The results of the big chili throwdown mentioned in New York last week are in, and the townsfolk of Austin, Texas, it’s safe to say, must be dancing in the streets. Last night, Char No. 4 chef and Austin native Matt Greco defeated the General Greene’s Julie E. Farias (who hails from San Antonio) by just four votes. The final tally came in at 88 to 84.
“People clearly agonized over which chili to choose,” says Char No. 4 partner Sean Josephs. “We even had two people who voted for a tie.” Home-field advantage was a key factor: The GG was up a whopping 44 to 18 at the end of the first round which took place at that restaurant. But when the venue shifted to CN4 the next night, so did the score, a title-clinching 70 to 40. Happily, there were no Plushenko-like hard feelings; Farias did not fashion a chili bowl out of platinum for herself, and the two talented chefs remain best of friends.