Hundreds Chow Down on Local Chowder Recipes
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| Rep. Daniel E. Bosley prepares to taste. Winterfest Committee member Debbie Leveque is at back. |
Nearly a thousand area residents worked their way through clam chowder samples from a dozen different food purveyors at the St. Anthony's Parish Center on Saturday, leaving more than a few scraping the bottom of their kettles before the event was half over.
"This our first time here," said Jessica Kemp of North Adams as she spooned chowder to her 19-month-old niece Nadia Taft.
"We were looking for something to do with the kids, so we thought why not come here," said Mary Rowland, the "gramma."
<L2>This was the first time the Chowder Cook-Off, now in its 11th year, was held in the large gymnasium at the parish center. It had been held at the Holiday Inn the last few years, but that venue was getting to be too small.
The decision to move the cook-off turned out to be a good one - people were streaming in before all the restaurants had set up by noon, and were still arriving even after most had packed up for the day.
By 1:45, the event was essentially over; only a couple tables still had any chowder left.
"I was bowled over by the turnout. We had 2,500 cups and spoons on hand, but that wasn't enough; we had to run out and get another 600 setups," said Rod Bunt of the Mayor's Office of Tourism, which sponsors the annual event. "I'm beginning to see this as the winter counterpart to our summer food festival - and with such enthusiastic participation by our local establishments and a great venue like the parish center, this is going to keep on growing."
The 12 participating restaurants and food service providers scooped out cupfulls of free samples. Friends and families gathered in groups to taste and critique the offerings - soupy, salty, spicy, thick, tasty and delicious. Attendees got to cast votes but a panel of judges decided the cook-off winners.
Favorite Freight Yard Pub, last year's winner, found itself outchowdered this year by upstart Red Sauce Ristorante, which took home the first-place award in the judging.
Chef Edward Ceccherini said the award was exciting, but by the end of an hour and a half of filling chowder cups seemed more tired than exuberant over the win.
The People's Choice favorite two years' running, Boston Sea Foods Restaurant, finally convinced the judges of the worthiness of its chowder, coming in second. The most surprising winner was Berkshire Food Project, which took third place.
The Food Project is a nonprofit organization that offers free lunch weekdays at First Congregational Church in an effort to ensure no one in the city goes hungry.
Betty LeSage was scraping the bottom of the project's last of pan of chowder shortly before 1 p.m., barely halfway through the cook-off.<R3>
"We've gone through four gallons," she said. "People were just coming over and saying 'your chowder was so good.'"
Project director Valerie Schwartz said she was surprised at how fast their food was going. "It's not like we were giving it away."
The award, said Schwartz, was a great affirmation for the work of the project.
The Steeples Restaurant didn't win, but not for lack of trying. New manager Linda Novak was ladling up a "secret recipe" as Jeff Fuller (the "voice of Steeples") urged passersby to stop and try their offerings.
"It's going really well. We're getting a lot of people. Everybody's complimenting us," he said. Novak, who took over the restaurant last month, said she's added new offerings to its menu.
This year's judges were Mayor John Barrett III, Rep. Daniel E. Bosley, Sen. Benjamin B. Downing, WUPE Radio host Sherman Baldwin and iBerkshires Managing Editor Tammy Daniels.
The judges were sequestered and provided with numbered cups of chowder. (Editor's Note: As one of the judges, I don't want to reveal the deliberations, but I can say there was little disagreement as to the top contestants.)
<L4>As usual, the People's Choices differed wildly from the judges'. Anyone who donated to the Mohawk Theater Restoration Fund could cast a ballot for their favorite chowder. Some 391 votes were cast, or more than third of those attending the event.
Picking up first place for the first time was Gramercy Bistro of Williamstown with 56 votes; Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts Dining Services (Aramark) was hot on its heels with 52 votes for second.
Yet another non-restaurant venue, North Adams Regional Hospital's Dining Services, picked up 45 votes for third. The hospital kitchen had picked up second and third place in the past; Jon Charbonneau of NARH said he had been hoping for a first-place this year.
Perennial favorite Boston Sea Foods dropped to honorable mention.
For dessert, Girl Scout Troop 401 was selling boxes of Girl Scout cookies (for which there was a steady line) and Relay for Life had whoopee pies for sale.
The North Adams SteepleCats' mascot, Slider, was greeted like a rock star by local children, getting frequent hugs as he mingled with the crowd.
Reach Community Health Project, Northern Berkshire Community Coalition, BerkshireRides and the Church Outreach to Youth Group had information booths set up.
Chowder wasn't the only thing happening at Winterfest. Residents could take the restored North Adams Trolley from the parish center to Main Street for shopping or to be dropped off for yet another historic form of transporation - horse-drawn carriage rides up and down Main Street. Earlier in the day, a llama from West Mountain Farm in Stamford, Vt., visited the library as part of a children's event.
Later in the evening, the Mayor's Free Skating Party was held at Vietnam Veterans Memorial Skating Rink; concerts were held on Main Street and at Mount Greylock Bowl. A pancake breakfast was held at First Congregational Church.
The cook-off also offered a venue for the Northern Berkshire Community Coalition to recognize four local youth for their volunteer work and good decisions. The SAY It Proud Awards were presented by the mayor to Tiffany Hartlage, Elizabeth Murray and Valorie and Samantha Lukkarila. The awards are sponsored by the North Adams Transcript.<R5>
Bunt wanted to say a special thanks to the Rev. William F. Cyr and the Catholic Community of North Adams, which provided use of parish center.
"It's a beautiful location that the community all enjoyed," he said. "Big Y Supermarket in North Adams provided most of the paper goods for the event with help from Stop & Shop Supermarket and Price Chopper."
Participating in the cook-off were North Adams Regional Hospital Dining Services, MCLA Dining Services, Isabella's Restaurant, Lickety Split, Steeples Restaurant, Berkshire Food Project, Gramercy Bistro, Red Herring, Freight Yard Pub, CJ's Pub, Boston Sea Foods Restaurant and Red Sauce Ristorante.
Winterfest Committee members are Lisa Loomis, Sharon Leary, Edward Giovanni Morandi, Debbie Leveque, Janet Lanoue. and Lisa Blackmer. "They did an excellent job in making for an enjoyable afternoon for the public," said Bunt.
