HEUVELTON -- L.E.A.’S Diner in Heuvelton received the most votes for the People’s Choice Award at the 22nd Annual North Country Chili Cook-Off. The event was held in a new format this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We’re at a loss for words,” said Steven Bogardus, who owns L.E.A.’S Diner with his wife, Tasha. “We are shocked, honored and blessed to have received the most votes.”

“It was a great experience for us and we had a lot of fun with it,” he added. “We can’t thank our family, friends and amazing customers enough for their support.”

Meme’s Diner in Felts Mills collected the most donations, earning the Top Fundraiser Award.

“We congratulate L.E.A.’S Diner and Meme’s Diner for receiving their awards and thank all of the 28 restaurants in the tri-county area who participated,” said VTC Executive Director Sam Purington. “Their enthusiasm really made this event a success.”

The cook-off, typically a one-day event at the Dulles State Office Building in Watertown, is a fundraiser for the VTC to support transportation it provides for veterans and their families. This year, the event was held at participating restaurants in St. Lawrence, Jefferson, and Lewis counties throughout February. The move was made in an effort to host the event in a way that would follow New York State mandates and adhere to CDC guidelines.

This year’s North Country Chili Cook-Off focused only on the “professional” award category and was held in a “pub crawl” format, in which those wishing to sample and vote on their favorite entries could do so at participating restaurants.

“We’re very happy with the participation both from the restaurants and from people in the community,” said Jeremiah S. Papineau, Director of Communications and Foundation Director for the VTC. “We’re very pleased with how everyone seemed to embrace the format for this special edition of the cook-off.”

Brandy Snyder, owner of Meme’s Diner, said she was delighted to be asked to participate and is very proud of her customers and employees who made that participation a success, raising $560.

In addition to L.E.A.’S Diner and Meme’s Diner, the following restaurants participated in this year’s North Country Chili Cook-Off: Gram’s Diner, Adams; Spook Hill Bar and Grill, Adams Center; The Dockside Pub, Alexandria Bay; Sahara Restaurant, Carthage; The Church Street Diner, Carthage; Whistle Stop Tavern, Carthage; Zero Dock Street Restaurant & Bar, Carthage; River Bottom Bar & Grill, Clayton; Whiskey Jack’s, Constableville; The Cottage Inn, Copenhagen; Josh’s Riverside Restaurant, Croghan; Montague Inn, Lowville; Tony Harper’s Pizza & Clam Shack, Lowville; Boondocks Restaurant & Bar, Lyons Falls; River Valley Inn, Lyons Falls; Nu Pier Restaurant, Sackets Harbor; The Cottage Bakery, Three Mile Bay; Tavern230, Turin; Flashback Brewing Company, Watertown; Garland City Beer Works, Watertown; Mike’s Pig Pen, Watertown; Panera Bread, Watertown; The Grille at Hilton Garden Inn, Watertown; Pearl Street Pub, Watertown; Pete’s Trattoria, Watertown; and Tug Hill Hideaway, West Leyden.

Those businesses, combined with generous sponsorship, raised approximately $28,000 for the VTC. The event typically nets upward of $40,000 in a normal year. However, due to the constraints and challenges presented by the pandemic, Papineau said the VTC is quite proud of the results.