The cafeteria at Crookston High School looked as busy Monday night as it normally does during lunch hour during the school day as hundreds of attendees tried a large variety of soup, chili, and chocolate in support of the United Way of Crookston. Lori Wagner, the executive director for the United Way of Crookston, said it was perhaps the biggest turnout she’d ever seen for the event. “It was a really fun evening, the line was out the door a few times and the tables full all night long,” said Wagner. “I’d like to thank the community really coming for the United Way tonight and would say it was one of the best soup, chili and chocolate extravaganza’s ever.”
Each of the entries into five categories (professional soup, amateur soup, professional chili, amateur chili, and chocolate) were judged by a small panel. Each category was also voted on by all the attendees. The winners and entrants into the categories were:
Judge’s Choice Professional Soup: Creamy Chicken Florentine Soup (Crookston Inn)
People’s Choice Professional Soup: Creamy Chicken Florentine Soup (Crookston Inn)
Other Professional Soup Entrants: Creamy Chicken Wild Rice Soup (Irishman’s Shanty), Frat Chicken Noodle Soup (Kappa Sigma/Caputo’s Catering), Dill Pickle Soup (Drafts Sports Bar & Grill), Wonderful Wild Rice Soup (Wonderful Life Foods)
Judge’s Choice Amateur Soup: Uncle Otto’s Gump Gumbo Soup (Bremer Bank
People’s Choice Amateur Soup: Sporty Soup Sauce (Altru Clinic)
Other Amateur Soup: Transit’s Traveling Soup (Tri-Valley Transportation), Chicken Knoephia Soup (Polk County D.A.C.), ABC Vegetable Beef Soup (Washington Elementary School)
Judge’s Choice Professional Chili: Texas Red Chili (Drafts Sports Bar & Grill)
People’s Choice Professional Chili: Texas Red Chili (Drafts Sports Bar & Grill)
Professional Chili: Caputo’s Chili (Kappa Sigma/Caputo’s Catering), Sue’s Chili (Crookston Inn), “Where’s the Bean?” Chicken Chili (RBJ’s Restaurant)
Judge’s Choice Amateur Chili: Chicken Queso Chili (Crookston Noon Day Lions)
People’s Choice Amateur Chili: AFB Carnita Chili (American Federal Bank)
Other Amateur Chili entries: Darco’s Beeracha Chili (Northern Lumber), Crazy Pineapple Chili (Crookston Home Delivered Meals)
Judge’s Choice Chocolate: Fudge Maple Bacon Nuggets (RiverView Adult Day Services)
Other Chocolate entries: Chocolate Covered Caramels (Tri-Valley Foster Grandparent Program), Chocolate Cheesecake Bites (Polk County Salvation Army), Chocolate Raspberry Cream Puffs (Crookston Inn), Bat Bites (RBJ’s Restaurant)
