Annual SOUPerbowl contest names best soup in town

Chefs make cooking their sport at Port Washington SOUPerbowl XIII

Ever wondered where some popular destinations for soup are in Port?  Well, look no further – Port’s SOUPer Bowl supplies various soup options that seeks to be satisfying for all soup-lovers. 

On Saturday, Feb. 2, Port Washington’s restaurants provided locals with an opportunity to enjoy a hot lunch while simultaneously competing for a chance to be named the champion of soups as the Port Washington Chamber of Commerce held the 2019 SOUPer Bowl at the Archangel Greek Orthodox Church.  The event is by no means new, as this year marked its twelfth anniversary. 

The highly anticipated event consisted of residents sampling soups from local restaurants and markets, and then voting for their favorite.  

Visitors paid a small admission fee to gain access to Port’s soup symposium and were each given two ounces of each soup to try.  Each of the 15 participating local businesses donated ten gallons of what they believed to be their best soup, as well as bread or crackers to go along with it.  

Some of the soups available for taste-testing included Bosphorus’ tomato soup with croutons and kesere cheese, The Wild Goose’s white bean and kale soup, and Ayhan’s Mediterranean Market’s turkey chili and kale soup.  

The three honors up for grabs were the “People’s Choice Award,” which was chosen by adult attendees, the “Kid’s Choice Award,” which gave children who were 12 or younger their own ballots, and the most prestigious of the three, the “Judge’s Choice Award.” The final award was handed out by a featured panel of celebrity judges. 

This panel included sports anchor Len Berman, culinary consultant Christine Sanchez, celebrity chef and newscaster Julian Phillips, associate real estate broker Anne Arter, contractor Joseph Canigiani, and a client of the Hellen Keller National Center, Geanna Johnson.  

Serving a large portion of our community, the event continued to create joyful, lasting memories and experiences for all its participants and their families. Sophomore Daniel Ruskin is a frequent taste-tester in Port’s SOUPer Bowl contest.  

 “I’m disappointed I wasn’t able to make it this year, but I have some great memories going with my family,” said Ruskin.  “It was always super fun.” 

In addition to sampling soups, the 2019 SOUPer Bowl included a non-perishable food drive, with the items collected set to be donated to local families in need.  Raffle tickets were sold for an opportunity for samplers to win $50, $75, or $100 gift certificates to a featured restaurant of the winner’s choice.  Aside from promoting local restaurants and businesses, the event was an opportunity for residents to enjoy a meal while supporting the town.  

“I think the SOUPer Bowl is a great way for the Port Washington community to come together with a food that we all love,” said senior Jacob Keller.  

With approximately 500 Port citizens in attendance, a considerable portion of our local community embraced the competition and its goal of creating awareness and support for local businesses.  

“I’m disappointed I wasn’t able to make it this year, but I have some great memories going with my family. [The SOUPer Bowl] was always so fun,” said Ruskin.

Many of Port Washington’s residents were glad to escape February’s record-breaking cold winter weather to express their love for locally made soup in this year’s SOUPer Bowl event.