People come to Taste of Cambridge for the crab cook-off, but they also find an incredible street festival full of live entertainment and family fun. Now in its 11th year, Taste of Cambridge has evolved into a showcase of regional and local talent, as well as a chance for families to enjoy the unique heritage in the heart of the Chesapeake Country.
“Foodies gravitate here because of the blossoming restaurant scene, and because we are cooking with one of the most sought-after ingredients in the world,” said Cambridge Main Street Executive Director Brandon Hesson, whose organization hosts the event on July 11 from 5-10 p.m. “The cook-off is the centerpiece of the event, but we are also watching this festival grow to attract amazing bands from across the Mid-Atlantic region.”
Hesson believes 12 restaurants will compete in the crab cook-off this year, in at least five categories: Crab cake, cream of crab soup, Maryland vegetable crab soup, crab dip and crab specialty, which allows chefs the freedom to get creative. More than a 1,000 event goers who purchase the $25 ticket will pick their favorites on a ballot and Peoples’ Choice winners will be selected in each category. Celebrity judges have come from as far as Florida to pick a winner, and the Best in Show winner will qualify to compete in the World Food Championship.
“We put a lot of thought into who judges our events, and there is a lot of weight put into making sure it is a fair competition,” said Hesson. “This year, we may have the most qualified group of judges we’ve ever had at the event. They aren’t just highly qualified chefs, but they have specific appreciation for food competitions.”
Chef Rene Marquis is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) and a combat veteran of 21 years with the United States Army. Throughout his military career, he served as the team captain of the U.S. Army Culinary Arts Team, which brought home 31 gold medals from the Culinary Olympics during his tenure. He won an episode in the first season of the popular show “Cutthroat Kitchen” on the Food Network.
Bruce Mattel is the associate dean of food production at CIA, from where he is also a graduate, and is responsible for the curriculum, instruction, program development, and food quality in the kitchen classrooms. He is the founder of the SkillsUSA post-secondary chapter at CIA, which has produced top awards at state and national competitions.
The judging group will be rounded out by Kevin Scott, a National Accounts Manager with the National Restaurant Association and a veteran judge of Taste of Cambridge.
“We’re putting a spot at the World Food championships on the line, and that is something that carries some weight,” said Hesson. “Not only do we want good, fair judging, but we want the chefs participating to feel like they are being judged by qualified peers. I think we outdid ourselves this year.”
Taste of Cambridge will feature two live stages and a myriad of performers covering a wide range of genres, all provided through a new partnership with Enliven Bookings. There will also be dance performances by local youth groups, a juggling performance in the children’s area, a watermelon eating contest for children and a crab picking contest pitting the area’s top pickers from the top crab houses in Dorchester County.
The Muir Stage kicks off with Dorchester County acoustic powerhouse Pete Baker at 5:00 p.m. The ABM Dance team will perform a routine at 5:45 before So Last Year, a vibrant pop/indie rock band from Rochester, NY, takes over at 6 p.m. Bluegrass veterans Flatland Drive will play from 6-7 p.m. and the explosive duo of Jess and Ben will close out the night on the Muir Stage, starting at 8:30 p.m.
The Race Stage starts with an acoustic set from local artist Sam Pugh, who will play a large set from 5-6:15 p.m. before giving way to the crab picking contest, which is always a crowd favorite. The Eastern Shore Dance Academy, which also serves as food runners to the judges’ table, will perform at 7:30 pm, while the judges’ scores are tallied. Judges’ winners will be announced at 8 p.m. Maze Wave will close out the Race Stage with an electric/pop set from 9-10 p.m.
“We have a great selection of local musicians, and as our event evolves each year, we are starting to attract more accomplishes regional acts,” said Hesson. “This is important because event goers are starting to come from major metropolitan areas like Philadelphia, D.C. and Baltimore, so their expectations for entertainment are different.”
Cambridge Main Street is a volunteer-driven organization, and none of its efforts would be possible without a dedicated crew of volunteers. Specifically, Taste of Cambridge requires almost 100 volunteers to do set-up, tear-down and everything in between. In order to streamline the process of volunteer coordination at Taste of Cambridge, Cambridge Main Street has partnered with Cambridge Engineered Solutions and Cambridge International to bring its “Heavy Metal” Recreational vehicle to the heart of the event, where staff will check in volunteers, hand them their instructions and answer questions. The heavily-customized, 25-foot RV will also provide volunteers much-needed air conditioning and a refrigerator full of water.
“Volunteer coordination is something we have always been good at handling but having something like the Heavy Metal RV takes volunteer appreciation to the next level,” said Hesson. “We had an opportunity to work with a local company that employs local workers, and it shows everyone just how much we value our volunteers.”
Taste of Cambridge begins promptly at 5 p.m. and ticket buyers are urged to arrive on time so they are able to taste all of the competing dishes. Tickets can be bought online at www.cambridgemainstreet.com, or they can be bought at the Dorchester Chamber of Commerce, the Cambridge Visitors Center or Katie Mae’s Country Store.
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
5-8 p.m.: Crab Cook-Off Tasting
5 p.m.: Kid’s area opens
5-5:45: Pete Baker, acoustic music, Muir Stage.
5-6:15: Sam Pugh, accoustic music, Race Stage.
5:45 p.m.: Dance demo by ABM Dance Team at the Muir Stage.
6 p.m. So Last Year, Live Band, Muir Stage.
6:30 p.m.: Crab Picking Contest, Race Stage.
6:45 p.m.: Flatland Drive, Live Band, Muir Stage.
7:30 p.m.: Dance demonstration by Eastern Shore Dance Academy at Race Stage.
8 p.m.: Announement of Judges’ Choice winners, Race Stage.
8:30-9:30 p.m.: Jess and Ben, accoustic duo, Muir Stage.
9-10 p.m.: Maze Wave, Live Band, Muir Stage.
10 p.m.: Taste of Cambridge ends.
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