Spicy Contest

Certain foods lend themselves especially well to expressing a cook’s individuality, and chili sits atop that list. There’s little consensus about which ingredients and spices define chili. The only requirement: It should taste good. That’s why chili cook-offs are so thrilling, especially one with a group of participants as diverse as those competing in Songbird Café’s first Chili Bowl. Among the 10 hopefuls: a cop from Kansas City, Kansas; a TV host; and the coffee company Broadway Roasting. Each has been left to his or her own devices to come up with a winner. The cost for judging is $10 and includes soda, cornbread, samples of every chili, and a cup of a favorite. The judging starts at 11 a.m. Songbird Café is located at 1315 Fairfax Trafficway in Kansas City, Kansas.

Sat., Nov. 8, 11 a.m., 2008