Taste Winners

2014 PEOPLE'S CHOICE WINNERS

Taste of Cambridge sold out for the second consecutive year, and those lucky people got to judge 16 dishes from 14 restaurants. Here's how the voting turned out:

 

Cream of Crab Soup

First Place: Jimmie & Sook’s Raw Bar & Grill

 

Maryland Vegetable Crab Soup

First Place: Leaky Pete’s Oyster & Wine Bar

 

Crab Dip

First Place: Leaky Pete’s 

 

Crab Cake

First Place: Madison Bay Restaurant

 

Crab Specialty

First Place: Ocean Odyssey (Crab Fritters with Pico de Gallo)

 

Crab Specialty (Newcomer)

First Place: Cranium's at the Beach (Crab Nachos)

 

Best in Show

Cranium's at the Beach (Crab Nachos)

  

2014 JUDGE'S CHOICE WINNERS 

 

14 restaurants competed in the Taste of Cambridge on July 12, preparing 16 crab dishes in six different categories. The first-place winners below were chosen by a panel of three celebrity judges after tastings on the night of the event.

Cream of Crab Soup: Jimmie & Sook's Raw Bar and Grill

Maryland Vegetable Crab Soup: Stoked Wood-Fired Eatery

Crab Dip: The High Spot

Crab Cake: Cambridge Yacht Club

Crab Specialty: Jimmie & Sook's Raw Bar and Grill (Crab Salad)

Crab Specialty - Newcomer: Elliott's Baking Company (Crab-stuffed Pretzel)

 

 

2013 PEOPLE'S CHOICE WINNERS

Every last ticket available to the Taste of Cambridge sold this year, and those 800 folks got to taste all 14 crab dishes and then cast ballots for their favorites. Here's how the voting turned out:

 

 

Cream of Crab Soup

First Place: Jimmie & Sook’s Raw Bar & Grill

Second Place: Cambridge Yacht Club

 

Maryland Vegetable Crab Soup

First Place: Leaky Pete’s Oyster & Wine Bar

Second Place: Suicide Bridge Restaurant

 

Crab Dip

First Place: Leaky Pete’s 

Second Place: High Spot

 

Crab Cake

First Place: Jimmie & Sook’s 

Second Place: Portside

 

Specialty Soup with Crab

First Place: Stoked (Crab Gazpacho)

Second Place: Blue Point Provision Company at the Hyatt (She Crab Soup)

 

Crab Specialty

First Place: Ocean Odyssey (Blue Crab Claw Fritter)

Second Place: Bistro Poplar (Crab Spring Roll)

 

Best in Show

Ocean Odyssey (Blue Crab Claw Fritter)

 

 

2013 JUDGE'S CHOICE WINNERS 

Ten restaurants competed in the Taste of Cambridge on July 13, preparing 14 crab dishes in six different categories. The first-place winners below were chosen by a panel of three celebrity judges after tastings on the night of the event. Those judges were Katie Moose, author of Chesapeake Bounty cookbooks; Steve Weiss, top pastry chef and Food Network contributor; and Kim Cooper, Contributing Dining Editor at What's Up Magazine. The Judge's Choice winners are:

Cream of Crab Soup: Cambridge Yacht Club

Maryland Vegetable Crab Soup: Leaky Pete's Oyster & Wine Bar

Specialty Soup with Crab: Stoked Wood-Fired Eatery (Crab Gazpacho)

Crab Dip: Leaky Pete's Oyster & Wine Bar 

Crab Cake: Jimmie & Sook's Raw Bar & Grill

Crab Specialty: Bistro Poplar (Crab Spring Roll)

 

 
PAST TASTE OF CAMBRIDGE WINNERS  

2012 PEOPLE'S CHOICE WINNERS

Ten restaurants competed, preparing 14 crab and one bonus dish. Everyone who bought a ticket to the Crab Cook-Off was invited to cast their votes for their favorite dishes.

 

Cream of Crab Soup:
    1st Place: Jimmie & Sook's Raw Bar & Grill
    2nd Place: University Restaurant

Other Crab Soup:
    1st Place: Leaky Pete's Oyster & Wine Bar
    2nd Place: The High Spot

Crab Dip:
    1st Place: Bistro Poplar

Crab Cake:
    1st Place: Water's Edge Grill at the Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay Resort
    2nd Place: The High Spot

Crab Specialty: 
    1st Place: Blue Point Provision Company at the Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay Resort

    2nd Place: Ocean Odyssey

2012 Best in Show (the single best dish across all categories):

    Water's Edge Grill at the Hyatt, Crab Cakes (pictured here)

 

2012 JUDGE'S CHOICE WINNERS 

Cream of Crab Soup: Jimmie & Sook's Raw Bar and Grill

Other Crab Soup (Non-Cream-of-Crab): Leaky Pete's Oyster & Wine Bar

Crab Dip: Bistro Poplar

Crab Cake: Water's Edge Grill at the Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay Resort

Crab Specialty: Jimmie & Sook's Raw Bar & Grill

 

2011 PEOPLE'S CHOICE WINNERS

 

Ten restaurants competed, preparing 15 crab dishes. Everyone who bought a ticket to the Crab Cook-Off was invited to cast their votes for their favorite dishes. Here are the results:

 

Cream of Crab Soup:
    1st Place: Jimmie & Sook's Raw Bar & Grill
    2nd Place: Portside Restaurant

Other Crab Soup:
    1st Place: Clearview at Horn's Point
    2nd Place: Bistro Poplar

Crab Dip:
    1st Place: Jimmie & Sook's Raw Bar & Grill
    2nd Place: Portside Restaurant

Crab Cake:
    1st Place: Blue Point Provision Company at the Hyatt
    2nd Place: Kay's at the Airport

Crab Specialty:
    1st Place: Ocean Odyssey (Crab Claw Meat & Corn Nacho Bites)
    2nd Place: Water's Edge (Blue Crab Banger)

2011 Best in Show (new this year to showcase the single best dish across all categories):

    Blue Point Provision Company at the Hyatt, Crab Cakes (pictured here)

 

2011 JUDGE'S CHOICE WINNERS

The winners were judged by a panel of three celebrity judges: John Shields, host of the PBS show Coastal Cooking and author of the companion cookbook; chef/owner of Gertrude’s restaurant at the Baltimore Museum of Art;  Captain Thom, inventor of Slappin' Fat Bacon Ketchup; Founder and President of Captain Thom's Chili Pepper Company of Baltimore; and Suzanne Loudermilk, food editor, Baltimore magazine. Here are the winners:
 

Cream of Crab Soup: Jimmie & Sook's Raw Bar and Grill

Crab Soup (Non-Cream-of-Crab): Clearview at Horn's Point (pictured here)

Crab Dip: Kay's at the Airport

Crab Cake: Blue Point Provision Company at the Hyatt

Crab Specialty: Water's Edge Grill at the Hyatt  (Blue Crab Banger)

 

2011 CONTEST WINNERS

Crab-Picking Contest: Magdalena Mata, J.M. Clayton's Co.

Hula Hoop Contest: Tyler Decker

Watermelon Eating Contest: Tyler Decker, Luke Swatland

 

Congratulations to all the winners, and a big thank you to all the restaurants for serving up wonderful crab dishes! Don't miss all the Taste photos in our Facebook photo album (you can see them even if you're not on Facebook).


 

 

2011 PARTICIPATING RESTAURANTS

Participating restaurants include Bistro Poplar, Blue Point Provision Company (at the Hyatt), Clearview at Horns Point, the High Spot v. 2.0 (opening later this year in downtown Cambridge), Jimmie & Sook's Raw Bar and Grill, Kay's at the Airport, Ocean Odyssey, Portside Restaurant, University Restaurant (at Lewis General Store), and Water's Edge Grill (at the Hyatt). They'll be serving up samples of 15 crab dishes -- as well as a bonus, non-crab dish (fingerling potato salad from the High Spot v. 2.0).

 

 

2010 WINNERS

 

Here are the winners of the 2010 Taste of Cambridge Crab Cook-Off! Remember, we have two categories of winners: Judge's Choice (determined by a panel of judges that included Elise Kolaja of  ChesapeakeFoodie.com, Suzanne Loudermilk of Baltimore magazine, and Ron “R.L.” Butler of Fat Tuesday’s N’awlins Saloon) and People's Choice (voted by Taste ticket holders).

 

 

JUDGE'S CHOICE WINNERS:

Cream of Crab Soup: Jimmie & Sook's Raw Bar and Grill

Crab Soup: Clearview at Horn Point

Crab Dip: Kay's at the Airport

Crab Cake: Kay's at the Airport

 

Crab Specialty: Ocean Odyssey (for Oyster Crabafeller)

 

PEOPLE'S CHOICE WINNERS:

Cream of Crab Soup
1st Place:  Jimmie & Sook's Raw Bar and Grill
2nd Place: Paul's Subs

Crab Soup
1st Place: Blue Point Provision Company
2nd Place: Kay's at the Airport
3rd Place: Clearview at Horns Point

 

Crab Dip
1st Place: Jimmie & Sook's Raw Bar and Grill
2nd Place: Portside Seafood Restaurant
3rd Place: Kay's at the Airport

 

Crab Cake
1st Place: Bistro Poplar
2nd Place: Clearview at Horns Point
3rd Place: Kay's at the Airport


Crab Specialty
1st Place: Water's Edge (for spicy crab tacos)
2nd Place: Ocean Odyssey (for oyster crabafeller)

 

Congratulations to all the winners!

 

CRAB-PICKING CONTEST WINNERS:

The top winner of the professional crab-picking competition was Aouy Aone of Kool Ice Seafood. Second place went to Socorro Herrera of Lindy's Seafood.

 

 

 

2009 WINNERS:

 

 

Here are the winners of the 2009 Taste of Cambridge Crab Cook-Off...
  

PEOPLE'S CHOICE AWARDS

 

PEOPLE'S CHOICE CRAB SOUP:

1st Place: Jimmie & Sook's Raw Bar and Grill

2nd Place: Finish Line

3rd Place: Ocean Odyssey

 

PEOPLE'S CHOICE CRAB CAKE:

1st Place:  Water's Edge Grill at the Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay Resort

2nd Place: Clearview at Horn's Point

3rd Place: Jimmie & Sook's Raw Bar and Grill

 

PEOPLE'S CHOICE CRAB DIP:

1st Place: Snappers' Waterfront Cafe (pictured above)

2nd Place: Bella Luna

3rd Place: Jimmie & Sook's Raw Bar and Grill

 

PEOPLE'S CHOICE CRAB SPECIALTY:

1st Place: Bistro Poplar (for Spicy Crab Salad in a Ginger Crepe)

2nd Place: Portside (for Crab Bruschetta)

 


JUDGE'S CHOICE AWARDS


JUDGE'S CHOICE CRAB SOUP:

Jimmie & Sook's Raw Bar and Grill

 

JUDGE'S CHOICE CRAB DIP:

Cambridge Yacht Club

 

JUDGE'S CHOICE CRAB CAKE:

Water's Edge Grill at the Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay Resort (pictured above)

 

JUDGE'S CHOICE CRAB SPECIALTY:

Bistro Poplar (for Spicy Crab Salad in a Ginger Crepe)

 

 

 

 

 

Taste of Cambridge

 

 

 

July 11, 2015

 

5-10pm

Race & Poplar Streets, Cambridge,
Maryland

 

 

CRAB COOK-OFF TICKETS:

 

$25. Early tickets can be reserved

  by
writing to office@
cambridgemainstreet.com, or online at bit.ly/Taste-2015-CMS.
 

 

Keep up with the latest on Taste news by joining us on Facebook!

 


 

 


 

SAVE THE DATE!

 Summer Send-Off—Brews, Blues & BBQ! Plus the hilarious Main Street Mile!

 Sept. 12, 2015

Enjoy the summer and sample beers and BBQ during this street festival in downtown Cambridge. Food, drink, live music, entertainment, and great shopping—along with the wacky Main Street Mile relay race. 

 

 

Taste of Cambridge on Maryland's Eastern Shore