Houston’s Hottest Young Professionals Brave a Cold Day for Ultimate Chili Cookoff

The Pirates of the Chilibean Take Over Kirby Ice House

BY Shelby Hodge // 03.04.19

photography Meredith Flaherty Photography

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Chili fans Alexis Kramer, Emma McCarthy, Lizzie Prochazka, Matt Prochazka, Ethan Miller, Brandon Kattner at the Casa de Esperanza Young Professional's chili cookoff at Kirby Ice House (Photo by Meredith Flaherty Photography)

Alex Creede, Meredith Hatz, Ally Hatz and Travis Bashaw at the Casa de Esperanza Young Professional's chili cookoff at Kirby Ice House (Photo by Meredith Flaherty Photography)

Winning chili cooks John Serice, Robert Gardner, Jeff Mraz, Nealy Stuckey at the Casa de Esperanza Young Professional's chili cookoff at Kirby Ice House. (Photo by Meredith Flaherty Photography)

Tasting chili part of the keeping warm strategy at the Casa de Esperanza Young Professional's chili cookoff at Kirby Ice House. (Photo by Meredith Flaherty Photography)

Judges Kevin Strickland, Donkeeboy, Cathy Hernandez, Craig Lindstrom, Danielle Dubois, Grant Pinkerton at the Casa de Esperanza Young Professional's chili cookoff at Kirby Ice House. (Photo by Meredith Flaherty Photography)

Melanie Lilienstern, Elizabeth Blount, Josephine Hill at the Casa de Esperanza Young Professional's chili cookoff at Kirby Ice House. (Photo by Meredith Flaherty Photography)

Paul Domingue, Bradon Eddy, Emily Barnes at the Casa de Esperanza Young Professional's chili cookoff at Kirby Ice House. (Photo by Meredith Flaherty Photography)

Young Professionals group president Brian Gendron at the Casa de Esperanza Young Professional's chili cookoff at Kirby Ice House. (Photo by Meredith Flaherty Photography)

Trevor Walter, Emily Robinson at the Casa de Esperanza Young Professional's chili cookoff at Kirby Ice House. (Photo by Meredith Flaherty Photography)

Tin Roof Brewery cooks at the Casa de Esperanza Young Professional's chili cookoff at Kirby Ice House. (Photo by Meredith Flaherty Photography)

Will Duhe, Laura D'Aquin at the Casa de Esperanza Young Professional's chili cookoff at Kirby Ice House. (Photo by Meredith Flaherty Photography)

Tin Roof Brewery team members at the Casa de Esperanza Young Professional's chili cookoff at Kirby Ice House. (Photo by Meredith Flaherty Photography)

A tasting table at the Casa de Esperanza Young Professional's chili cookoff at Kirby Ice House. (Photo by Meredith Flaherty Photography)

Chili fans Alexis Kramer, Emma McCarthy, Lizzie Prochazka, Matt Prochazka, Ethan Miller, Brandon Kattner at the Casa de Esperanza Young Professional's chili cookoff at Kirby Ice House (Photo by Meredith Flaherty Photography)

Judges Kevin Strickland, Donkeeboy, Cathy Hernandez, Craig Lindstrom, Danielle Dubois, Grant Pinkerton at the Casa de Esperanza Young Professional's chili cookoff at Kirby Ice House. (Photo by Meredith Flaherty Photography)

What: Casa de Esperanza Young Professionals’ ninth annual chili cook-off.

Where: Kirby Ice House

PC Moment: The parking arena surrounding the popular ice house was packed with 28 cooking teams and more than 300 guests who fought off the chill in the air by warming up with steaming bowls of red and chugs of Tin Roof Brewery suds. Five young professionals — Travis Bashaw, Jack Crawford, Alex Creede, Ally Hatz and Meredith Hatz — chaired the afternoon of spicy fun that raised $30,000 for Casa.

“Pirates of the Chilibean” Neal Stuckey, Jeff Mraz, Kelsie and John Serice, Robert Gardner and Christian Tekell cooked up the winner with second place honors going to Tin Roof Brewery’s “Throw Me Something, Mister” team. Taking honors were “we WILLIE love chili” for best name, “Thank u, Tex(Mex) for best table decor and “Cajun Swamp Stew,” which won the people’s choice award.

PC Seen: Xan and Jerry Difede, Lynne and Mike Morris, Beth and Richard Morris, Julia and Mark DeWalch, Alayna and Brian Gendron, Nealy Stuckey, Elizabeth and Josh Blount, Katherine and Harrison Breaud, Carly Gray, and Antony Lukefahr.