On the hunt for the best chowder at Olde Mistick Village
Mystic — With temperatures reaching the high 50s and the sun shining brightly in Olde Mistick Village, people took to the narrow streets Saturday to enjoy the weather, do some shopping and, above all, try as many types of chowder as possible.
The annual Cabin Fever Festival and Charity Chowder Cook Off always has attracted a crowd, but this year attendance seemed to reach a new high, with full parking lots and crowded lines at shops across the shopping center.
Seventeen local restaurants teamed up with the shops to offer different varieties of chowder and vie for awards that included "people's choice" and "heartiest chowder."
Chowder and time are donated by local restaurants, and proceeds from the cook-off go directly to the Pawcatuck Neighborhood Center.
Chowders ran the gamut from standard blends of clams and a heavy, viscous base to some more out-of-the-box creations, including a beer-and-sausage blend from Jealous Monk, which saw lines out the door, and the corn-and-pumpkin offerings at Pink Basil.
"That one was really different," Kathy Foley said as she emerged from Pink Basil. Foley had brought along Emma Way, 10, and Carter Way, 5, and the pumpkin was an unexpected hit with the children.
"It's an inexpensive way to expose them to different flavors," Foley said.
For Susan Wowak and Linda Bird, who traveled on the ferry from Orient Point, Long Island, it was all about the competition.
"We're taking it seriously and writing down notes," Wowak said. They were among several that waited out long lines to try popular chowders at the Bleu Squid Bakery and Cheese Shop.
For those who weren't enamored with chowder and those who already ate their fill, there were appearances by owls and other birds of prey arranged by the Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center and Horizon Wings, as well as performances by school groups from Ledyard and Mystic.
In the chowder competition this year, the people's choice category was tied between The Irons at Hilton Mystic and The Dog Watch Café, with StoneRidge coming in second and Octagon Steakhouse in third place.
The most creative chowder, a judged category, was won by Sticky Situation, which had a tiny pancake and maple syrup floating on top of each cup of its corn chowder.
Now in its 14th year, the money the event raises has been climbing, from around $4,000 in its first year to an estimated $18,000 this year, Pawcatuck Neighborhood Center Director Vicki Anderson said.
"That amount of money sustains us ... it's a big deal," she said.
The center uses the money to purchase items its emergency food pantry runs out of frequently, including baked beans, canned fruit, cereal, canned meats and, Anderson said, its single most requested soup: clam chowder.
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