July 7, 2015
PLYMOUTH, MA— The fourth annual Plymouth 400 Bass and Blue Fishing Tournament is introducing the inaugural “Seafood Smackdown: Best Fish Taco” contest, a live cooking competition hosted by award-winning chef Ray Alongi at Pilgrim Memorial State Park on Saturday July 11, 2015. Local amateur chefs Karen Leavitt and Andy Laubi will create their best fish taco dishes in front of a live audience, and special guest judges will determine who will win the Seafood Smackdown grand prize package, which includes the winning recipe being featured on the menu at the New World Tavern of Plymouth, a one-time cooking feature on PAC-TV to share with family and friends, and a Plymouth 400 swag bag!
The contestants competing in the first ever Seafood Smackdown are Karen Leavitt of Plymouth, Massachusetts and Andy Laubi of Westport, Massachusetts. Chef Ray Alongi chose the recipes submitted by Karen and Andy based upon their creativity and his expertise of how their proposed ingredients and procedures will taste in each fish taco. Karen and Andy will recreate their submitted recipes in Foodzilla on Wheels a 34’ full-service kitchen on wheels created and operated by Erik Christensen of Loretta LaRoche Productions and Chris Casciano. Each contestant’s tacos will be judged by internationally acclaimed author and humorist Loretta Laroche, The Next Food Network Star finalist and author of Single Mom Surviving Susannah Locketti, and Head Chef at The New World Tavern Jes Childers.
The community is invited to watch the two contestants go head-to-head and will be able to follow along with the action inside Foodzilla on Wheels via a live feed on television screens outside of the truck, all while enjoying music from Project Arts’ Plymouth Harbor Roots & Folk Festival which will take place in Pilgrim Memorial State Park on July 11th-12th.
Families are invited to stick around after the Seafood Smackdown contest to enjoy a live Oyster Shucking Contest with oysters donated by Plymouth Rock Oysters. Representatives from Plymouth Rock Oysters, Rocky Nook Oysters, Saquish Oyster Company, and Team Plymouth 400 will compete to see who can shuck a bucket of oysters the fastest. The oysters will then be prepared & served out of Foodzilla on Wheels for attendees to enjoy.
There will also be educational children’s activities provided by the National Marine Life Center and the Southeastern Massachusetts Agricultural Partnership. All of these events are part of Plymouth 400, Inc’s annual Bass and Blue event.
About Plymouth 400, Inc.
Plymouth 400, Inc. is a not-for-profit organization in Plymouth, Massachusetts formed to lead the planning and execution of programs and events commemorating the 400th anniversary of the Mayflower voyage and the founding of Plymouth Colony in 2020. The Plymouth 400 Anniversary will highlight the cultural contributions and American traditions that began with the interaction of the Wampanoag and English peoples, a story that significantly shaped the building of America.
