Almost 500 Vote for 'Best' at SHEF Chili Cook Off

The 10th year of the Somerset Hills Education Foundation's Chili Cook Off attracted almost 500 people to a new location at Tranquillity Farms in Chester, who tasted recipes for chili and voted for their choice for best from among nearly 20 chefs, said event planner Bridget Kevorkian.

"The Chili Cook Off was a great success," Kevorkian said this week. "Fun was had by all dancing to the music of Catz and Dawgz and enjoying the beautiful new venue."

SHEF is a major source of funding contributions to the Somerset Hills School District. Projects vary, but range from smaller programs or contributions to the installation of wireless access throughout the school district, as mentioned at Wednesday's 2013-14 budget hearing for Somerset Hills.

SHEF reported that this year's winners of the Chili Cook Off were:

People's Choice: 1st place, Redwoods in Chester; 2nd place, Gladstone Tavern, Peapack-Gladstone

Best Restaurant Caterer: 1st place, Gladstone Tavern; 2nd place, The Station Destination, Bernardsville

Celebrity Chef's Choice Award: 1st place, Himalayan Flavor; 2nd place, Chanveen Bindra

Best Display: 1st place, Hibernate Bedding, Bernardsville; 2nd place, Gladstone Tavern, Peapack-Gladstone.

Tranquillity Farm is owned by former Bernards High School graduate Ricci Desiderio and his wife Stephanie.

Alice Rose, executive director of the Somerset Hills Education Foundation, said before the event that SHEF was excited to bring the chili cookoff to the new location, in addition some other extras this year.

The event was held in previous years at Upton Pynes, but the property is now up for sale.

Both the mechanical bull and Vealtown Jess the Quick Draw Cowboy, a robot gun-slinger, returned Rose said. “New this year is the use of Otego Auction Technology, an electronic bidding-by-text silent auction system that will enable guests to bid on the silent auction throughout the venue,” she said beforehand.

The Chili Cook-Off was started 10 years earlier by the foundation’s trustees to help support the organization’s mission of supporting and providing educational opportunities through innovative programs and projects to benefit students in the Somerset Hills School District.