Coming from his sold-out meet and greet, dressed in snakeskin boots and smoking a cigar, Guy Fieri took the stage to announce the winners of Humboldt County Fair’s Chili Cook-off, calling it “some of the best chili” he has ever seen. The grandstands were the epicenter of a flavor explosion on Aug. 21, as 12 […]
chili cook-off
Posted inEat + Drink
CCC’s Chili Champs
A drizzly day isn’t great for fair attendance but it does lend itself to sampling steaming cups of chili. Five competing teams that had been cooking under tents by the grandstands ladled out their wares to hardy chili fans who, like the judges gathered behind the Humboldt County Fair offices (myself among them), tasted, compared […]
Posted inNews
Quake Recovery, Chili Mess, Fermentation and Greek Sass
This week we’re checking in on post-quake recovery in Rio Dell, where FEMA funds have not come through and residents are struggling. We’ve also got a look at the fallout from a business owner’s homophobic comments at the Humboldt County Fair’s annual chili cook-off. In happier news, we’re talking fermented koji and miso, as well […]
Posted inNews
Homophobic Slurs Mar Fair’s Chili Cook-off
The friendly competition of the Chili Cook-off hosted by Guy Fieri at the Humboldt County fair took an unfriendly turn Aug. 24, with anti-gay slurs, property damage and the arrest of one contestant on suspicion of DUI. After an afternoon of cooking chili and making homophobic comments peppered with slurs, Loco Fish Co. owner Jayme […]
Posted inArts + Scene
Fair Time!
It’s the time of year just about everyone looks forward to: county fair time! From thrilling rides to live performances, food, contests, showcases and horse racing, there’s something to satisfy everyone’s nostalgic jones at the 127th annual Humboldt County Fair. The fair opens its gates for 10 days and nights of fun, running Aug. 17-27 […]
Posted inNews
NCJ Preview: Fire and Real Estate, and a Chili Contender
How will the already stretched Arcata Fire District manage with proposed expansion of Arcata’s population and housing in light of the university’s shift to a Cal Poly? We’ll talk about what the costs and obstacles for keeping people safe. Speaking of Cal Poly Humboldt, we’ve got a story on the university’s high-priced land purchase. We’ve […]
Posted inEat + Drink
Batch No. 5
Under the Humboldt County Fair horseracing grandstands, behind an unmarked door flanked by uniformed police, is an ersatz bar with plywood walls. There, under bare fluorescent lights, Guy Fieri puts aside an unlit cigar he’s been nursing and briefs a “Last Supper” arrangement of 12 judges on scoring entries for the fair’s Homestyle Chili Cook-off […]