CHOWDER TIME
12th annual Troy Chowderfest set for Sunday
The Collar City will be the place for chowder this weekend as it hosts the 12th annual Troy Chowderfest.
This flavorful competition is scheduled for noon to 4 p.m. on Sunday in downtown Troy. Presented by the Downtown Troy Business Improvement District, Troy Chowderfest aims to be a fun-filled and delicious day for event-goers of all ages.
Attendees - about 25,000 are expected - will have the opportunity to experience the food, drinks, live music and festivities while tasting the different soup samplings and voting for their favorite chowder.
Recipes like Cajun Crawfish Chowder, Manhattan Clam Chowder, Reuben Chowder, Moroccan Harira Chowder, From The Farm Corn Chowder, and Vegan Chicken Autumn Harvest Chowder are all slated to be served on Sunday’s menu.
Chefs will be competing for the title of Most Original, Best Seafood, Best Vegetarian, Best Booth, People’s Choice and Judges Choice.
Past winners will return to defend their titles, while new competitors join in the challenge. Restaurants participating on Sunday are Bootleggers Bar + Grill, Bountiful Bread, BRad’s Bistro & Catering, Brown’s Brewing Company, Hooked Seafood Co., Hudson-Chatham Winery, McGreivey’s, Muddaddy Flats, Plumb Restaurant & Bar, Rare Form Brewing Co. with Field Notes, Rivers Casino & Resort, River Street Pub, The Ruck, Ryan’s Wake, The Shop and Tara Kitchen.
Competitors with locations in downtown Troy will serve out of their storefronts, while cooks from outside the downtown perimeter will serve at Monument Square, River Street, and Broadway.
A Chowder Trolley will provide transportation throughout downtown for anyone traveling to competitor establishments, eateries and businesses.
Chef Melissa Doney of Brown’s Brewing Company will prepare a Reuben Chowder for the contest this year. She said she looks forward to serving up tasty chowder and seeing so many people supporting the great restaurants and shops in the City of Troy.
Tara Kitchen is participating in Troy Chowderfest for the first time ever this year, and chef Joshua Gabri is cooking up a unique variation of an ever-popular Moroccan soup called Moroccan Harira Chowder, which will be both vegan and glutenfree.
“As always first it is about the food,” Gabri said. “Our intent is to tantalize those taste buds and put a smile on your face while welcoming everyone into our space. It is always exciting to participate in the many events Troy has to offer and be part of such a wonderful community.”
The Shop, located at 135
Fourth St., plans to offer a New England Clam Bake Chowder and a Vegan ‘Clam’ Chowder. The clambake chowder is a traditional New England creamy style inspired by head chef Rich Matthews’ childhood trips to Kennebunkport, Maine. It will feature hand shucked North Atlantic clams, freshly made clam stock, and hand-pulled lobster meat paired with house smoked pork belly, local cream, and New York Kennebec potatoes. The vegan option will sport locally foraged mushrooms in a seainfused coconut and almond milk broth built to resemble the more traditional taste and texture of a typical New England chowder.
“We are looking forward to another year being able to host the event at our location,” Matthews said. “The refocus of Chowderfest as an event that involves the many areas of downtown has added to the expansion of business through downtown’s lesser developed regions.”
To create a welcoming environment for guests The Shop will have a DJ and outdoor sampling, weather permitting.
“Previous years were limiting in the ability to move hundreds of gallons of chowder safely and smoothly to a central location. With increased focus on accessibility, the BID has stepped up to include trolley stops throughout downtown, ensuring that sampling at the various locations is available to all. Last year it seemed as though many chose to stay in the Monument Square area, avoiding some of the outliers,” Matthews said. “We hope this year brings more people to the brick and mortar locations that comprise the community yearround, and are offering options that represent the true character of Troy, NY.”
Judging the 2018 Troy Chowderfest competition will be Daniel Berman, Community Ambassador of Yelp! Albany, a representative from the City of Troy, Yelp! Elite Ryan Hennessy, Amy Koren-Roth of Taste of Troy Food Tours and local food writer Kathleen Willcox.
All attendees will get the chance to be a judge and vote in the People’s Choice category.
Admission to the event is free. Tickets redeemable for one three-ounce bowl of chowder will be $1 each. Tickets can be purchased at Monument Square with additional locations at Barker Park and the Green Island Parking Lot, starting at noon.
This year, in an effort to go green, competitors will be serving chowder in all compostable tasting cups and with spoons made from corn. Foodscraps360 will provide composting stations throughout downtown, so guests can try more chowder while making efforts to keep a low carbon footprint.
Entertainment and craft vendors will be located throughout the downtown district on Sunday as well. DJ AyO, DJ Jennifer Haley, Intell Haysfield, and DJ Session will all be playing tunes for the event, along with live performances at Monument Square by Mother Judge, Hastey Page, and Mario Sevayega.
Additionally, Troy Chowderfest will include kidfriendly interactive performances by Ragliacci Rags and The Magic & Illusions of Jeffrey Jene, caricature portraits by Mark Brennan, face painting by JoJo’s Fabulous Faces, and a fun craft to take home by Bash Birthday Parties. More information about the 12th annual Chowderfest, a rain-orshine event, is available online at DowntownTroy. org.