Clifton Park water voted best tasting in county

MALTA, N.Y. » The Clifton Park Water Authority was voted as having the best tasting drinking water in Saratoga County Tuesday after nearly 250 people sampled drinking water from around the county.

The CPWA will now represent the county at a regional contest scheduled for Aug. 3 as part of the Alive at Five concert in Albany. The winner of that contest will vie for the title of best tasting drinking water in the state at the New York State Fair in Syracuse next month.

Just three competitors showed up for the water tasting contest at the Hudson Valley Community College Tec Smart building in the Luther Forest Technology Park, Malta. The tasting contest was held as part of the annual Taste of Malta fundraiser.

CPWA was chosen to have the best tasting water over samples from the City of Saratoga Springs and the City of Mechanicville. Plastic pitchers reserved for water samples from Saratoga County Water Authority and the Town of Wilton went unfilled when neither appeared.

While sampling dishes from nine Malta restaurants and baked good from two others, people would stop by the table manned by the blue-shirted members of the Southern Saratoga County Chamber to taste unmarked cups of water.

Most of those who stopped had palates that were as discerning for water as they were for food.

“I thought the second sample tasted a little chemically,” said Steve Gottmann. “The first and third were close. I chose the third as the best. I take part in the water taste test every year.”

Gottmann smiled when asked what he liked best in the way of food offerings.

“I’ve only tried the food from Panza’s (On the Lake) so far and it was excellent,” he said.

Sandi and John Balet from Malta were two others who took part in the drinking water contest. Taking a break from the food they swished cups of water around their mouths like fine wine before casting their ballots.

“The second cup had no taste and the third was blah, flat,” Sandi Balet said emphatically.

Her husband agreed with her assessment.

“Number one was pure and clean,” he said. “It reminded me of the good Malta ground water I grew up with. The second one tasted like chemicals, chlorine maybe, and with the third I could taste the minerals. I voted for number one too.”

The couple was asked if they had tried any food and their eyes lit up.

“I liked the deviled eggs (from Dunning Street Station),” Sandi Balet.

“I especially liked the jambalaya from Nanola,” said John. “All the food was great.”

This was the ninth year for the Taste of Malta. According to the event’s coordinator Karen McGowan, the fundraiser is a collaboration between the community’s restaurants and baked good outlets and the Malta Professional Business Association.

Tickets to the event cost $15. The eateries provide the food samplings and all the money raised goes to the Ballston Central School

District. The district in turn uses the funds to help students from 22 school districts in 11 different counties attend the Tec Smart Early College and High School Program.

In addition to Panza’s, Dunning Street Station, and Nanola, other eating establishments taking part in the fundraiser included the Recovery Sports Grill, Campagna Restaurant, Round Lake Farms, Leah’s Cakery, and Oh Corn! Arepas and More, from Halfmoon.

The deviled eggs from Dunning Street Station included seared ahi tuna, wasabi, and aioli while the dish from Panza’s offered pieces of short ribs that had been braised in Blue Moon Beer and juniper berries and topped with a citrus fennel salad on a crostini.

The staff and owners of Oh Corn! were kept busy plating half size servings of cheese, chicken, and pork arepas.

In addition to a cash bar, food samplers always had the water tasting table to clear their palates whenever they wanted.

There was at least one voter who couldn’t make up her mind as to which water tasted the best. Sharon Farley-Shiera took small sips and let them roll around her mouth before marking her ballot. Her face had a contemplative look as she tossed the third paper cup in the trash.

“I thought all three were refreshing and that’s what I wrote on my ballot,” she laughed. “I really came for the Taste of Malta. It’s all about supporting local businesses.”