Hot chili, cool blues heat up park
SUN PHOTO BY GREG MARTIN, gmartin@sun-herald.com
Betsy Puglise of Punta Gorda Isles nibbles on a choclate-covered frozen banana as Luke Quave of Gorilla Chili looks on. Quave and his teammates wore the ape suits they wear to sports events to the Charlotte Harbor Chili Challenge in Laishley Park in Punta Gorda Saturday, in hopes of winning an award for the best booth.
SUN PHOTO BY GREG MARTIN
Carter Archambeault, a special events chef for Peace River Seafood, stirs some fresh cilantro into his two-shrimp chili during the Charlotte Harbor Chili Challenge in Punta Gorda Saturday.
SUN PHOTO BY GREG MARTIN
Lou Tutino of North Port explains to a customer that his homemade hot sauce "kicks in with a bite," as team member Tristen Paradis, wearing his tropical islander garb, looks on at the chili cook-off Saturday in Punta Gorda.
SUN PHOTO BY GREG MARTIN
Jack Michael, 16, plays some classic rock during the Charlotte Harbor Chili Challenge Blues & Beer Festival Saturday. Formerly with the band Tazer, Michael plans to cut a CD this summer, according to his father/manager Mike Russell.
SUN PHOTO BY GREG MARTIN
Evi Lucas, from left, Geri Waksler and Barbara Kuhns work together on a dish of chili at the McCrory Law Firm booth during Saturday's cook-off in Laishley Park.
PUNTA GORDA — Some two dozen teams dished out hundreds of gallons of their best piping-hot chili Saturday in hopes of winning the right to say, “My chili’s better than your chili.”
And that gave a couple thousand aficionados a reason to soak up some sunshine, take in some rock ’n’ roll and sample the goods, at the second annual Charlotte Harbor Chili Challenge Blues & Beer Festival, held in Laishley Park.
