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THURSDAY, March 7, 2013
VOL. 18, NO. 31
Mussel mania
Ron Newberry photo
Contestants in the mussel eating contest eagerly chow down on the famed mollusk in hopes of earning the champion title.
Megan Hansen photo
David Day stirs mussels prepared in a paella pan outside Bayleaf Sunday. Eager eaters were lining the walkway in hopes of getting some of the tasty treat.
Record crowd helps devour tasty mollusk By Megan Hansen Editor
The streets of Coupeville were flooded this weekend with mussel enthusiasts seeking the big flavors the endearing town has to offer. Visitors traveled from near and far this weekend to shop in town, eat chowder and Penn Cove’s famed mussels. People wandered the town going from business to business, tasting 16 different chowders made by local participants. Vickie Chambers, executive director of the Coupeville Historic Waterfront Association, said an estimated 6,000 people came through Coupeville for the event. Chowder ticket sales surpassed last year’s 1,900 sold with more than 2,600 tasting passes
purchased. “It was what we had hoped for,” Chambers said. Tickets sold out by 1 p.m. Saturday and there were still some left on Sunday. After all the chowders were tasted, people voted on their favorite entry. Businesses prepared weeks in advance for the competition, trying out recipes and making changes to existing ones. Lavender Wind Farm participated for the first time this year. Owner Sarah Richards said she did several trial runs and brought in outside tasters before settling on a recipe. It’s all about fun and bragging rights, she said. See MUSSELS, page 3