Mosaic Restaurant and Garnish Catering Take Home Top Prizes at VisArts’ Chili Throwdown

Mosaic Restaurant and Garnish Catering took home the top prizes at the Visual Arts Center of Richmond’s fourth annual Chili Throwdown on Friday, Oct. 6. More than 500 people attended the event and the proceeds benefit VisArts.

Over 20 restaurants contributed their best chili, which was taste-tested by a jury and the event’s attendees. At the end of the evening, VisArts presented an overall award, selected by the judges, and a people’s choice award.

Richmond-based catering company Garnish made the people’s favorite. Caleb Hogg, Garnish’s catering director, said the white chili was made with turkey, pancetta, corn, black-eyed peas, garbanzo beans, chicken stock, seasonings and heavy cream. The dish was a spin on Hogg’s chicken tortilla soup, a dish he learned to make during his time as a sous chef. Hogg said Garnish decided to make a non-traditional chili this year to give their entry a unique edge. “We went out on a limb and it worked.”

Curbside Cafe and The Graduate tied for second place in the people’s choice category. Curbside’s chili was made with pork shoulder, poblano peppers, tomatillos, jalapeno peppers, cilantro, onion, cumin and more. The Graduate’s chili featured smoked venison, smoked elk, smoked brisket, local organic peppers, Hanover tomatoes and Devil’s Backbone Vienna Lager.

Judges Analise Adams and Summer Orcutt liked Mosaic’s chili the most. Analise is the program director at Shalom Farms, a regional food access and community development project. Summer is a rider for Quickness RVA, a bicycle-based courier service in Richmond. Quickness caters to locally owned businesses and delivers food for several restaurants that contributed chili at this year’s event.

Special thanks our sponsors, who helped make this event possible: Ardent Craft Ales, Belle Isle Craft Spirits, Susan Sadid of Joyner Fine Properties, James River Air Conditioning Co., Kroger Co., and Montana Gold Bread Co.