Port Washington Ups Food Ante with SOUPer Bowl Champs

Hundreds turned out for the SOUPer Bowl at the United Methodist Church in Port Washington Saturday.

Sponsored by the Port Washington Chamber of Commerce, the event is the chance to sample soups from popular restaurants, markets and caterers on the peninsula and vote for the 2015 SOUPer Bowl Champs. It’s also an opportunity to meet up with friends and give back to the community, with proceeds benefitting a local food bank.

This year, O’Hara’s Ale House & Grill won both the Judges’ Choice Award and the People’s Choice Award for the eatery’s rich and creamy Loaded Baked Potato Soup.

Runners-up for the Judges’ Choice were Port Washington Yacht Club for its New England Lobster & Clam Chowder, Ayhan’s Mediterranean Market for its Turkey Chili Soup and Ayhan’s Fish Kebab for its Mediterranean Clam Chowder.

The People’s Choice runners-up are Port Thai Place for its Coconut Milk Soup, Finn MacCool’s for its Butternut Squash Soup and Sullivan’s Quay for its Chicken, Potato & Curry Soup.

There was also a tasting by a select judges’ panel. This year’s panel included four community-spirited local celebrities – Emmy-winning sports anchor Len Berman, Iron Chef Alex Lee, Emmy-winning news anchor and celebrity chef Julian Phillips and Bobby Flay’s sous chef Christine Sanchez. Rounding out the Judges’ Panel were Michele Cunkleman, a deaf-blind client from the Helen Keller National Center; Anne Arter of Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty (Commissioner Sponsor) and Joe Canigiani of Joseph N. Canigiani, Inc. (Commissioner Sponsor.)

The Chamber of Commerce also asked for donations of non-perishable food and collected several boxes to donate to the Twin Pines Food Pantry. In addition, The Chamber will donate a portion of the event’s proceeds to Twin Pines.

Chamber co-presidents Warren Schein and Mitch Schwartz were very pleased with the success of the event and they want everyone to reserve February 6, 2016, the Saturday before next year’s Super Bowl, for Port Washington’s SOUPer Bowl IX.

The participating restaurants, markets and caterers were:

• Amsterdam at Harborside
• Ayhan’s Fish Kebab
• Ayhan’s Mediterranean Marketplace
• Ayhan’s Shish Kebab
• Bosphorus Café Grill
• Finn MacCool’s
• Frank’s Pizza
• Gino’s Pizzeria & Restaurant
• Harbor Q
• O’Hara’s Ale House & Grill
• Port Thai Place
• Port Washington Diner
• Port Washington Yacht Club
• Rosso Uptown
• Sullivan’s Quay
• Toscanini
• Uncle Giuseppe’s Market
• Wild Honey on Main
• Yummy Gyro

The Chamber of Commerce is grateful to the sponsors who make this event possible. The Commsioner Sponsors of SOUPer Bowl 2015 are Joseph N. Canigiani, Inc. and Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty. Head Coach Sponsors are Laffey Fine Homes, R Best Produce – Uncle Giuseppe’s Market, and Roslyn Savings Bank – a Division of New York Community Bank. The Assistant Coach sponsors are Chief Signs and the Kiwanis Club of Manhasset-Port Washington. The Fans are Dime Savings Bank, My Little World Daycare, Port Washington Calendar/Mainly Marketing and Bruce A. Sims, DMD, PC.

Image: 2015 SOUPer Bowl in Port Washington/Credit: Jennifer Wilson-Pines