Chicago’s undisputed chili champion – ready for world championships

Little did longtime Chicago resident Mike Usiak realize at the time, but during his summer taking a couple of classes at Northern Michigan University, his trips to a local tavern for “50 cent chili nights" would turn into a lifetime passion.

Fast forward five decades later, and Usiak is now Chicago’s undisputed top chili maker, and has won a myriad of awards for his special recipe, including competing in 22 different states and coming away with multiple state championship wins.

But it all began as a cash-strapped college kid filling up on 50-cent chili.

“We went there early and often that summer,” remembers Usiak, “and it was not only really cheap chili, but it was really good!”

Usiak found out that the tavern used prime rib meat—not the usual ground beef—in its recipe, so when he later hosted a Super Bowl party for friends, he decided to use that recipe, and found that everyone loved it.

The chili love affair was just in its infant stage at that point, but the attraction was clearly there, and "the romance" was in the making.

The next step on his road to chili greatness was at Marge’s Bar in Chicago’s Old Town.

“I found out just by chance that they were looking for a chili maker, so I applied,  and they hired me, and I made some good money making chili for the bar. I really enjoyed it, and again, everyone seemed to love the special recipe that I was using.”

Next, he heard by chance about a chili cook-off that was being held at Goose Island Brewery in Chicago and decided on a whim to enter.

“It really connected,” said master chef Mike of his first foray into chili competition. “I had a wonderful time, really enjoyed it, and kind of got hooked.”

“Kind of” would be an understatement.

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Usiak was now off and running into the beautiful world of chili competing and got further hooked when, in just his third competition, at the still-tender young chili-making age of 35, he won his first championship. 

At that point? Hooked for good.

From there, the chili-flavored snowball started rolling downhill, gaining momentum, and as the years went on—30 years now and still counting—he has competed in 22 different state competitions.

Not only competing, but his special recipe wins! He has won state championships in Nebraska, Ohio, Illinois, Texas, and in Canada as well. In North Carolina, he took second place twice, and just a couple of months ago, brought home the championship belt (think like boxing, where the champion gets to wear a big, shiny belt declaring them best of the best) in the great state of Indiana.

Maybe the highlight of his chili-laden career was competing for the World Championships in Myrtle Beach, S.C., back in 2023 and taking fifth place.

But hang on, chili fans, the story may not be done just yet.

Master Chef Mike, on the heels of his recent Indiana championship, qualified and will be competing again in the World Championship competition next month.

Could he reach the top of the top? Could Chicago’s undisputed chili champion make it all the way to become a world champion? 

“The competition is pretty tough,” says Mike, “but I am pretty confident, so we will see what happens.”

I asked Mike if anyone knows his secret recipe—a recipe, it should be said, that has been tweaked and tinkered with to near-perfection over his many years, and his response was definitive.

“Nope, no one knows it.”  

Not even his longtime wife, Nancy, whom he has been married to for over 36 years?

“She could care less,” laughs Mike, “but I do have to give her credit for putting up with all the chili smells in our house over all these years.”

Finally, I asked the master chili chef—who in his real job is in charge of the Meals Ministry for Fourth Presbyterian Church of Chicago—if any restaurants have tried to recruit him to cook for them.

“Not really,” he said, “but I do have many friends who have told me I should open my own restaurant.”

So?  Thinking of that?

“No, I am too old for that,” the 65-year-old Usiak says.

Hmm...maybe too old to start a new restaurant. But definitely not too old to go for the Chili World Championship next month in Indianapolis.

Good luck, Mike…rep Chicago proudly, and we will all be rooting for you!