Ill Equipped

     In most parts of the country the unofficial start to Summer is marked by Memorial Day.  But not in Newport, RI!  The Great Chowder Cook-Off is the event that signals the summer season for that portion of New England.  People have been coming to America's Cup Avenue there for over three decades to start their summer by tasting the best chowders from across the nation.  And they don't arrive without some serious preparation.



     As I stood in the preferred admittance line I chatted it up with some locals.  And as I did I noticed some interesting equipment they brought along.  First, I noticed they all had on sturdy shoes, hats, backpacks and lightweight clothing.  This was to make the best of the all afternoon event.  They were also armed with folding umbrellas, just in case.  Resourceful Yankees are prepared for the unexpected.  But what they did expect was a lot of little 1 oz cups of chowder samples from the nearly two dozen competitors.  And to handle all those cups they had something I had not considered and it caught me quite by surprise.  They all had frisbees.  Frisbees, you ask?  Well yes, if you invert them they make wonderful little trays in which to hold multiple samples being offered in order to taste test the different chowders side by side.  My, they take their voting responsibilities seriously!  And in the pockets of many were plastic soup spoons so they could enjoy every last drop of each chowder.  The backpacks?  They were to collect up all the samples of items used to entice votes from participants.  Everything from miniature frisbees, to beads, to shot glasses were given away.  And then from the corporate sponsors there were insulated canvas shopping bags, key chains, boxes of crackers and bags of chips, stickers and even yo-yos.  Also being handed out were samples of chocolate milk and an amazing burger slider made with maple syrup and apple slices, and bacon and cheese of course.  They never made it into the backpacks as you might guess.

 

     If not by my Philly accent then by my lack of preparation they could tell I was a neophyte, and outsider to the event.  But I quickly learned how to navigate the course and sample all the chowders and collect up all of the goodies.  With some friendly coaching I became a veteran of my first campaign and by the 5 pm deadline cast my votes for the best of the best in each category.