NEW BUFFALO — The 20th Annual Skip’s Chili Cook-Off was a veritable tournament of champions.
Rhonda Sobecki of Skip’s Restaurant & Catering said all of this year’s participants are past winners of Judge’s and/or People’s Choice awards.
She said the perfect fall day of Sunday, October. 11, set a record for attendance as the “lively and engaging crowd sampled chili from 11 former Skip’s Chili Cook-Off champions.”
It also was the final day of the 2026 Skip’s New Buffalo European Farmers Market season.
Claiming the top three spots from a panel of eight judges were: First Place – Chicago-based Chef, Phil Siciliano; Second Place – Ashley Munson and John Conlin, representing the Bridgman Fire Department; Third Place – Barndogg + Lounge + Bar.
Siciliano cooked up a batch of candied pork belly for his chili moments before the first taste testers showed up.
Those attending (and sampling) the 11 varieties of chili also got to vote for their favorites, and the top three People’s Choice awardees were: First Place – Alyssa Brake, Chief Instructor of Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management at Ivy Tech College; Second Place – John Conlin and Ashley Munson, representing the Bridgman Fire Department; Third place – Chicago-based chef, Phil Siciliano.
Brake, the defending People’s Choice Award champion, said her recipes largely stay the same, but for 2026 she included a few different spices from Ethiopia.
Sobecki also gave “the biggest shoutout to all our winners and contenders.”
Among those participating in the 20th anniversary Chili Cook-off where the father and daughter team of Darrel and Eryka Leigh Kettring – veterans of 19 of the 20 events and known for their Chicago Bears-themed space.
“The only year I missed I was out of the country for work in Belgium,” Darrel said, adding that the 2026 Kettering and Company entry was a sausage-based recipe with ground pork, sausage, bacon, and “other stuff.”
“And then from there I just wing it. A little spicy.”
Carrie and Terry Stoklosa of Barndogg served up Pork Chili Verde with included roasted peppers (poblanos and serranos), roasted tomatillos, and Spanish rice and beans.
Dan and Laura Chmelina were back to defend their judges title from last year with team ChiliDog.
Dan said their chili includes “a little bit of beer, a lot of chuck steak, and some really good peppers and spices. And smoke the meat. Yeah, you’ve got to smoke the meat before you put it in.”
Ashley Munson and John Conlin of the Bridgman Fire Department celebrated their 12th year at the Chili Cook-off with a smoked chili including brisket, pork belly “and quite a few other meats – everything smoked and homemade.”
The Cookin’ With Heat husband and wife team of Colby and Linda Ollendorff Lamberson were persuaded to compete this year after a decade hiatus.
Colby said they made Texas Style Chili.
“We haven’t done it for 10 years but Rhonda just said it’s the 20th anniversary so we’ve got to come back and do it. We’ve won it (People’s Choice) four times.”
The Hebron Farms team (including Chris and Michelle Hebron) collaborated with fellow market vendor, J2K CAPRAIO, by using one of their signature cheeses to add another layer of flavor to their pot of goodness.
“We are vendors here at the market, so we use a lot of our products in our chili. Then we supplement the additives on top with other vendors from the market,” Chris said, adding that other market ingredients included Sweet Caroline honey and Lulu’s Cupcakes cornbread.
Skip’s own Chef Sarah Sass, with her 7-year-old sidekick Charlotte, were busy in the S&S Chili booth. Sass said she made the chili spicier this year “because everyone liked spicy last year.”
Patrick Mathewson rolled in with his signature Chili Chuckwagon and served up cowboy chili.
“I’m living up to the name here,” he said.
Also serving up chili was Skip’s Restaurant and Catering Chef and Owner Matthew Sobecki (who shared the experience with his wife Hannah and their 4-month-old son, Bruce.
Chili Cook-off Judges were: Cheri Middleton, Chef and Secretary of the South Bend Chapter of the ACF; Retired Food Scientist Harry Hausoul; Foodie Tyler Mantei; American Dream TV Host Charlie Roberts; Lawson Dental Laboratory proprietor Paul Lawson; St. Joseph County Superior Court 3 Judge Jeff Sanford; LaPorte County Prosecutor Atley Price; and Chef Matt Lindsay.
The Generation Gap Band and The Urge provided live music.
Sobecki said the Chili Cook-off began as part of Harbor Country Chamber Harvest Days.
“We had the chili cook-off two years in a row here, and it became a segue to open up a farmer’s market,” she added.
