Chili Throw-Down warms things up

New Berlin - The first Chili Throw-Down, a smorgasbord of warming chili to keep the February cold away, will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Feb. 3 at the New Berlin Community Center at 148th Street and Cleveland Avenue by the New Berlin Chamber of Commerce.

For a $5 admission, people can sample as many as a dozen styles of chili and vote on the ones they like best. A trophy will go to the chili chef with the most votes. Proceeds will go to the New Berlin food pantry and to the chamber.

Chili-makers from the New Berlin police and fire departments will put up their entries against a bunch of chili creations from chamber-member companies, including several restaurants - among them, the Peachtree, Quizno's and New Berlin Quaker Steak 'n Lube.

The event is to be just plain fun, said Michael Skupien, a chamber director and former president.

"Christmas is over, the Packers lost," it's time to liven things up, he said.

The chamber hopes the Chili Throw-Down can become an annual event, he said.

A couple of sub-battles will be going on in the first chili contest. Local police and firefighters will have a showdown while the restaurants will have their own battle.

- Jane Ford-Stewart