COEUR d'ALENE - Chili, personified, would probably be a bully.

Spicy, beefy with an anything-goes recipe, if the meaty meal had a personality, that personality would be aggressive.

What other food, if foods could, would rear back and punch you in the face?

Noodles?

No way.

Try again.

Chili?

Chew-betcha.

"Isn't that what it's supposed to do?" asked Michael Montoya, sampling samples Thursday at the inaugural Chili Cook Off at the Best Western Plus Coeur d'Alene Inn. "If you're going to do the chili you've got to have spice and flavor."

So much heat, in fact, Montoya thinks crackers are something you eat between bites just to give the roof of your mouth time to recover. Quite a few of the homemade dishes provided plenty of that punch, as two dozen businesses tried for best in show during the lunchtime fundraiser. Secret recipes, peppers with hard to pronounce names, wild game ... bring your best bowl or go home.

"How about three meats? said Jerry Lyon, of Community 1st Bank, on why his dish deserved top honors. "Moose, elk and beef."

Top honors, as voted by five celebrity judges, went to Tim Patrick of Blue Mountain Cider.

His creation had 12 peppers, hard cider, plenty of kick, and listed "secret stuff" as an ingredient.

So what's the secret?

"We probably use some stuff other people don't use," Tim said.

He's so secretive about his recipe, his wife, Elsie, claimed Tim peels the labels off the cans and packages after he buys them but before he brings the groceries in the house.

"He's been doing that to me for 25 years," she said.

The event itself, sponsored by Frontier Communications, was concocted by Mike O'Brien, Best Western Plus manager, proceeds of which will go toward the Coeur d'Alene and Post Falls food banks. Plans are to get the event to grow each year. Besides the five judges, guests were allowed to vote for their favorites, and the Post Falls Police Department took the People's Choice Honor.

"I like something different because chili is chili," said Claudia Yarbrough, taking notes on her favorite dish as she sampled, but before she cast her vote. She liked the sweeter chili that had huckleberries. "It's good, chili, but it's same ol', same ol'."