Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
The best chili in the state is made in Winona Lake.
It's hearty, filling, not too spicy, thick and rich.
A chili judge would probably have a few more adjectives to describe the final result. The less refined will just have to settle for knowing what they like - and Rob Reed's Hot LZ Chili is absolutely delicious.
In May Reed, a Zimmer employee, won the Indiana State Championship Chili Cook-off in Vincennes, an International Chili Society-sanctioned event.
ICS state chili cookoff winners are eligible to compete in a World Champion Chili Cookoff in Las Vegas. The winner gets $25,000.
And Reed will be among 150 cooks competing Sunday for the grand prize and associated honors.
The ICS has sponsored "world" contests since 1967 and sanctions chili cookoffs with judging and cooking rules and regulations.
ICS events are held in several states and cooks from, say, Ohio can compete in and win contests held in another state. This has happened in Indiana many times the last few years.
Reed is the first Indiana resident to win the state title in a long time.
"It's about time an Indiana resident represents Indiana," said the Chilihead. Chiliheads are ICS members.
Reed is not one to let the pot sit empty. He prepared his Texas-style (no beans in the recipe) chili a couple of times at the Winona Lake Park this summer - inviting friends and associates to have a bowl.
It's so good.
And it ought to be. Reed's chili is a product of more than 13 years of experimentation.
He has competed in chili competitions since July 1986, calling his recipe Hill Billy Chili, then Mountain Willie Chile and, being a Vietnam veteran, he settled on Hot LZ Chili.
Temporarily retiring for a few years, Reed made a successful return to the cookoff circuit last year, placing second at the Three Rivers Festival's cookoff in Fort Wayne and winning the People's Choice Award, too.
This summer he won first place honors in one cookoff and placed second in another.
Although Reed guards his specific ingredient list like any cook in competition, he'll drop a few hints.
He says quality beef is key to a good bowl of chili and it should be cooked for hours.
"Good chili doesn't taste better the next day, it tastes the same," he said. "If it has a different flavor on day two it wasn't cooked long enough - or you're just making beef stew."
