I can still taste the Fire Brand Chili…that was a classic. When I came to Texas the Texans thought that being from the North that I did not know about hot chili. They could have never stood up to the original Fire Brand.
a comment was made about the Dew having Fire Brand chilli.If I’m not mistaken that was the Den chilli parlor on East South Grand that had the fire Brand not the Dew.”I Do miss the Dew”
Great place – my Dad took me there regularly when I was a kid. I remember a figurine of an old sway-back horse behind the counter with a sign next to it saying something like “if only this old boy had a bowl of Dew chili…”
This is the place my dad took me in the 60′s. I think he went there when he was a kid. Anyway, the chili was great. It had some kind of oil with meat floating in the center of the bowl when served. Wish I had the recipe. It had a creamy type of flavor.
I remember Joe & May who Owned the Dew and Rita who worked there for many years and was the last owner…the Dew pictured was Dew #2 and the Dew mentioned behind the Downtown Post Office was Dew #1….prior to the Dew#2 being built in front of Joe’s house, it was located between Cook and Lawrence on 5Th Street..next to Pontiac Dealer.
I grew up on Dew chilli (plus the tamalies, of course). I know the original recipe is lost to history, but has anyone be able to even come close to the taste?? Would love the recipe!!
Jim Barrett essentially has it right. Joe Bockelmann was the principal person. Whether he devised the recipes, I do not know. The couple split up and each took one. I think that Joe took the one on 5th St., a small block north of Cook (? don’t recall St name), because Joe took my friend and I in the basement and showed us, like on a conveyor belt, how he individually sorted the beans. In both places, the chilli was served on flat dishes. What Teri recalls is that when one ordered a “Double Header”, it was served with two small diameter tamales in the center.
Ray DeFrates produced “Ray’s Chilli”. After I moved to California, they would ship it to me by truck freight, 3 cases at a time. By charging me the wholesale price, the cost per can came out about the retail price with the shipping. This was before UPS and FedEx.
Ray DeFrates’ brother split off and his canned product was called “Chilli Man”.
Prior to these, a man named DeCrastos(?)sold chili on the street. M.A. Jones married his daughter.
The “DEW” was great! I worked for Illinois Bell Telephone in the 1960′s and ate there a lot. It seems I always had a ham salad sandwich on white bread with a pickle slice along with my bowl or plate of chilli (Springfield spelling with two ‘L’s). They also had a small cardboard sign saying how many years they’d been in business and updated the same sign each year with a taped-over ‘new’ number!
I remember eating the chilli at both Dew’s and the Den – but does anyone remember the chilli at Schoenle’s tavern on 5th and Madison – also, along with these three outstanding Springfield products stands the equally outstanding chilli of Steak and Shake. Memories.
You can still order Ray’s chilli. I buy it for my son – who never had the good fortune of tastingn Dew Chilli. He loves it so much he just heats it up and eats!
I recall in the 50s, when my Dad was in the St. John Sanitorium, East of Springfield, near Riverton, for two years being treated for Tuberculosis. I was too young to be allowed to visit him inside the Sanitorium. We would stop by the Dew Chilli Parlor, load up a quart of two of the chilli and take it to him on Sunday night. My Aunts and my Mom would take it inside and I would stand down on the lawn and talk to him through his window on the third floor. Dad ate some and shared with his roommates. Our family did this for two years. I got hooked on chilli then and never got over it. Note that “chili” in Springfield, Il is spelled “C H I L L I” – double “L”.
My sister offered to buy the recipe from Rita several years ago, with the idea it would be sold only in Decatur. I think Rita got some of the special ingredients elsewhere. I originally had stipulated she was to cook her chilli for my funeral luncheon. (and, yes, people not from here are always wanting to correct my spelling!!) In recent years, my sister & I, then sometimes my husband & I would eat there weekly. As I recall, my first time there might have been 52+ years ago.
Oh my God, this posting brings back soooooo many memories. Both “The Dew” and “The Den” were great. The Dew in the day and The Den at night after “a night out”. I’ve tried to come close to either and have never been successful. There’s chili and then there’s Springfield chilli. Out here in New England there is nothing that is even close.
OK New England…here’s the deal…Springfield Chilli has no Tomatoes (maybe…just maybe a touch of tomatoe paste), no Chilli powder, and only dry red beans, which are properly prepared(no kidney beans). The beans are cooked seperately from the meat with only some salt, garlic, and a little vinegar. Now the meat! cheap 70% lean! Spices? Cumin,salt,coriander,allspice,red pepper flakes,onion and garlic powder. You’ll have to experiment with the proportions…mix in a bowl…let sit…cook a little meat taste…add some more spices…When you get it right…then… cook slowly, on low super low, stirring constantly in a big cast iron skillet.. nd. Add just enough canned beef broth as it takes to keep the meat from getting that gray look…remember it’s the grease that holds the spices…never drain…mix with beans enjoy
Clearification…..Classic Illinois never had any tomato. The meat was pure beef and blended with half kidney soot to make chilli brick….put in a deep pan refrigerated…cut into pieces….wrapped. Later heated up and add bean for chilli. The canned version was made with 50/50 beef trimmings……..if the price was right 60/40. Vinegar????? Allspice…..never!!!
Marcia Pehlman Ramsey
Coldwell Banker Apex Realtors
Dallas TX
214-632-5225
mramsey680@aol.com
I can still taste the Fire Brand Chili…that was a classic. When I came to Texas the Texans thought that being from the North that I did not know about hot chili. They could have never stood up to the original Fire Brand.
MPR
mramsey680 | Dec 12, 2007 | Reply
a comment was made about the Dew having Fire Brand chilli.If I’m not mistaken that was the Den chilli parlor on East South Grand that had the fire Brand not the Dew.”I Do miss the Dew”
Vern clanton | Apr 19, 2008 | Reply
Great place – my Dad took me there regularly when I was a kid. I remember a figurine of an old sway-back horse behind the counter with a sign next to it saying something like “if only this old boy had a bowl of Dew chili…”
Dave | Apr 26, 2008 | Reply
This is the place my dad took me in the 60′s. I think he went there when he was a kid. Anyway, the chili was great. It had some kind of oil with meat floating in the center of the bowl when served. Wish I had the recipe. It had a creamy type of flavor.
Mike | Jan 19, 2009 | Reply
I remember going to the Dew When it was behind the Post Office downtown. My Dad liked what I believe was a Double Header {Chilli plus Tamalies.
Ray Quick | Oct 8, 2009 | Reply
I remember Joe & May who Owned the Dew and Rita who worked there for many years and was the last owner…the Dew pictured was Dew #2 and the Dew mentioned behind the Downtown Post Office was Dew #1….prior to the Dew#2 being built in front of Joe’s house, it was located between Cook and Lawrence on 5Th Street..next to Pontiac Dealer.
Jim Barrett | Jan 21, 2010 | Reply
I grew up on Dew chilli (plus the tamalies, of course). I know the original recipe is lost to history, but has anyone be able to even come close to the taste?? Would love the recipe!!
Teri | Mar 5, 2010 | Reply
local springfield chili mix h-check us out
very popular mix
zillion'schili | Jul 8, 2010 | Reply
Jim Barrett essentially has it right. Joe Bockelmann was the principal person. Whether he devised the recipes, I do not know. The couple split up and each took one. I think that Joe took the one on 5th St., a small block north of Cook (? don’t recall St name), because Joe took my friend and I in the basement and showed us, like on a conveyor belt, how he individually sorted the beans. In both places, the chilli was served on flat dishes. What Teri recalls is that when one ordered a “Double Header”, it was served with two small diameter tamales in the center.
Ray DeFrates produced “Ray’s Chilli”. After I moved to California, they would ship it to me by truck freight, 3 cases at a time. By charging me the wholesale price, the cost per can came out about the retail price with the shipping. This was before UPS and FedEx.
Ray DeFrates’ brother split off and his canned product was called “Chilli Man”.
Prior to these, a man named DeCrastos(?)sold chili on the street. M.A. Jones married his daughter.
Birchall Smith | Aug 15, 2010 | Reply
we are close
zillion's chili bowl | Aug 17, 2010 | Reply
Correction on previous comment: The Joe Bockelmann was on the first or second small street SOUTH of Cook on 5th, not north.
birch smith
Birchall Smith | Aug 18, 2010 | Reply
The “DEW” was great! I worked for Illinois Bell Telephone in the 1960′s and ate there a lot. It seems I always had a ham salad sandwich on white bread with a pickle slice along with my bowl or plate of chilli (Springfield spelling with two ‘L’s). They also had a small cardboard sign saying how many years they’d been in business and updated the same sign each year with a taped-over ‘new’ number!
Tom Gillespie | Aug 21, 2010 | Reply
I remember eating the chilli at both Dew’s and the Den – but does anyone remember the chilli at Schoenle’s tavern on 5th and Madison – also, along with these three outstanding Springfield products stands the equally outstanding chilli of Steak and Shake. Memories.
Ken Burger | Aug 23, 2010 | Reply
Dew chili – there’ll never be any other like it!!! Too bad the recipe is lost to the ages.
Sue Harkins Elmore | Sep 8, 2010 | Reply
You can still order Ray’s chilli. I buy it for my son – who never had the good fortune of tastingn Dew Chilli. He loves it so much he just heats it up and eats!
Sue Harkins Elmore | Sep 8, 2010 | Reply
Double header (chilli and tamale) on a tin plate. Three generations of us ate it at the Dew. Not everybody got the tin plates — you had to ask.
Jo | Sep 13, 2010 | Reply
I recall in the 50s, when my Dad was in the St. John Sanitorium, East of Springfield, near Riverton, for two years being treated for Tuberculosis. I was too young to be allowed to visit him inside the Sanitorium. We would stop by the Dew Chilli Parlor, load up a quart of two of the chilli and take it to him on Sunday night. My Aunts and my Mom would take it inside and I would stand down on the lawn and talk to him through his window on the third floor. Dad ate some and shared with his roommates. Our family did this for two years. I got hooked on chilli then and never got over it. Note that “chili” in Springfield, Il is spelled “C H I L L I” – double “L”.
Bob Kunz | Feb 9, 2011 | Reply
Lived across the street from the Ray’s Chili plant on 13th and Ash. Loved the smell of the chili cooking.
Raided the dumpster for the “out of date” potatoe chips. Cannot recall the name of the distributor though.
al young | Feb 11, 2011 | Reply
My sister offered to buy the recipe from Rita several years ago, with the idea it would be sold only in Decatur. I think Rita got some of the special ingredients elsewhere. I originally had stipulated she was to cook her chilli for my funeral luncheon. (and, yes, people not from here are always wanting to correct my spelling!!) In recent years, my sister & I, then sometimes my husband & I would eat there weekly. As I recall, my first time there might have been 52+ years ago.
Marge Krell | Feb 24, 2011 | Reply
Oh my God, this posting brings back soooooo many memories. Both “The Dew” and “The Den” were great. The Dew in the day and The Den at night after “a night out”. I’ve tried to come close to either and have never been successful. There’s chili and then there’s Springfield chilli. Out here in New England there is nothing that is even close.
Richard Woodrum | Mar 7, 2011 | Reply
OK New England…here’s the deal…Springfield Chilli has no Tomatoes (maybe…just maybe a touch of tomatoe paste), no Chilli powder, and only dry red beans, which are properly prepared(no kidney beans). The beans are cooked seperately from the meat with only some salt, garlic, and a little vinegar. Now the meat! cheap 70% lean! Spices? Cumin,salt,coriander,allspice,red pepper flakes,onion and garlic powder. You’ll have to experiment with the proportions…mix in a bowl…let sit…cook a little meat taste…add some more spices…When you get it right…then… cook slowly, on low super low, stirring constantly in a big cast iron skillet.. nd. Add just enough canned beef broth as it takes to keep the meat from getting that gray look…remember it’s the grease that holds the spices…never drain…mix with beans enjoy
Kevin | Aug 7, 2011 | Reply
Clearification…..Classic Illinois never had any tomato. The meat was pure beef and blended with half kidney soot to make chilli brick….put in a deep pan refrigerated…cut into pieces….wrapped. Later heated up and add bean for chilli. The canned version was made with 50/50 beef trimmings……..if the price was right 60/40. Vinegar????? Allspice…..never!!!
Jim Deere | Jan 22, 2012 | Reply