When Tony and Jenna Dellamano took over their favorite brewery in 2024, they did so intending to bolster already strong ties in the communities in which their business, Culture Brewing, was embedded. They’ve come through on those efforts, building new fans and regulars in Solana Beach, Encinitas and Manhattan Beach (in Los Angeles) as a result. So it was no surprise that, upon learning of their General Manager Larry Solimon’s longtime desire to hold a chili cook-off featuring local chefs, they enthusiastically greenlighted the idea.
“We’re so grateful for the relationships we’ve built with local restaurants and pop-up vendors who give our guests the chance to enjoy amazing food alongside great beer,” says Tony. “We wanted to take a moment to spotlight their talent and culinary creativity in a way that was fun and would help raise money for a deserving organization.”
The beneficiary of the first-annual Culture Chili Cook-off, which took place on Sunday, February 1 at the company’s homebase in Solana Beach, was La Costa Canyon High School’s Culinary Arts Program. The $3,000 raised through the event will be used to help expand the program’s farm-to-table initiative, which teaches students where ingredients come from as well as how to prepare them. Helping inspire and educate young people about the culinary arts was the motivation for most of the competing chefs, which hailed from Corner Pizza, Leu Leu, Live Wire, Sandbagger Barbecue and the beneficiary program itself.
The entries, which were judged by the event’s 200 attendees, ranged from traditional takes on the all-American classic to creative twists, including an Asian-inspired version with Szechuan peppercorns from Rosemarie’s Buns & Brews and a plant-based chili from Modern Times’ Encinitas pub. When the votes were tallied, Executive Chef Sven Rusch from Union Kitchen & Tap arose victorious with a six-protein chili infused with Culture’s Mexican-style lager, La Cerveza. As it turns out, this wasn’t the first time that recipe has come in first place in a cooking comp. It was the twelfth.
“Chili is simple food on the surface, but it rewards patience and respect for technique,” says Rusch, who says it took him years of refining his recipe before it started winning competitions. “Great chili isn’t about throwing heat at people – it’s about layering flavor. We focus on proper browning, slow development, balance and restraint. It’s bold but it’s clean, rich but not muddy, and every component has purpose.”
Rusch received more than just bragging rights for his win. Dellamano presented him with a six-pound bright red, brass-buckle belt that had him looking more like the winner of a UFC bout than a culinary melee. Dellamano says they knew they wanted something “legendary” that could be passed down for years and hopefully motivate event participants to bring their best.
“The belt is more symbolic than decorative. It may not hang in the dining room, but it definitely holds a place of honor,” says Rusch, who says the event and the program that benefited from it are both exceptional. “Supporting culinary students matters. Giving back to the next generation of chefs is something I strongly believe in.”
Dellamano says his team plans to go even bigger – and hotter – with their next chili cook-off, making space for more attendees so they can have an even greater impact on the event beneficiaries. On the nearer horizon is Culture’s three-day 13-year anniversary celebration taking place March 6-8, and a “Bier to Bier Run” in August, where participants will run from Culture’s Encinitas taproom to its Solana Beach HQ. The former, the business’ largest event of the year, will also raise money for a local community organization.
Culture Brewing’s local taprooms are located at 111 South Cedros Avenue in Solana Beach and 629 South Coast Highway 101 in Encinitas