Winners of Chowder Challenge Events

2008

Once again, the Redwood Coast Whale & Jazz Festival's Chowder & Jazz event was a major success. From 11:30 a.m. until 2:00 p.m., over 300 hungry tasters ebbed and flowed through the Gualala Arts Center sampling the Chowder Challenge's variety of Chowders from local restaurants and amateur competitors, tasting microbrews and fine wines from local and regional purveyors and listening to the delightful sound of New Orleans Traditional Jazz from Barnebey's Hot Four.

This year the field of Chowder Challenge entrants included five professional chefs and four determined amateurs. The Chowders were first judged by a 'celebrity' panel; Naomi Schwartz, Howard Curtis and Bernard Roberts, with the results kept secret until the end of the Tastings. In addition to the Judges' findings, there is a "People's Choice" award and an award of a $25 cash prize to the "most tasted" chowder. Place awards were dependent on number of entries in a class/category, first place for up to three entrants, two places for four to six. The judges were very impressed by all the entries, especially this year's amateur competitors.

Winners for the 2008 Challenge were as follows: 1st Place Professional Traditional Chowder went to Café LaLa (Chef Cyndi Hartwell), 2nd Place Pro/Trad to Rollerville Café (Chef Matt Wymer). 1st Place in the Pro/Open category went to Gotta-Cook (Laurie Kreger) for her Crab-Corn Chowder.

In the Amateur Class, the Open category winner was Livelywood (Camille Gentry, Erin & Keith Blackwood and Phil Kaijankoski) for their fresh Abalone Chowder. (The abalone for this chowder was provided by the two guys from the results of an early morning dive!) The winner of the Am/Traditional class, plus the People's Choice and Most Tasted Chowder was Gualala Arts Culinary Arts Guild's George Marshall. This is George's second year as winner of this class (photo at right).

The Festival Committee wants to offer special kudos to Leslie Bates, the Chowder Challenge coordinator (and former two-year Chowder Challenge winner), without whom this event would not be such a success. All the competitors were fabulous and we could not have this event without them. Winners will be receiving plaques and all participants will receive certificates.

It also took a considerable number of volunteers to make this the smoothest and most fun Chowder & Jazz event to date. Thank you all!

2007

• 1^st Place Pro Trad: Chef Javier Carbajal of Cove Azul Bar & Grill - New England Clam Chowder
• 1^st Place Am Trad: Culinary Arts Guild - New England Clam Chowder; recipe George Marshall
• 1^st Place Pro Open: Chef Sharon Gilman of Meza Grille - Manhattan Seafood Chowder
• 1^st Place Am Open: Team Susalla - Potato Corn Chowder
• People's Choice: 58 Tokens - Culinary Arts Guild / George Marshall
• Best Overall: Chef Sharon Gilman of Meza Grille - Manhattan Seafood Chowder
• Most Tasted, with 208 tasting tickets: Cove Azul's New England Clam Chowder

Judges:

1. Sita Milchev - Last year's Am Trad Chowder winning recipe
2. Jan Harris - "Chowder Challenge" Creator and Festival Co-Producer
3. George Bailey - Lighthouse Peddler Food Critic
4. Paul Batchelder - Local Gourmand

2006

Had more entries this year, 4 Pros and 5 Amateurs. Plaque Awards to: 1^st Place Trad, 1^st Place Open, People's Choice and Best Overall; $25.00 cash award for Most Tasted.

• 1^st Place Pro Trad: Chef Sharon Gilman of Meza Grille - New England Clam Chowder
• 1^st Place Am Trad: Culinary Arts Guild - New England Clam Chowder; recipe Sita Milchev
• 1^st Place Pro Open: Cyndi Hartwell & Ana Sanchez of Café LaLa with Crab Salsa Chowder
• 1^st Place Am Open: Paul Pastina - Scallop Chowder
• People's Choice: Tie with 36 tokens each: Meza Grille & Oceansong Restaurant
• Best Overall: Cyndi Hartwell & Ana Sanchez of Café LaLa with Crab Salsa Chowder
• Most Tasted, with 219 tasting tickets: Oceansong's New England Clam Chowder

Judges:

1. Naomi Schwartz - "Foodie" at Surf Super
2. Carol Anello - Owner Spud Point Crab Co. and winner of Bodega Bay Chowder Day
3. Tony Anello - Owner Spud Point Crab Co. and winner of Bodega Bay Chowder Day
4. George Bailey - Lighthouse Peddler Food Critic

2005

Had a drop in entries, but more Chowder Challenge attendees! No one went home with uneaten chowder! We had 5 entrants, 4 professional, 1 amateur, three "celebrity" judges, two categories and offered 1^st Place plaques for each class, a People's Choice and Best Overall.

• 1^st Place Open Class and Overall, Paul Pastina for his Smoked Salmon Chowder
• 1^st Place Traditional New England Clam Chowder, Chef Sharon Gilman of Oceansong
• People's Choice, Chef Justin Doughty of The Gualala Hotel for his Traditional New England Style Clam Chowder
• Bread donors: Twofish Bakery, Laura's Panaderia, Riptides Bakery
• Judges: Tony & Lisa Geer from Ledford House, Paul Batchelder of the Culinary Arts Guild and Howard Curtis, former owner of The Gualala Hotel and amateur gourmet chef.

	In 2005, Chef Justin Doughty, then of The Gualala Hotel, shown supervising the serving of his winning 1st Place People's Choice chowder, a Traditional New England Style. Justin also took a 2nd Place People's Choice award in 2004 as chef at the Sandpiper Café.
Chef Sharon Gilman, then of Oceansong, poses with her 1st Place Best Traditional (New England Style) Chowder at the 2005 Chowder Challenge. Her New England Style Clam Chowder also took 3rd Place in People's Choice in 2004.
	Gualala Arts Staffer and KTDE 100.5 FM DJ Liz "Lizzard" Redfield accepts a taste of Amateur Chef Paul Pastina's Smoked Salmon Chowder in the 2005 Chowder Challenge. Paul, who lives in Novato, CA and has a house on The Sea Ranch, won both the Open Class and Best Overall.

2004

Our second year we drew 8 entrants, 7 professional, 1 amateur, had three "celebrity" judges and offered 3 People's Choice certificates, judges "awards" for style and an Overall Judges award.

• People's Choice: 1^st Place, Chef Leslie Bates of Smokehouse Grill for her traditional New England Style Clam Chowder (also Judges' award for Best New England Style Chowder)
• People's Choice: 2nd Place, Chef Justin Doughty of Sandpiper for his Crab & Corn Chowder (also Judges' award for Best use of Local Product . . . crab!)
• People's Choice: 3rd Place, Chef Sharon Gilman of Oceansong for her traditional New England Style Clam Chowder (also Judges' award for Most Classic Chowder)
• Judged Best Overall was Chef Laurie Pedelaborde of Coastal Cooks Catering for her Manhattan-style Clam Chowder
• Bread donors: Twofish Bakery, Laura's Panaderia, The Food Company, St. Orres
• "Celebrity" Judges: Heidi Cusick, Mary Alinder, Rosemary Campiformio (St. Orres) and Anna Dobbins

2003

The first year . . . we had 10 entrants, all professional chefs in only one category and People's Choice voting only:

• 1^st Place: Chef Leslie Bates of Smokehouse Grill for traditional New England Style Clam Chowder
• Bread donors: Twofish Bakery, Gualala Bakery, Laura's Panaderia, The Food Company, St. Orres

The Gualala Arts Center, located at 46501 Gualala Road in Gualala, CA,
is open weekdays 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and weekends from noon to 4:00 p.m.
Please call (707) 884-1138 for more information, or email info@gualalaarts.org.