Big winner Derek Rupp & his Pleasure Pizza East Side Eatery crew and family. Photo credit: Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk Facebook page
Interested to learn who made the best soup at the 2015 Santa Cruz Cruz Clam Chowder Cook-Off after reading my preview article? Pleasure Pizza Eastside Eatery, led by Derek Rupp, was a big winner – he was awarded 1st place / Best Professional by official judges in both Boston and Manhattan categories AND he won the People’s Choice award for Best Professional Manhattan.
See below for all results of the 34th annual event, which was held Feb. 21, 2015.
Top rated by judges:
Best Professional Boston
- 1st – Pleasure Pizza East Side Eatery (Derek Rupp) Santa Cruz
- 2nd – Local Harvest Eatery (Denna Myers) Santa Cruz
- 3rd – Lou Lou’s Griddle in the Middle (Gigi Davis ) Monterey
Best Professional Manhattan
- 1st – Pleasure Pizza East Side Eatery (Derek Rupp) Santa Cruz
- 2nd – Seascape Resort (Matt Lamendola) Aptos
- 3rd – Midgley’s Public House (Mike Midgely) Stockton
Best Individual Boston
- 1st – Alerts (Kenny Simon) Santa Cruz
- 2nd – Santa Cruz Kids Chowder (Tom Rumbaugh) Santa Cruz
- 3rd – Onokine (John Ono) Watsonville
Best Individual Manhattan
- 1st – Clam Halen (Brad Bishop) Santa Cruz
- 2nd – Wine w/Swine (Mark Brown) San Jose
- 3rd – Dragon Mama’s Portuguese Red (Michele Hartmangruber) Fremont
Most Original Teams
- 1st – Clam Rock (Christopher Hirz) Gilroy
- 2nd – Cucina Bambini (Shelly Ballard) San Jose
- 3rd – Sir Clamalot (Barbara Defries) San Pablo
People’s Choice (Voted #1 by the Public)
- Individual Boston – 4 Men & A Clam (Wayne Locke) Scotts Valley
- Professional Boston – Lou Lou’s Griddle in the Middle (Gigi Davis) Monterey
- Individual Manhattan – Grandma’s Clam Diggers, Janine Ponce, Aptos
- Professional Manhattan – Pleasure Pizza East Side Eatery
Most Tasted Chowders
- 1st – Rosie’s Clam & Get It (Kitty Dixon) Soquel
- 2nd – 4 Men & A Clam
- 3rd – Silence of the Clams (Brian Edwards) Campbell
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