The tallies for the 2nd annual Manor Grove "Soup's On" event have just been counted. Here are the results:
Judge's Awards: Gold Ladle: Canyon Cafe's Poblano Chicken Chowder
Silver Ladle: Corner Pub and Grill's Guinness Beef Stew
Bronze Ladle: Lester's Sports Bar & Grill's Corn Chowder
People's Choice Awards: Gold Ladle: Mike Duffy's Pepper Jack Potato
Silver Ladle: Corner Pub and Grill's Guinness Beef Stew
Bronze Ladle: Canyon Cafe's Poblano Chicken Chowder
This is the second year in a row the judges awarded Canyon Cafe top honors for their creamy, silky and perfectly spiced Poblano Chicken Chowder. Nineteen competitors (16 restaurants, 2 grocers and a caterer) participated in this year's competition (same as last year). Nine of them brought 2 soups, bring the total tally to 28.
The crowd was estimated at 800, double last year's total. So how much soup is required to give 800 people a respectable taste? The Corner Pub and Grill ran out right at the end...and they brought 20 gallons.
One interesting anecdote: I noticed that most of the judges were using a simple 10-point scoring system. All except Manfred Zettl (creator of Famous Barr's legendary onion soup). Bedecked in high hat and whites, with spectacles perched on the end of his nose, Zettl drew up an elaborate grid listing the 28 soups, cross-referencing them by color, taste, consistency and finish, then assigned a score to each (apparently these are the criteria used by the World Association of Cooks). All I know is that there were more numbers on that sheet than on John Nash's blackboard.
He then ran totals and systematically circled his three favorites. Which soup won Zettl's top score? (I was almost too intimidated to ask.) Ends up Zettl picked all three of the winners, in the exact order they finished. -- George Mahe
