There are several pairings of words that are immediately appealing to me, and one of those pairings is “chili” and “cook-off.”
Empty Bowls is an international yet grassroots effort to combat hunger all over the world. This project is largely led by artists, mainly ceramics artists, hand-making bowls and giving their donating patrons something to eat. The numerous empty bowls at the beginning are meant to signify those that go hungry.
In 2015, Brenda Lichman decided to bring the Empty Bowls project to Wichita by making it a chili cook-off. The event is sponsored by the ceramics guild of Wichita State University, the Ulrich Museum of Art and the School of Art, Design, and Creative Industries as well as surrounding art programs from both universities and public schools in Wichita, along with community volunteers.
The public pays $20, $10 for children and students, to choose their own unique bowl and then sample the chilis that are provided by both restaurants and local competitors. They also get to keep the bowl when they are done eating. The bowls are cleaned by volunteers before they start and after they finish.
This year, the cook-off was held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on October 13. While this was only my first year going to the cook-off in the three years it’s been running in Wichita, I can confidently say I was very pleased with the event.
There was a good variety of chili, but there were also some soups and curries offered if you needed a break from the heartiness. Restaurants were largely local to Wichita, including YaYa’s, Old Mill, Twelve and Eberly Farms, with desserts, mainly cookies and ice cream, provided by Dillons and Baskin-Robbins.
Most of the options were generally good. There weren’t any options I tried that were particularly distasteful, but some were clearly better than others. There were different styles of chili, but for me the standout was Old Mill’s mild chili. It was hearty, pleasantly seasoned and carried a true mild kick to finish it off. The biggest downside to the other selections was that I had Old Mill’s first, so the rest didn’t quite compare.
The biggest drawback to the event comes primarily from the location. Despite being in the Experiential Engineering Building on the Wichita State University campus, seemingly a step up from the previous venue, it still felt cramped once the event started. The emcee was constantly repeating that there were no lines to wait in, but once you went to get some chili, the mess of people surrounding the tables seem to disagree. At its peak, it became slightly difficult to comfortably walk through the masses with your bowl in front of you.
After filling your bowl with your chili of choice, you’d be lucky to find a comfortable place to sit if you didn’t wait in line before the doors opened. There was no consistent seating; some people would get a table, some people would sit on an elevated platform that had no seats or tables, and some would have to carry their fragile bowl full of chili up stairs to find more seating. Considering this was a community event, I’m surprised they didn’t opt for a space that allowed for picnic style tables. In the hour that I stayed there, I sat with four to five different people who needed a place to sit and eat. I feel the event would benefit from some more community bonding through chili and conversations.
Overall, I think this project is on the right track in Wichita. With some more sponsorship and a change of location, this has the opportunity to be a permanent and popular annual event in Wichita. I hope it continues to improve and grow, as projects like this deserve more attention. I believe the community will definitely support it in the years to come, as long as they are willing to accommodate for it. I know I will be back next year, if not for the good chili and the beautiful bowls.
3.5 out of 5
Everyone's Critic 