Charitable chili

Four years ago, the River City Chili Cook-Off featured a handful of parents and chefs in the now-shuttered gym at Holy Cross College Preparatory Academy. Things done changed. This year, Ace of Spades (1417 R Street) will host 15 of Sacramento’s top restaurants—including The Golden Bear, Burgers & Brew and Café Bernardo—on November 18 from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. They’re all vying to best Dos Coyotes, which snagged top honors last year from both the judges and the crowd as the area’s best chili. Tickets ($35) get you unlimited samples of chili as well as cornbread made by the parents of students at Our Lady of Grace School, the beneficiary of the event’s proceeds. There will also be Bloody Marys and margaritas ($7) that will blend Tito’s Handmade Vodka with mixes from Preservation & Co. Tickets can be purchased at the Ace of Spades box office or online at www.rivercitychili.com.