Pitmaster John Lewis this week announced the return of his annual Lewis Hatch Chile Roast, taking place on Sunday, October 6, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Rancho Lewis (1503 King St.) and the nearby Pacific Box & Crate courtyard.
Returning for its seventh year, the Lewis Chile Roast celebrates acclaimed pitmaster John Lewis's favorite ingredient, the Hatch green chile, while honoring the annual chile harvest in New Mexico's Hatch Valley. Hosted at Rancho Lewis and the adjacent Pacific Box + Crate courtyard, the festival features a wide range of activities, including tasting tents with the area’s top chefs, live music from honky-tonk band Solid Country Gold, a chile-eating contest, a kiddie corral with children’s activities, and multiple bars offering plenty of cold beverages.
In keeping with tradition, the Lewis team will truck in more than 3,000 pounds of fresh Hatch chiles for the event, roasting them on-site and selling them in 1- and 5-pound bags. Chile lovers can pre-order roasted chiles and other spicy products through Lewis Barbecue’s online store for pickup at the event, or purchase roasted chiles and other products on-site. Back by popular demand, the Lewis team will also offer a fresh collection of exclusive Hatch chile merchandise and products available for purchase at the festival.
This year's event features an all-star roster of local restaurants, including: 167 Raw, Basic Kitchen, Berkeley’s, Bessinger's BBQ, Bintü Atelier, BlackOut Burger, Bodega, Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit, Costa, Daps Breakfast & Imbibe/Cleats, Delaney Oyster House, Husk Charleston, Jack of Cups Saloon, Kwei Fei/ Beautiful South, Le Farfalle/Porchetta Shop, Lola Rose/The Grocery, Ma'am Saab/Malika Canteen, Maya, Merci/The Drifter, Miller's All Day, Minero, Palmira BBQ, Pink Bellies, Renzo, Sorelle, Sullivan's Fish Camp, The James, Vern’s and XO Brasserie. In addition to the tasting tents, partnering neighbor, Edmunds Oast Brewing Co. will be bringing back their collaborative chile-infused beer for the roast. Other beverage partners include Cathead Vodka, Lunazul, and Poggio Costa, and Spiritless.
The event benefits Friends of Joseph Floyd Manor, a non-profit providing advocacy, resources and support to the residents of Joseph Floyd Manor (JFM) through community outreach and awareness, donations, and fundraising. Neighbors to Rancho Lewis, JFM is a public housing facility designated for elderly and disabled citizens on the upper peninsula. General admission to the event is free and open to the public with a suggested $10 donation to Friends of Joseph Floyd Manor. Chiles can be preordered at https://www.lewisbarbecue.com/chile-roast/. Follow @lewisbarbecue & @rancholewis on Instagram for festival updates and sneak peeks.
