This past weekend, Selma and I attended the second annual Great Boston Chili Bowl in support of ALS TDI’s efforts to end ALS. If you recall (I don’t blame you if you don’t), we actually attended this event last year and had a blast so naturally we couldn’t wait to come back again this year. Not only do you get to partake in unlimited chili and beer tastings, you also get to do so knowing that 100% of the proceeds go towards finding a cure for ALS. Pretty awesome triple win if you ask me.
Just like the previous year, a bunch of local restaurants and breweries joined in on the fun to showcase their variations of chili and craft beers. Below are some of the restaurants and breweries that came out to show their support.
Restaurants
- Abigail’s, Cambridge, MA
- Amelia’s Trattoria, Cambridge, MA
- Catalyst Restaurant, Cambridge, MA
- Chica de Gallo, Jamaica Plain, MA
- Commonwealth, Cambridge, MA
- Firebrand Saints, Cambridge, MA
- Flat Top Johnny’s, Cambridge, MA
- The Gallows, Boston, MA
- La Brasa, Somerville, MA
- Nubar, Cambridge, MA
- Puritan & Company, Cambridge, MA
- Shojo, Boston, MA
- Tortilleria La Nina, Everett, MA
- Veggie Galaxy, Cambridge, MA
Breweries
- Aeronaut Brewing Company, Somerville, MA
- Blue Hills Brewery, Canton, MA
- Cisco Brewers, Nantucket, MA
- Downeast Cider House, Boston, MA
- Foolproof Brewing Company, Pawtucket, RI
- John Harvard’s Brewery and Alehouse, Cambridge, MA
- Narragansett Beer, Providence, RI
- Portico Brewing Company, Boston, MA
- Slumbrew Brewing Company, Somerville, MA
Our plan was to try everything at least once so we slowly made our way from booth to booth to sample the wide variety chili and beer offerings. One of the coolest parts about this cook-off is that every restaurant puts their own unique spin on their chili. Chili’s ranged from Asians inspired creations to Fritos pies served in the bag and everything in between.
And of course, to wash down all of that delicious chili, there were endless samples of beers from local breweries.
We spent the most amount of time in front of the Downeast Cider booth. Why? Because we love it. That’s why.
Catalyst also took it one step further this year and fried cornbread on the spot to go with their chili.
And of course the Fritos Pie. Very creative presentation on their part.
There were also a bunch of local breweries that I’ve never tried before like Portico. This was certainly an awesome way to try out new beer and speak to local brewers about their craft.
There was also this amazing trial chip company called Tortilleria La Nina serving chips, guac and salsa all day long. I believe they said they sell them at Whole Foods so we will definitely have to hunt these chips down later on.
At the end, you get to vote for your favorite chili vendor and the winner gets this awesome plaque to show off to all their friends.
Most importantly, we can’t forget that the main purpose of this event is to support a great cause. Obviously beer and chili is important but certainly not as vital as finding a cure for this terrible disease.
If you would like to know more about ALS TDI and how you can make a difference, you can head on over to their website to learn about all of amazing things that they’re doing to find a cure for ALS.
So with that, thanks for reading and happy Monday!
Leave a Comment