Chowderfeat

Chowder fest is an anticipated event every year for guests visiting LBI. It is held in early October. In past years, visitors would walk around to different booths and have a sampling from area restaurants. There’s family favorites and rivalries among restaurants.. Visitors vote on their favorites and the best restaurant receives the recognition for the next year.

I’ve been to at least two. One more focused on the beer and the other one was all about clam chowder and making sure the kids were at our side. One of the most interesting things I saw was one family with a board that looks similar to a paint tray an artist would use. It had cut outs perfectly sized for each sample of clam chowder. They brought it every year.

Since Covid, the event has changed a lot. Visitors now have to drive to each restaurant for their sample and send in their vote. Less personal but it worked for at least the first year or two.

I like to think of the large families we work with each summer. cousins, aunts, uncles, friends all together looking for an activity to do together. Looking to make a memories. Is the memory standing in line at the crab trap to get a table or is it sitting in the kitchen with take out clam chowder from various restaurants?

Taste taste anyone? A flight tray is a perfect way to line up the candidates.

Want my opinion? I’m Team New England but with a hint of bacon. Now I just can’t remember if that was Stefanos or somewhere else. I guess I see a clam chowder taste test in our future this summer.

What I don’t suggest is clam chowder ice cream. Yes it was a thing! Great gimmick but yuck!