On the Road: 28th Annual WCOD Chowder Festival, Hyannis MA

This was our second time attending the ChowdaFest in Hyannis. We had such a great time last year, that it was a definite on our to-do list for the summer.

The event is held at the Cape Cod Melody Tent in Hyannis.

Here is a shot of the line of people waiting for the gates to open.

Vocalist Liz Solomon performed covers as well as original songs from her album, Imaginary Girl.

 The restaurants competing for best chowder were set up outside the tent, and people would wander in, sit down with their chowder samples, and listen to the music.

The second act to perform was The Sara Leketa Band.

Thirteen restaurants participated, including many local favorites. Outback Steakhouse was one of the entrants. Interestingly, the clam chowder recipe served nationwide at Outback Steakhouse was invented at their Hyannis location.

The Lobster Boat was giving away free frisbees along with the chowder. The frisbees were handy as platters for the chowder sample cups. Their lobster mascott was leading cheers of "Vote for the Boat!" Here's a shot of my lovely wife with the lobster.

Wimpy's Seafood Cafe and Fish Market was on hand with an impressive spread. In addition to chowder, Wimpy's handed out huge cocktail shrimp and crackers with crabmeat salad.  

Our favorite chowder was from the Wee Packet Restaurant. They had a thick chowder with lots of big, tender clams. Good stuff. They also handed out cookies.

There were four categories on the ballot. The real bragging rights go to the restaurant that wins for "Best Traditional Clam Chowder", but there was also voting for "Friendliest Staff", "Best Presentation", and a category for "Best Non-Traditional Chowder" for the restaurants who wanted to get creative. The restaurant with the most total votes across all categories received a $1000 donation to the charity of their choice.

The final musical act of the day was Lonesome Jukebox, an excellent oldies band.

After all that chowder, some dessert was in order. Fortunately, admission included a cup of ice cream from legendary Four Seas, which has been serving ice cream on the Cape for almost 75 years. 

The winners were announced this morning on sponsoring radio station 106 WCOD FM.

Multiple-time champ Captain Parker's took the top honors this year, winning for best traditional chowder, friendliest staff, and taking the most votes overall. Best presentation went to The Lobster Boat, and the best non-traditional chowder award went to Bobby Byrne's Restaurant & Pub.

The Chowder Fest is a great event for all ages. We'll be back for more next June.