Silver Leaf Diner won the People’s Choice Award at the 25th annual North Country Chili Cook-Off last weekend.

The Volunteer Transportation Center hosted its in-person portion of the Annual North Country Chili Cook-Off Saturday, Feb. 24, drawing hundreds to the Dulles State Office Building in Watertown.

 The event, which raises money for the Volunteer Transportation Center to fund crucial transportation to medical appointments and grocery shopping trips for local veterans and their families, is estimated to have raised more than $40,000.

This year’s in-person event saw 19 teams participate, with a mix of professional and amateur entries. Attendees were able to taste chili from each team, sampling traditional styles and ones with different takes like white chicken chili, vegetarian chili and others. Entries were evaluated by a panel of judges and the special category awards were given by another panel of judges.

During the event, winners were announced for the restaurant-to-restaurant format of this year’s North Country Chili Cook-Off, which saw competition among participating restaurants and businesses in Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence counties.

This year, the People’s Choice Award for that format went to Silver Leaf Diner in DeKalb Junction, which received the most votes from people in the community and was last year’s winner.

Those from St. Lawrence County that participated in the restaurant-to-restaurant format included: Silver Leaf Diner, 3231 U.S. Route 11, DeKalb Junction; L.E.A’S Diner, 90 State Street, Heuvelton; Ella’s On The Bay, 209 Main Street, Morristown; Smuggler’s Café, 54 East River Street, Ogdensburg; Hoof & Horn Butcher and Eatery, 32 Market Street, Potsdam; and Saint Larry’s Bar and Grill, 6 Elm Street, Potsdam.

Proceeds of the North Country Chili Cook-Off will benefit the Volunteer Transportation Center, which provides essential rides to health care appointments, grocery shopping, and other destinations for residents with no transportation alternatives. Funds raised through the cook-off are earmarked to provide transportation to Veterans and their family members, which make up roughly one-third of those transported by volunteer drivers through the VTC.  

For more information about the 25th Annual North Country Chili Cook-Off, contact jeremiah@volunteertransportation.org or visit www.volunteertransportationcenter.org/chili-cook-off.