Winner winner chowder dinner!

Chuck’s Waterfront Grill took home the grand prize of best overall chowder in front of a sold out crowd at the fourth annual Santa Barbara Chowder Fest held at montecito Country Club. The event was a benefit for Legal Aid Foundation and was hosted by food & home magazine. Competing against 17 other restaurants and caterers, Chuck’s received a unanimous thumbs up from renowned Chefs michael hutchings, Jamie West and food critic George Yatchisin.

CWG managing partner Steve hyslop says the winning recipe was born 14 years ago while attending The International food Show in San francisco. “We met a clam supplier from delaware with the Clam Chowder that was the one: it wasn’t the thick, goopy kind with too much corn starch or flour we had seen in too many seafood restaurants (and at many booths at the show), but was instead a very flavorful clam chowder experience, emphasizing the flavors of the clams and the vegetables. In talking with them, we found that their secret was in the use of extra large clams, and the inclusion of a substantial amount of clam nectar during preparation.” hyslop says they took that philosophy and developed their own version of the soup, which is served in the restaurant every day exactly the way it was presented to the judges.

Runners up to CWG in the of the Clam Chowder Category were: second place, Museum Café; and third place, Three Pickles. Lazy Acres market took home first place in the Creative Category, followed by Montecito County Club; and in third place, Hungry Cat La Cumbre County Club won the People’s Choice award.

Net proceeds were over $40,000, doubling proceeds from prior years. The fundraiser benefits Legal Aid foundation of Santa Barbara County providing free help to those who have nowhere else to turn for legal protection against family violence, guardianships for minor children, housing discrimination, mortgage foreclosure assistance, consumer fraud, financial abuse against elders or other vulnerable residents of Santa Barbara County.