all kinds of bargains at the flea market around the cooking pavilion. Items for sale included a range of merchandise - from fishing tackle, jewelry and hardware to produce, books and collectibles.

Starting at 8 a.m., a steady crowd wandered around the market, but it was the chili cook-off that brought people out in droves.

"If it doesn't make my nose run, it isn't good chili," said Cindy Mershon, a winter resident of Apollo Beach, who has attended the cook-off nine times. Her favorite was Warp Factor 1 served up by David Wood and Jim Chervin. "It was smooth and had a little kick, but it didn't kill you."

Helen Gaughan of Tiberton, R.I., preferred Mike Sutko's Big Red Chili. She called his dish "a really good chili. It wasn't overpowering. I liked its overall flavor."

When all was said and done, though, the concoctions of three cooks won the horde over.

First place and $300 went to Donnie Mitchell for his No Road Kill recipe; second and $200 was awarded to Patrick Pruitt for Back to Nature; $100 and third place went to Tracy and Linda McLellan for Graveyard Gruel. The pair also received a trophy for Best-Decorated Booth.

The event featured a new award this year, named after Philip Rogers, a longtime supporter of the park and one of the original Fat Boys, Mitchell's group.

Rogers died unexpectedly in November. Park rangers came up with the award to recognize the competition's best trash talkers, which happened to be Fat Boys for 2009. Mitchell gave the award to Rogers' former fiancee, Linda Cole, and following tradition, donated the team's winnings back to the park.

Park manager Paul Caldorni was pleased with the results. He founded the fundraiser and said all proceeds from the chili cook-off and booth rentals would benefit Friends of the Park.

"This is by far the best turnout we've ever had," he said.

Reporter Lois Kindle can be reached at (813) 865-1553.

To see a photo gallery from the cook-off, go to southshore.TBO.com, Keyword: Ruskin Chili Cookoff.

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