Even though Saturday was
rain, rain, rain!, if you were in Newport this weekend, there’s a good chance you were at the
Schweppes Great Chowder Cook-Off. At least, we were.
The Newport Yachting Center, with its slew of festivals and events, is synonymous with summer in Rhode Island, and Saturday’s bash kicked off the season. Despite the gray skies and wet ground, the cook off proved the old adage that any weather is chowder weather, since thousands from across Rhode Island and beyond flocked to the City by the Sea to celebrate this staple of New England cuisine. In fact, the Great Chowder Cook-Off is the oldest, largest, and longest running (over 30 years!) chowder bonanza in the region. We met people from Idaho, Florida, and Connecticut. These self proclaimed “chowda” lovers, docked their boats in the Marina and flooded the city for the weekend.
The twenty two
participating restaurants competed in three categories—Clam, Seafood, and Creative—handing out small cups of chowder to the crowds, who meandered through the booths pondering which restaurant would receive their vote, as live music blared in the background.
Here are the winners: Clam Category 1st Place: Stefano’s Seafood Restaurant – Long Beach, NJ (Booth #2) 2nd Place: Luke’s Lobster / Hurricane’s Chowder – Greene, ME and New York City (Booth #6) 3rd Place: Pawtucket Skilled Nursing – Pawtucket, RI (Booth #7)
Seafood Category 1st Place: Melville Grille – Portsmouth, RI (Both #33) 2nd Place: Rhody Joe’s – Wakefield, RI (Booth #34) 3rd Place: Bunratty Manor Hotel – County Clare, Ireland (Booth #36)
Creative Category 1st Place: The Mooring Seafood Kitchen & Bar – Newport, RI (Booth #23) 2nd Place: Leo’s Ristorante – Bristol, RI (Booth #22) 3rd Place: Tavern by the Sea – North Kingstown, RI (Booth #25)
In the special awards, Portsmouth’s Melville Grille was voted the
People’s Choice: Most Spirited, Stefano’s Seafood Restaurant from Long Beach, NJ was named the
Best Decorated Booth, and Craig Zalcberg from West Greenwich, RI won the
Clam Cake Chow-Down. If you didn’t make it to this quintessential Rhode Island event, make sure to put it on the calendar for next year!
Instagram Photos: 
Even though Saturday was rain, rain, rain!, if you were in Newport this weekend, there’s a good chance you were at the Schweppes Great Chowder Cook-Off. At least, we were. The Newport Yachting Center, with its slew of festivals and events, is synonymous with summer in Rhode Island, and Saturday’s bash kicked off the season. Despite the gray skies and wet ground, the cook off proved the old adage that any weather is chowder weather, since thousands from across Rhode Island and beyond flocked to the City by the Sea to celebrate this staple of New England cuisine. In fact, the Great Chowder Cook-Off is the oldest, largest, and longest running (over 30 years!) chowder bonanza in the region. We met people from Idaho, Florida, and Connecticut. These self proclaimed “chowda” lovers, docked their boats in the Marina and flooded the city for the weekend. The twenty two participating restaurants competed in three categories—Clam, Seafood, and Creative—handing out small cups of chowder to the crowds, who meandered through the booths pondering which restaurant would receive their vote, as live music blared in the background. Here are the winners: Clam Category 1st Place: Stefano’s Seafood Restaurant – Long Beach, NJ (Booth #2) 2nd Place: Luke’s Lobster / Hurricane’s Chowder – Greene, ME and New York City (Booth #6) 3rd Place: Pawtucket Skilled Nursing – Pawtucket, RI (Booth #7) Seafood Category 1st Place: Melville Grille – Portsmouth, RI (Both #33) 2nd Place: Rhody Joe’s – Wakefield, RI (Booth #34) 3rd Place: Bunratty Manor Hotel – County Clare, Ireland (Booth #36) Creative Category 1st Place: The Mooring Seafood Kitchen & Bar – Newport, RI (Booth #23) 2nd Place: Leo’s Ristorante – Bristol, RI (Booth #22) 3rd Place: Tavern by the Sea – North Kingstown, RI (Booth #25) In the special awards, Portsmouth’s Melville Grille was voted the People’s Choice: Most Spirited, Stefano’s Seafood Restaurant from Long Beach, NJ was named the Best Decorated Booth, and Craig Zalcberg from West Greenwich, RI won the Clam Cake Chow-Down. If you didn’t make it to this quintessential Rhode Island event, make sure to put it on the calendar for next year! Instagram Photos: 
