Cassie Steuer of Easton each year has a plan.
She grabs a handful of friends and the group of early birds begins waiting outside Pearly Baker’s Alehouse in Centre Square by 8:30 a.m. Doors open by 10 a.m. for the cook-off, held annually on Super Bowl Sunday.
“It’s a tradition,” Steuer said, noting she has attended for nearly the past decade. “We kind of watched it evolve over the years.”
Jessica Currant, of Bethlehem, came with Steuer, along with Mary Kaye Bartek, of Easton; Tricia Strugala, of Scranton, Pa.; Bob Thomas, of Easton; and Joseph Currant, of Bethlehem.
All were searching for anything with pork belly in it.
“It just has the best flavors,” Jessica Currant said.
The 22nd annual contest featured 20 Lehigh Valley restaurants competing with their chili batches. Pearly Baker’s again offered two of their own for their usual “friendly competition inside the competition.”
A massive line formed by 9 a.m., organizers said, extending down to South Third Street and rounding the block. By noon, an estimated 450 packed inside for the smell of piping chafing dishes, and another 75 lined up outside.
Carolynn Velas, of Hellertown, brought a group of gym buddies to explore the different tastes inside. Her friend, Casey Mente, of Columbus, Ohio, traveled to see what all the fuss was about.
“It’s eating chili for a good cause,” Velas said.
Lehigh Valley hotspots to watch the Super Bowl
Pearly Baker’s Manager Kimberly Sarkady said patrons came mostly from New Jersey and Pennsylvania. In the past, guests had been known to fly in and make a weekend out of it.
“It’s become a tradition at this point,” Sarkady said of the crowds. “It’s something to do before the game.”
The competition was started in 1995 by owners Greg Schuyler and Jonathan Davis. This year’s contest featured a few new competitors in the mix: Tierra de Fuego of Easton; Queen City BBQ in Allentown; and House & Barn of Emmaus.
Inside the crowded dining room, hungry tasters moved from station to station. In-between samplings, patrons cooled off their palates with tiny plastic cups of cold water. Others chose beer from about 26 different taps to wash down the chili buffet.
Pearly Baker’s featured their two different Super Bowl-inspired styles: NFC Peach Habanero and an AFC Classic Chili. The habanero had whole peaches simmered into the concoction and the classic chili had hot sauce from Easton Salsa and topped with scallions, sour cream and cheddar jack cheese.
The Super Bowl will feature the AFC’s New England Patriots against the NFC’s Atlanta Falcons.
“In Atlanta, Georgia, the first thing you think of is peaches and we made it a little spicier than last year by adding the habanero,” said John Schaeffer, sous chef at Pearly Baker’s.
Other favorites included The Copperhead Grill in Upper Saucon Township, which featured five different peppers in its batch of “Ragin Cajun”; and Two Rivers Brewing Co., featuring venison with dried currants, blueberries, white beans, coffee, a mix of secret spices and peppers, onions and dried chilis.
Newcomer House & Barn had a smoked pig chili with black garlic, sour cream, cucumbers and jalapeno relish.
Two Rivers took home first place in 2013 and 2015, but lost last year to Copperhead Grill. Kathy Reynard, Two Rivers’ co-owner, said they were back this year for the title.
“It was the chefs’ inspiration to try something new,” she said. (Check back with this post a little later to see who won).
Pearly Baker’s was asking for $5 donations from patrons to benefit the Easton Ambassadors program.
The restaurant also was raffling off tickets for a Cannondale bicycle; a Philadelphia Flyers game; Lehigh Valley Phantoms tickets; 20 restaurant gift cards; and various gift baskets.
Pamela Sroka-Holzmann may be reached at pholzmann@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @pamholzmann. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
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