Biggest Food Contest in CT, ChowdaFest, Hits Norwalk + Benefits Community Plates

And the Winners Are…

That’s right…what started as a local chowder competition to help raise much needed money for local food banks has grown immensely.  So immensely, in fact, that organizer (and Chief Chowderhead) Jim Keenan had to put some serious thought into expansion.  Would he keep Chowdafest at the same level…or take it to the next level?  If you’ve met Jim before you know he’s never content with keeping things at the same level; he always wants to kick it up a few hundred notches.  And that’s exactly what he’s doing this year with Chowdafest 2014 (Part II) on Sunday, October 12 from 12-4 pm at Calf Pasture Beach in Norwalk!  An obvious added benefit will be a more spread out festival to help combat the large crowds that people faced last Souper Bowl Sunday.

So, if you’re new to this, here’s the deal:

🍲 You get a spoon

🍲 You get a scorecard

🍲 You try soup in four categories (listed below)

🍲 You rate each soup

🍲 When you’ve tried all the soups, you give in your scorecard

That simple…and THAT delicious

Parking is $5 or free if you have a permit, tickets are $15 ($10 online), $5 for kids 6-12, and free for 5 and under.  But…hold up!  For $25 (accompanied kids 6-12 are $5 with 5 and under free) you can get a VIP ticket for ChowdaHour! Yes, during the VIP ChowdaHour you’ll get to rub elbows with the chefs and owners and share some personal moments all while downing a monumental amount of soup in an hour early!  Plus, you’ll get a nice fancy parking spot up front and the official Chowdafest hat.

Like this past February, we are very proud to be one of the sponsors for Chowdafest!  And, we’re even more proud this time around because we’re happy to report that money raised from this year’s event will be donated to one of our favorite charities, Community Plates! CP is a volunteer driven food rescue organization that takes food from local restaurants and markets and gets it to the hungry in Fairfield and New Haven Counties…and beyond.

Now, take a gander at this list of restaurants for each category

New England Clam Chowder

Donahue’s Madison Beach Grille, Madison

Donovan’s, South Norwalk (Defending Champions 2 years running)

Guvnor’s Brewery, South Norwalk

Old Post Tavern, Fairfield

O’Neill’s Pub & Restaurant, South Norwalk

Rory’s, Darien

The Restaurant at Rowayton Seafood, Rowayton

Washington Prime, South Norwalk

Traditional Clam Chowder

The Clam Castle, Madison

Dunville’s, Westport (Depending Champions)

The Gray Goose Cafe, Southport

Liquid Lunch, Shelton + Milford

Lobster Post, Fairfield

Westfair Fish & Chips, Westport

Creative Chowder

The Brewhouse, South Norwalk (Defending Champions)

Ginger Man, South Norwalk + Greenwich

Knapp’s Landing, Stratford

Liquid Lunch, Shelton + Milford

Post 154, Westport

Simply Delicious, Norwalk

Southport Brewing Company, Southport, Milford, Branford

The Spread, South Norwalk

Soups & Bisque

Bistro 7, Wilton (Defending Champions)

BRYAC, Black Rock

Cask Republic, Stamford + New Haven

LobsterCraft, Darien + food truck

Lobster Post, Fairfield

Local Kitchen & Beer Bar, Fairfield and South Norwalk

Parallel Post, Trumbull

Soup Thyme, Monroe

Tikkaway Grill, New Haven

For more info on ChowdaFest and the other activities going on such as the Italian food samplings, some Mexican flare, iced treats, and drinks, check out the ChowdaFest site.  See you there!