Chowderfest Heats Up Frigid Day In Twentieth Year
Editor’s Note: {{{{UPDATE: The winners in all categories appear at the end of this post.}}}
The 20th Annual Chowderfest occurred on Saturday, February 2.
SARATOGA SPRINGS – On a photo-finger-freezing afternoon, Saratoga Springs’ Chowderfest – which began twenty years ago with less than 10 restaurants – exploded upon the winter cityscape with over 80 vendors, music and just plain overall enthusiasm.
If the City has an official Holiday, this is it!
It’s one thing to draw people here in August, but to do so on the first Saturday in February, in tremendous numbers, for 20 years, is a massive achievement, for which presenters The Saratoga Springs Convention and Tourism Bureau and their partners should be justified in their pride, and deserving of our gratitude. The pictures below show many happy people having a great time.
But it would be a mistake to become ostrich-like and bury a cautionary note about killing the Golden Goose, if you will allow me to mix poultry-metaphors.
Because social media today is abuzz with tales of drunken rowdiness in the streets, vomiting in the snow, and other anti-social behaviors as the afternoon rolled along. It would be convenient to blame the combo of cream soups and heavy alcohol intake on those with inexperience, but I have to say that I have observed plenty of bad behavior from every age group in the past couple of years.
While it is still a very, very small percentage of the thousands that come – it is enough to say that it is time to give this some Attention – with a capital A. So here we are.
As a photojournalist, I’m going to be at Chowderfest no matter what. But I want to keep it a event where everyone feels welcome – and apparently, some of you are staying away. I want it to be an event that continues to supply a fresh bunch of happy faces – like these you are about to see – year after year.
Not my favorite post to write. Perhaps one of the most necessary, however. I’ve had this soapbox for over a year now, and I believe I can only count on your loyalty as a reader if I call things as I honestly see them. With that said, please enjoy.
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THE GALLERY: Chowderfest 2018
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2018 Chowderfest Winners:
Best dessert chowder — Ravenous, 21 Phila St.
Best non-downtown chowder — PJ’s BAR-B-QSA, 1 Kaydeross Ave. W.
Best off-Broadway chowder — Courtyard by Marriott, 11 Excelsior Ave.
Best newcomer — Dizzy Chicken Woodfired Rotisserie, 102 Congress St.
Best chowder made with Saranac beer — Bookmakers Restaurant and Lounge at the Holiday Inn, 232 Broadway.
People’s choice — Thirsty Owl Saratoga, 184 S. Broadway.
Best on Broadway — Thirsty Owl Saratoga, 184 S. Broadway.
Nearly 140,000 servings of chowder were handed out Saturday, compared with 120,000 in 2017.
Arthur Gonick
February 3, 2018
