I know what it’s like to be serious about your green chili.
I was born and raised in southwest Colorado, where green chili is on almost every restaurant menu for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
We dipped our tortillas in New Mexico-style soupy chili, we smothered Colorado style chili over our breakfast burritos and roasted green chilis are as common as cheese on burgers.
When I moved to D.C. for grad school, I was shocked when I asked where the good green chili was in town and they answered, you mean tomatillo salsa?
No, not the same.
That was when my mom started sending me green chili care packages from home.
So when I heard that Cherry Cricket was holding a green chili competition, I was intrigued.
The popular burger restaurant opened a second location near Coors Field in the building that used to house Breck on Blake
Breck on Blake was famous for it’s green chili — but so was Cherry Cricket. Each style was slightly different, but both were served in bowls with tortillas. When the downtown location opened its door, Crickets chili reigned supreme.
People noticed, and that’s when the commotion started.
Rob Toftness has lived in downtown Denver for five years and ate many a bowl of green chili at Breck on Blake. He missed the old style and wanted it back.
“I complained to anyone who would listen,” he said, adding that the Breck chili felt like more of a meal to him.
He even made t-shirts with his neighbor, Chris Lombardi to champion the cause. Green shirts with steaming bowls of chili and the words, “Bring back the best, #savethechili” printed on them.
He wasn’t the only one. General Manager Samantha Taxin said five to 10 people a day were asking for the old chili back.
That is one missed green chili.
So Cherry Cricket decided to do a taste off: the Breck green chili vs. the Cherry Cricket green chili. The winning chili would be put on the fall menu.
It was decided with two contests: people’s choice and local media judges (Katie Lasalle of Denver7, Mark Antonation of Westword and yours truly).
Two dollars got diners a vote for Chili A or Chili B. We sat at a table covered in a white tablecloth and were given two bowls of green chili.
Chili A had a viscous texture with hearty pieces of pork and visible diced green chiles.
Chili B was more green chile forward with a thinner texture, the fat from the pork sitting on top of broth rather then incorporated into it. It reminded me more of New Mexico-style chili.
Both were delicious with just the right amount of spice. We picked Chili A. For me, it was a more authentic Denver style of green chili.
The people’s choice winner was also A, raising $1,088 dollars for the Denver Rescue Mission.
And A was — drum roll please — Breck on Blake. When Toftness and Lombardi heard the winner, they jumped out of their bar stools and cheered. Their chili had won.
Breck’s green chili will be back on the menu this fall.
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