Marietta is scheduled for Saturday April 1st, from 11:00 a.m until 3:00 p.m. Ed Lincoln Jr. and co-owners of the Railroad House, Joey Bowden and Freddy States, have teamed-up again to raise money for the Lancaster County SPCA, FoodStock Lancaster, and the Marietta Market. Last year’s event sold out with over 350 attendees through the door and this year they have raised the attendance and stakes.
“Last year was such an incredible turnout of support from all aspects; we raised nearly four thousand dollars in that short time span. We ran out of space, and some restaurants ran out of their chowder, so this year we pushed back the date to utilize the whole property on the corner of Front and Perry streets, stated Mr. Lincoln. “It’s very simple to get tickets” said Joey Bowden. “You can either stop by the Railroad House during hours of operation and purchase them for $10 each, or log on to Event Brite website and get them there. There will possibly be tickets the day of the event, but don’t count on it. Get them early so you don’t miss out on one of the biggest events of the year in Marietta.”
Chowderfest is a competition between restaurants to provide the best soup, chowder, or bisque to be sampled and judged by 1) the public 2) a group of select non-competing chefs and restauranteurs from out of the area and 3) by representatives of the corporate sponsors for their individual awards. Red Roof Inn, CGA Law Firm and Stewart-Tate are the three corporate sponsors thus far, and will each present their own picks at the end of the day.
Chowderfest attendees will each receive a ballot card with all the competitors’ names and a scale of 1-10. The attendees will stroll about the premises and sample / judge the chowder, soup, or bisque. Upon completion, they will turn in the ballot card and the tally will be added up. Last year Shank’s Tavern narrowly won the Popular Vote over the Railroad House, with the Judges Pick going to Nick’s Bistro and The Red Roof Inn award going to the Railroad House. This year the Chowderfest will have some new blood, but unfortunately a couple from last year had prior commitments and could not be involved.
This year the competitors include but are not limited to: Bron’s Deli • Nick’s Bistro • Café Capriccio Marietta • John Wright Inn • The Bull’s Head • McCleary’s Pub • Lancaster Dispensing Company • The Railroad House • The Black Gryphon • Pig Iron Brewery • Bube’s Brewery • Springhouse Brewery • The Garlic Poet • The Horse Inn
The competition should be HOT, as well as music by the Towson Steele Solution and a few guest artists. Also on hand will be caricature artist Louis Welsh from Gettysburg and a silent auction for the benefit. Drink features and great food will be available for the event’s duration and afterward. Should you have any questions or would like to volunteer or donate a silent auction item, please contact Ed Lincoln, Jr. at Chowderfest16@gmail.com.