Chowder Wars: The Clams Have at It! Ivar's and Legal Sea Foods to Fight It Out for East Coast vs. West Coast Souper-Bowl Chowder Supremacy
Loser of bet will serve winner's award-winning clam chowder at its restaurant for one full day
SEATTLE, Jan. 30, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Two of the most popular seafood restaurants in the country, Legal Sea Foods in Boston and Ivar's Restaurants in Seattle, have placed their bets on this Sunday's Big Game between the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks. The team that takes home the trophy will play a pivotal role in determining once and for all which city's chowder is the best in the U.S.
The Big Fish of each of the seafood institutions, Roger Berkowitz of Legal Sea Foods and Bob Donegan of Ivar's Restaurants, have agreed to serve each other's award-winning chowder if the other team wins. If the Patriots win, Ivar's will serve Legal's New England Clam Chowder in its historic Salmon House on Lake Union -- on a designated day in February. If the Seahawks win, Legal will serve Ivar's original Puget Sound Clam Chowder in its Legal Harborside flagship location overlooking Boston Harbor.
"Bob and I have been friends for years, but friendship aside – this is getting personal," said Roger Berkowitz, President and CEO of Legal Sea Foods. "This is a food fight about who has the Souper(-ior) Bowl of chowder."
"We visit Boston about twice a year and we look forward to eating Legal's chowder before a fresh lobster," said Bob Donegan, president of Ivar's. "It's the second best clam chowder in the world, just as the Patriots are the second best football team in the world."
Both Ivar's Restaurants and Legal Sea Foods have been in business for decades and promote their respective local seafood offerings through quirky, imaginative stunts that tickle the bounds of reasonable. And, each of them claims to serve the finest clam chowder in the world, which seafood – and Hawks – fans regularly eat up. In the case of Ivar's, if fans took all the white chowder that Ivar's sold in 2014, poured it in 8-ounce cups and stacked them one atop the other, they would be as tall as 3,199 Space Needles, or 142 Mount Rainiers!
"Our chowder is a little sweeter than Legal's, has a hint of smoky bacon in it and we never deflate it," continued Donegan. "And, if we take home the win, we look forward to sharing it with all of Boston at the beautiful Legal Harborside restaurant."
About Ivar's
Ivar's Seafood Restaurants began on Seattle's waterfront in 1938. Today, there are 23 Ivar's fast casual Seafood Bars and three full-service restaurants: Ivar's Acres of Clams, Ivar's Salmon House and Ivar's Mukilteo Landing. Ivar's Seafood, Soup and Sauce Company markets and sells its award-winning soups, chowders and sauces both nationally and internationally. The company also operates regional stadium concessions including Safeco Field, CenturyLink Field, Alaska Airlines Arena, Husky Stadium and Cheney Stadium. Learn more at www.Ivars.com.
About Legal Sea Foods
Legal Sea Foods was founded more than 60 years ago by George Berkowitz when he opened a small fish market in Inman Square, Cambridge. Today President & CEO Roger Berkowitz leads the company toward continued growth and diversification. There are now more than 30 restaurants along the East Coast that have earned boatloads of honors and awards (its clam chowder has been served at every presidential inaugural since 1981) as well as an online fish market and wholesale division. For more information about Legal Sea Foods, please visit www.legalseafoods.com.
SOURCE Ivar’s Restaurants
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