The Great Chowder Cook-Off, the original and longest-running chowder championship in the country, took place at Fort Adams State Park on Saturday.

The 35th Annual edition of the Great Chowder Cook-Off was the largest in its history with 21 recipes chowder recipes award-winning chefs representing restaurants, catering companies, clam shacks, distributors, culinary schools and institutional dining facilities.

Participating Restaurants & Winners:

Best Decorated Booth – Open Season Catering (#8)

Most Spirited Team – Open Season Catering (#8)

Clam Category: 

3rd Place – Grid Iron Ale House and Grille (#4)

2nd Place Open Season Catering (#8)

1st Place – Hurricane’s Soup/Luke’s Lobster (#5)

Participating Clam Category Restaurants: Dan’s Place, West Greenwich, RI; DiMare Seafood, East Greenwich, RI; Greenwich Bay Oyster Bar, East Greenwich, RI; Grid Iron Ale House, Warwick, RI; Luke’s Lobster/Hurricane Chowder, NY/Maine; McGrath Clambakes & Catering, Newport, RI; Open Season Catering, Warwick, RI; Tommy’s World Famous Clam Shack, Warwick, RI; Waxy’s, Brookline, MA; Zambarano Hospital, Pascoag, RI; and Bristol-Plymouth Regional Technical School Culinary Program, Taunton, MA*.

Seafood Category:

3rd Place – Main Sail (#21)

2nd Place – Clifton Health Care (#24)

1st Place –  Bristol Plymouth Technical High School (#20)

Participating Seafood Category Restaurants: Bunratty Manor, County Clare, Ireland; Clifton Health Care Campus, Somerset, MA; Fire Works Catering, Providence, RI; MainSail at the Newport Marriott, Newport, RI; and The Boat Yard Bar & Grill, Newport, RI; Wharf Pub, Newport, RI; and Bristol-Plymouth Regional Technical School – Culinary Program, Taunton, MA*.

Best of the Best Category :

Grand Champion: Davenport’s Restaurant (Booth C)

Davenport’s Restaurant, East Providence & Cumberland, RI; Mooring Seafood Kitchen & Bar, Newport, RI; and Tony’s Seafood Restaurant, Cedar Key, FL. * Bristol-Plymouth Regional Technical School Culinary Program, Taunton, MA is competed in both the Clam and Seafood categories. This is the first time a competitor has attempted to participate in two categories in the same year.

The event also included the Newport Oyster Festival, live music and a variety of entertainment for all ages.

What’sUpNewp was proud to be a partner of the 2016 Great Chowder Cook-Off, other partners this year included Sea Watch, Stop & Shop, Heineken, Rhode Island Public Transit Authority (RIPTA), Blue Cross Blue Shield of Rhode Island, Rob Levine & Associates, Matunuck Oyster Farm, Discover Newport, WPRI 12/Fox Providence/The Rhode Show, I Heart Radio Providence – 94 HJY and Coast 93.3, Fort Adams Trust and the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management.

Ryan Belmore is the Owner and Publisher of What'sUpNewp. Although not the founder or original owner, Belmore has been with What'sUpNewp since its early beginnings in 2012.

Belmore was born in Providence, Rhode Island; grew up and graduated high school in Coventry, Rhode Island; and lived in Newport, Rhode Island for more than ten years. He currently serves as Vice President of the Board Of Directors for Fort Adams Trust and on the Board of Directors for Potter League For Animals.

He and his wife, Jen, as well as their two dogs (Aero and June), recently moved to Alexandria, Virginia. Belmore travels back and forth to Newport every couple of weeks to cover events, work on story ideas, to meet with What'sUpNewp's on-the-ground contributors, to visit friends, and to eat as much seafood as possible.

Belmore is a member of Local Independent Online News Publishers, Society of Professional Journalists, and the North American Snowsports Journalists Association.