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If chocolate were a religion, then the 18th annual Rehoboth Beach Chocolate Festival would be Mecca, at least in this particular part of the world.
On Saturday, March 8, 1,500 people made the pilgrimage to the Rehoboth Convention Center for the festival, despite gray skies and near constant rain. The lousy weather likely contributed to the slight drop in attendance, from about 2,000 last year, but that didn’t stop folks from lining up around the block to get in and taste some of the delicious sweets offered by vendors and more than 300 entrants.
The festival helps raise money for both Rehoboth Main Street and Friends of the Rehoboth Public Library, who split the proceeds.
Fay Jacobs, executive director of Main Street, said, despite the weather, attendance was steady throughout the day. She said the event attracted more entrants than ever before.
“I think we have some amazing recipes this year,” she said. “I’m very happy with the turnout. We had plenty of chocolate because a lot of people entered this year, so I think it’s been a good year.”
Jacobs, who has been involved in the chocolate festival for almost a decade, said it has not changed much over the years, other than adding new categories such as ice cream. The star attraction is still the chocolate.
Among the grand prizewinners were Dacia Weldin in the amateur division, Ava Caruso in the kids under-12 division and The Cultured Pearl, which won the showpiece division with a chocolate dragon.
Besides the competitors, the event also drew 95 volunteers manning tables and local and out-of-town vendors.
Jamie and Gene Williams, who run Sugarbakers, a bakery in Frederick, Md., have been vendors at the festival for the past eight years. This year, the Williams, who will soon be opening a shop in Lewes, sold red velvet cupcakes, bar cookies and chocolate cakes, among others.
Jamie Williams said, “It’s always a good turnout every year.”
Another vendor, Good For You Natural Market in Lewes, put a healthy spin on the day by bringing a selection of organic chocolates. Tom McGlone, representative for Good For You, said, “Everything is made from organic ingredients that haven’t had any treatments or chemicals or pesticides or anything. So when all is said and done its better for your body.”
For patrons to the festival, it was simply all about the chocolate. First time visitor Mike Smith, who came from Bethesda, Md., said, “I had a raspberry field chocolate that was really delightful. That’s my favorite, the field chocolates. Not the pastries just the chocolate.”
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And the winners are . . .
The list of 2008 Rehoboth Chocolate Festival prize winners included the following:
Grand prize winners by category:
Amateur, Dacia Weldin;
Bakery, Pasqualini’s Bakery;
Kids Under 12, Ava Caruso;
Professional/Chef, Kevin Kable; Restaurant, Victoria’s Restaurant;
Showpiece, The Cultured Pearl;
Sugar Free, Dorsey Johnson.
Amateur Brownie winners: 1st, Dacia Weldin; 2nd, Terri Carr; 3rd, B.J. Harrison.
Amateur Cake winners: 1st, Curt Leciejewski; 2nd, Pam Karpin; 3rd, Terri Carr.
Amateur Candy winners: 1st, Halie Murray-Davis; 2nd, Nancy Stauffer; 3rd, Nancy Stauffer.
Amateur Cheesecake winners: 1st, Terri Carr; 2nd, Janice Wimbrow; 3rd, Lynn Holtzlander.
Amateur Cookie winners: 1st, Lynn Joos; 2nd, Idylle Patz; 3rd, Mitch Geasler.
Amateur Pie winners: 1st, Curt Leciejewski; 2nd, Jessica Massuli; 3rd, Lynn Holtzlander.
Amateur Unusual winners: 1st, Dorsey Johnson; 2nd, Laura Howard; 3rd, Isobel Londos.
Bakery Brownie winners: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, Pasqualini’s Bakery.
Bakery Cake winners: 1st, 2nd, The Bake Shoppe; 3rd, Sugar Bakers.
Bakery Candy winners: 1st, The Bake Shoppe; 2nd, 3rd, Pasqualini’s Bakery.
Bakery Cheesecake winners: 1st, 2nd, Sugar Bakers; 3rd, Pasqualini’s Bakery. Bakery Cookie winners: 1st, The Bake Shoppe; 2nd, Sugar Bakers; 3rd , The Bake Shoppe.
Bakery Pie winners: 1st, Pasqualini’s Bakery; 2nd, Sugar Bakers; 3rd, The Bake Shoppe. Bakery Unusual winners: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, Pasqualini’s Bakery.
Kids Brownie winners: 1st, Richard Sommerfield; 2nd, Matthew Minakowski; 3rd, Kailyn Johnson.
Kids Cake winners: 1st, Kailyn Johnson; 2nd, Christopher Smith; 3rd, Erika Smith.
Kids Candy winners: 1st, Andreas Caruso; 2nd, Bailey Roe; 3rd, Maggie Smith.
Kids Cookie winners: 1st, Kailyn Johnson; 2nd, Lang Hilferty; 3rd, Ava Caruso.
Kids Pie winners: 1st, Finbar Rishko; 2nd, Brooke Dilliplaine; 3rd, Amanda Howard.
Kids Unusual winners: 1st, Ava Caruso; 2nd, Katelyn Boinovych; 3rd, Molly Smith & Lauren Kelley.
Professional Brownie winners: 1st, Mary Boucher; 2nd, 3rd, Aileen Hearn.
Professional Cake winners: 1st, Andrew Hooven; 2nd, 3rd, John Michalek.
Professional Candy winners: 1st, Chocolate Lady; 2nd, Candy Kitchen; 3rd, Aileen Hearn.
Professional Cheesecake winners: 1st, Kevin Kable; 2nd, Chi Chi; 3rd, Keith Hanley.
Professional Cookie winners: 1st, John Michalek; 2nd, Aileen Hearn; 3rd, Marti Austin.
Professional Pie winners: 1st, John Michalek; 2nd, Aileen Hearn.
Professional Unusual winners: 1st, Kristi Burris; 2nd, Marti Austin; 3rd, Edible Arts Food.
Restaurant Brownie winners: 1st, Gilligan’s Waterfront Restaurant; 2nd, La Rosa Negra; 3rd, Retro Café.
Restaurant Cake winners: 1st, Victoria’s Restaurant; 2nd, Catchers Restaurant; 3rd, La Rosa Negra.
Restaurant Candy winners: 1st, Kindle; 2nd, 3rd, Peppers.
Restaurant Cheesecake winners: 1st, Cloud 9; 2nd, Blue Moon; 3rd, La Rosa Negra.
Restaurant Cookie winners: 1st, Peppers; 2nd, Half Full; 3rd, Victoria’s Restaurant.
Restaurant Unusual winners: 1st, La Rosa Negra; 2nd, Gilligan’s Waterfront Restaurant; 3rd, Dogfish Head. Restaurant Pie winners: 1st, Gilligan’s Waterfront Restaurant; 2nd, Cloud 9; 3rd, Dogfish Head.
Showpiece winners: 1st, The Cultured Pearl; 2nd, Philip Johnson; 3rd, Superkind.
Sugar Free winners: 1st, Dorsey Johnson; 2nd, Mitch Greasler; 3rd, Deborah Sutter.
Contact Ryan Mavity at ryanm@capegazette.com
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