Fred's, Alvina's Win Fiesta Salsa Contest

More than 20 individuals and restaurants entered the San Clemente Street Fiesta's Salsa Contest Sunday.

The San Clemente Chamber of Commerce, which hosts the bash every year, asked me to serve as one of the judges in the contest. Luckily, the Chamber picked the right güero; I may be of Welsh descent and grew up in the Midwest, but my good friend and neighbor here in San Clemente is married to an excellent cook and native Mexican. She's conditioned me over the years with her painfully delicious salsas and ceviches to the point where I can consume chilies toe-to-toe with any Latino (almost).

I geared up for the salsa contest Saturday night by watching recorded episodes of "Iron Chef" to polish up my food judging etiquette. My fellow judges were Chief of San Clemente Police Services Lt. John Coppock; fellow San Clemente press corps member Stacie Galang, editor of the San Clemente Times; and Christian Bunte, co-founder and vice president of Cabo Foods. It was OC-based Cabo Foods that manufactured the tasty corn chips served with the 21 salsas.

First- through third-place winners in the restauraunt salsa category are Fred's Mexican Cafe, Los Patio's Cafe and Sunsets at the Pier. The best individual winners, first- through third-place were Alvina's Salsa Verde Especial (which received four perfect "10s" from the judges), Tres Generaciones Salsa and Diablo Caliente.

The following are the order of prizes for the best-decorated booth and for the people's choice of best restaurant and individual's salsa:

Judges Decorating Choice:

• Restaurant - Los Patios
• Individual - Josefina's Salsa

People's Choice:

• 1st place Restaurant - Sunset's at the Pier
• 2nd place Restaurant - Los Patios
• 3rd place Restaurant - Fred's Mexican Cafe

People's Choice:

• 1st place Individual - Salsa Momma
• 2nd place Individual - Alvina's Salsa Verde Especial
• 3rd place Individual - Spicy Dogs Hot

See more photos and video from the Fiesta at-large Monday morning from .