Chili chefs put their best dish forward at Palatine cook-off

Chefs from seven Palatine restaurants gathered Sunday to determine whose chili is tops, but the real winners may have been the judges.

The Palatine Area Chamber of Commerce hosted its 4th annual Chili Cook-Off, with diners and a panel of local celebrity judges decided whose is best.

Participating restaurants included Chicago Culinary Kitchen, Tievoli Pizza Bar, Annie's Restaurant & Pancake House, Hot Pockets Sports Bar, Tap House Grill Palatine, Photos Hotdogs and Wendy's.

The latter, better known for its fast-food burgers, was a surprising favorite among some of the diners.

“This is my kind of chili. It’s very, very good,” said Steve Schroeder, who attended the cook-off at Tap House Grill with wife Danute and Palatine neighbors Charlie and Nancy Keppel. “I didn’t mean to have two of them.”