Matty's Bar & Grill wins New Berlin Chili Throw Down

New Berlin - Matty's Bar & Grill and Catering walked off with the first place trophy in the second Chili Throw Down sponsored by the New Berlin Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Bureau.

Matty's was one of nine contestants vying for the title at the New Berlin Community Center on Friday. Matty's took the competition with its "south of the border white chicken" chili.

The other chili competitors this year were Rosati's Pizza, Fed Ex Smart Post, Quaker Steak and Lube, Prudential Financial, Layton State Bank, Donovan and Jorgensen Heating and Cooling and Buckley Tree Service.

Everyone in the community was welcome to pay $5 to be a taster in the event, which was expected to raise up to $200 for the New Berlin food pantry, according to preliminary estimates early this week.

Although the deep cold kept many people away, tasters who came gave Matty's 13 votes compared with the nine to second-place finisher Anchor Bank.

"It was well deserved by our chef, who does fantastic things with our chilis, our menu and our catering," said Matty's owner Matt Anderson.

Executive chef Bob Nicholson, who has been with Matty's for seven years, creates three new chili dishes for chili Tuesdays at the restaurant, including recipes that include bratwurst, seafood or pork, Anderson said.

Although chef Bob doesn't reveal his culinary secrets, the winning chili has big chunks of chicken and just enough heat to give that good chili bite, Anderson said.

The Chili Throw Down trophy arrived at the restaurant, 14460 W. College Ave., on Monday and Anderson said it will be proudly displayed.