Chowder tasters young and old help decide Edmonds’ best

Chowder tasters have their spoons ready. (Photos by Larry Vogel)

And the winner is….

Wait — before I get to the results, I want to tell Restaurant News readers about some of the enthusiastic attendees, both young and old. Let’s start with 4-year-old Ethan Bell of Edmonds, who — according to his parents Jeremy and Christina — is a chowder connoisseur. They take him on Washington State ferry rides just so he can eat the Ivar’s Clam Chowder.

4-year-old chowder connoisseur Ethan Bell of Edmonds.

This kiddo receives the Best Chowder-Eating Grin award, hands down.

Even infants in arms, or rather a front baby pack, enjoyed samples of Clam Chowder — the little guy below is Seth Bell of Edmonds, with dad Jeremy Bell (yes, Seth is Ethan’s little bro).

5-month-oldl Seth Bell of Edmonds with dad Jeremy Bell.

Staff who served up chowder also enjoyed themselves:

Here is Steve Price from PCC…
… and a happy trio from Arnie’s.

My Edmonds News readers need to know that there were tough choices to be made this year — both on the contents presented in the little Styrofoam cups and the decor on tables of contestants ladling the tasty fare.

No tough clams: We all agreed that most samples our panel of well-credentialed experts received were tender and succulent.

Chowder Cook-off judges’ panel this year included, from left, Edmonds Mayor Dave Earling; Restaurant News writer, Kathy Passage; Here and There Grill owner Julie Malcolm, People’s Choice winner for two years running; Bill Whitbeck, better known as Oyster Bill, manager of Taylor Shellfish Restaurant Direct Sales; and Sara Bruestle, features editor at The Daily Herald of Everett,

A bowl of clams and potatoes in hot milky broth conjures up a fondness of sand dunes and salty air, quaint little villages and the moonlight on Cape Cod Bay…we might even hear Peggy Lee’s voice singing the famous song as we slurp spoonfuls of the well-seasoned seafood from our bowls.

Restaurant News applauds the efforts put forth by each entrant on the list of this year’s 10 contestants. Courage to tackle the public’s conceptions of “what is great clam chowder?” is bravery that needs to be recognized by every Cook-Off attendee.

Best Traditional Chowder: this year’s restaurant entries did their best to capture the essence of the classic clam chowder: Arnies Restaurant, Claire’s Restaurant, PCC Community Markets, Salt & Iron and Ivar’s.

Best Cutting Edge Chowder: Even greater panache is needed to turn the expectation of clam chowder with a bowl containing ingredients other than the classic recipe expected by tasters. Here is a recap of the contenders: 190 Sunset, Bar Dojo, Chef Dane Catering, Barkada Edmonds, and Romeo’s Restaurant.

Judges selected Salt and Iron as their top pick for Best Traditional Chowder, with the second place awarded to Ivar’s. My Restaurant News preference for traditional chowder embodies clams, potatoes and subtle seasonings in a not-too-starchy milk based broth that lets the seafood be the star of the dish. Both of the judges’ award choices met these criteria and more.

Creative chefs made selection of the Best Cutting Edge Chowder more difficult due to diverse interpretations on recipes and ingredients.  After much deliberation, Chef Dane’s tasty broth with plentiful clams, potatoes and unique veggies like okra won the day, with Bar Dojo’s entry of a spicier broth loaded with tender clams and potato captured the second-place spot.

The people have a vote too —  serious work for sure. Just look at the concentration on attendees’ faces.

People’s Choice Award for Best Traditional Chowder went to Salt and Iron.

People’s Choice Award for Best Cutting-Edge Chowder was awarded to Bar Dojo.

Best Booth went to the Mardi Gras-themed display by Chef Dane Catering.

A fun time was had by all. Tunes from the STRUM’s Uke players and friends created a great vibe.

Photos tell the story best…

I can’t wait for next year.

— By Kathy Passage, Edmonds Restaurant News

  1. Wow. Ivars took second place? That isn’t saying much. I personally would take Campbell’s over Ivars.
    I have my favorite(s) but neither of them compete in this contest. I’m actually glad they don’t.
    One of these days I will have try Salt and Iron chowder though since it has won twice.

  2. My thanks to all of the restaurants for being part of this contest. It was a wonderful event conducted by the Edmonds Chamber of Commerce. My thanks to them as well. What a great way to showcase our community’s restaurants and community spirit.

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