SoNo Fest heats up North Park, drawing more than 20,000 people to taste, judge unique chilis at 13th annual event
The chili cook-off raises money to support art, math and garden programs at McKinley Elementary School in North Park What do cardamom, Parmigiana reggiano, pumpkin, crispy polenta, ginger, 18-year aged balsamic vinaigrette, kidney beans, Wagyu beef, Fritos, duck and pepperoni all have in common? This collection of ingredients spans a wide array of cultures and culinary styles, yet this weekend they were featured in some of the chili recipes created by local chefs competing during the 13th annual SoNo Fest Chili Cook-off Sunday. The fundraiser for McKinley Elementary School drew more than 20,000 people to the North Park festival, raising thousands of dollars to benefit the school. This year’s winners were Bivouac Ciderworks for Best Overall Chili, Kindred for Best Vegetarian Chili and Shank & Bone owners Han Tran and Jay Choy winning both the Most Unique recipe and the People’s Choice Award for their Vietnamese Pho-inspired chili. Lara Worm, Bivouac owner and CEO, is no newbie when