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The defending Amsterdam Soup Fest champions won over the taste buds of tasters again this weekend with its crab and corn chowder. More than 1,000 people descended on downtown Amsterdam Saturday afternoon to enjoy more than 30 entries from over 20 local spots. Newcomer Schwalbacher Brewing unseated Lyon St.
Bar and Grill for 'Most Unique Soup' as its spicy Brazilian coconut shrimp soup garnered more support than Lyon's mushroom, bacon cheeseburger chowder. Attendees paid $1 for 3-oz. soup samples at each location during the event sponsored by the City of Amsterdam Tourism, Marketing and Recreation Department and local WellNow Urgent Care Center.
Among the competitors were: Michael Viscosi, an attorney in Johnstown, said Creekside’s winning chowder was among the best soups he tasted at the event. “This one's good,” he said. “Russo’s was really good, too, they had a really good chili.
” County Executive Peter Vroman, who also tried Creekside’s chowder, commended the city for organizing the community event. “It is a great event to come to in Amsterdam. Everybody's got a little bit of the mid-winter thing going on,” he said.
“We're ready for spring, and it is so nice to get out of the house and come over here and be around a bunch of nice people and eat a lot of great soup. Vinnie Nicosia, director of program development for the Montgomery County Business Development Center, agreed with Vroman and said the event is a great way to bring people together. “I think it's just a great community event,” Nicosia said.
“Amsterdam, their rec[reation] and tourism department puts on a lot of great events throughout the year to bring people together and bring them out for things to do around the community. It's a great community event — and obviously the soup is great at the same time. It's a win-win.
” Julie Drake, who served patrons Sharp Shooters Billiard’s lasagna soup and broccoli cheddar soup, said the event was a way to get new customers through the door. “It's a good way to kind of check out our place that people normally wouldn't go to, so this is really cool,” she said. “It’s good to get communities together.
” Victoria Hollingsworth, who works as a hostess at Bosco’s Family Restaurant and served its cheddar bacon and potato soup with her daughter Rowan, said her personal connection to the venue made the event special. “We love contributing to the community with it and getting more people in the door to try Bosco’s out if they haven't already,” she said. “I used to work here when I was in high school, and I've been coming here since literally before I was born.
[Rowan’s] older sister has too, we actually had her older sister's first birthday party here.”.
