At the Shore, soup - and competition - was on

LONG BEACH ISLAND, N.J. White or red? Silky or chunky? More veggies or more bacon?

Clam chowder fans can ponder many questions about the Shore's favorite soup. On this stretch of Jersey Shore Sunday, thousands of them heartily renewed those age-old debates, and the most important of all: Whose cup of chowder is the best?

The weekend's Chowderfest, the 25th annual cook-off pitting local businesses against one another in a daylong quest to win the votes of more than 10,000 taste-testers, was especially meaningful for many.

In the wake of Hurricane Sandy, the soupy spectacle represented a triumph over destruction for the businesses competing for the title and for the community members who flocked to enjoy and judge them.

"Considering everything that we've all been through down here, everybody that was affected by the storm, we need Chowderfest to restore normalcy," said Marc Cohen, co-owner of Chicken or the Egg, one of 10 competitors in the New England clam chowder division.

Cohen's restaurant was gutted by the hurricane; the whole kitchen, the floors, and the wiring had to be replaced. "It's really about making sure everybody knows LBI's back."

Cohen said he used Chowderfest as a chance to test out a new recipe with more cream and with vegetables more finely cut. If his restaurant won the contest, he decided, he would keep the new recipe on the menu; if not, he would stick with his current offering.

At Howard's Restaurant, the defending champion in the white chowder category, owner Kevin Sparks said he had not changed anything about his top-secret recipe. All he would say about his formula: "It's got a lot of clammy good flavor that's balanced with the cream. It's chock-full of clams."

Sparks prepared 200 gallons of soup for the event - enough for more than 25,000 one-ounce samples. And for the second year in a row, he proudly took home the grand prize.

In the red chowder category, Stefano's Restaurant won big, and Shore Fire Grille's Manhattan entry claimed the rookie of the year award.

With live music, face paint, and sand art for children, and lots of beer for their parents, the event resembled a massive tailgate party. Organizer Lori Pepenella said 12,000 to 15,000 people had purchased tickets, which cost $20 for adults.

Held each October, Chowderfest helps Long Beach Island draw in tourist dollars past the end of the summer, when Shore towns are generally shutting down, said Pepenella, who works for the Southern Ocean County Chamber of Commerce, which sponsors the event.

"Long Beach Island is one of the few Jersey Shore towns that Labor Day does not signify the end of our Shore season," she said.

Bobbi Steele, former Ocean County tourism director, said some restaurants that used to close in September decided to stay open just so they could participate in Chowderfest.

Moreover, Chowderfest proceeds cover the annual cost of operating a year-round visitor center and help fund scholarships for local high schoolers and special programs like fireworks and a Christmas parade, Pepenella said.

A local environmental organization, Reclaim the Bay, raised money by selling $10 palettes for festivalgoers to hold multiple cups of chowder at once.

Many repeat attendees came prepared, toting their own egg cartons, muffin tins, and even elaborately decorated homemade trays for carrying chowder samples.

They traded strategic tips for getting the most samples in the shortest time, and then they debated all afternoon over which ones to vote for.

Barbara Gawason, who said she attended the first Chowderfest, outlined to her family the virtues of the sample she tasted from Lefty's Tavern.

"It has a nice clam taste. It's not too tomato-y," she said.

Teri Frisina was surprised by one entrant, Arcadia Nursing & Rehabilitation Center, which doled out tastes of the chowder it serves its residents.

"Have you tried Arcadia?" she asked. "I was all Howard's. And then I was like, 'Oh man, we've got some competition here.' "