Craft Republic – Albuquerque, New Mexico
For several months every four years, Americans are subjected to a seemingly interminable number of television commercials, radio ads and social media postings advocating for candidates running for political office. Opposing idealogies would have you believe the “other guy or gal” was of dubious character with “extreme” points of view. One-minute snippets pandering primarily to “undecided” voters may have unintentionally created even more cynics and malcontents among eligible voters. Some of us wished the sadistic “mean season” was as simple and decisive as selecting the winner of the annual New Mexico State Fair Green Chile Cheeseburger Challenge. While the New Mexico State Fair hosts a number of food related competitions, none garner as much attention as the green chile cheeseburger challenge. Unlike political elections, the public is not subjected to a months-long bombardment of torturous and borderline slanderous messages. Instead, an online call goes out to prospective candidates (established brick-and-mortar restaurants only) with an entry deadline and a non-refundable entry fee of $25. In 2024, ten contestants from throughout the Land of Enchantment competed for top honors. On the day of the competition, the process (as explained on the New Mexico State Fair website) is pretty straight-forward. “The order to…