The International Oyster Chef Competition kicked off the first-ever Damariscotta Oyster Celebration on Thursday, June 14. The competition was held at the Boothbay Harbor Oceanside Resort and featured seven chefs from throughout North America and seven oyster farmers based on the Damariscotta River. Sarah-Taylor Wieluns of Taste Maine’s Future emceed.

Three of the chefs were right from our region: Ralph Smith of Boothbay Harbor’s Mine Oyster, Nathaniel Adam from Paul’s Steak House at Boothbay Harbor Country Club, and Alex Nevens from Newcastle Publick House. Chefs  were paired with the oyster farmers who work in the waters that produce a one-of-a-kind mollusk. Smith was paired with David Cheney of John’s River Oyster, Adam with Smokey McKeen of Pemaquid Oyster Company, and Nevens with Eric Peters of Norumbega Oysters.

The chefs outside region represented the rest of North America, from Jenny Moore, chef de cuisine at Hi Tide Poke and Raw Bar in Charlotte, North Carolina, to Jean-Phillipe Tees, head chef of HVOR in Montreal, Canada. Moore was paired with Pete Smith of Otter Cove Farms; Tees, with Ryan McPherson of Glidden Point Oyster Farms.

Sam Donato, spud chef of North End Grill, and David Seigal, executive chef of Cull & Pistol Oyster Bar, represented New York City and were paired, respectively, with Bill Mook of Mook Sea Farm and Tonie Simmons of Dodge Cove Marine Farm and Muscongus Bay Aquaculture.

If it sounds like a top seven list of quarterbacks and wide receivers or pitchers and catchers, it kind of is, and competitive cooking is not unlike a sport. In fact, Chef Tees said he rarely accepts any competition invitations due to the nature of the culture. "Most chefs don't label their spices," said Tees. "Some put sugar in their salt containers … It can be hostile."

However, Tees said he is happy he accepted the invitation and came to Midcoast Maine to give his personal flair to oysters.

"I don't think anyone's going to be bummed out if they lose," said Tees. "It's great. Everyone has been helping each other and I don't think anyone that wins can say 'I just won.' No, 'It’s me and these two other chefs' because everyone is helping each other from cooking to prepping. It's amazing."

Camaraderie is not the only reason this competition and the greater Damariscotta Oyster Celebration stands to be a big deal in years to come. Rory Strunk of O’Maine Studios gave a bold and punctuating statement of why and how it is going to be the next big global phenomenon.

Said Strunk, “This is the first year of three days of oyster events celebrating this amazing food system that we have here in Maine … We (made this) event so we could bridge from Boothbay to Bristol. One other instance of where this happened is Napa Valley. They created a wine culture and a tourism culture only 28 miles long in that district. We’re like 25 miles long. We want to … create a culture out of oysters and bring tourism and sell our oysters around the world.”

Following all the buildup to the momentous event, Nathaniel Adam was crowned the first winner of the International Oyster Chef competition. The 23-year-old executive sous chef of Paul’s Steak House said he was honored and happy to share a kitchen with the six other chefs.

“I would have been happy to lose to any one of them.”

The next day, Friday, June 15, brought a “Tour de Source” of the oyster farms along the Damariscotta River along with a showcase dinner at the Darrows Barn at Round Top Farm in Damariscotta called “Taste Maine’s Future.” The dinner featured four dishes: “Maine Mackerel Two Ways” by Jordan Rubin and Graham Botto of Portland’s Mr. Tuna; “Scallop and Maine Pork Belly Ceviche” by Tees of Montreal’s HVOR; “Maine Crab Rangoon” by Ali Woks of The Brunswick Inn; and “Wood Fired Egg and Maine Lamb Belly Burger” by Wendy Benney of Bangor’s Sodexo.

The celebration’s final day, Saturday, June 16, featured the “Can-Am Shuck Star Competition and Oyster Party.” All the farms  from Friday’s competition shucked and served their oysters at the party. Skidompha Library held the Kids Oyster Shell Art Contest in the morning, before the shucking contest. News Center 6’s Todd Gutner emceed the main event and announced the winners: James Geoghegan of West Robins Oyster Co. in Southampton, New York took first place; Eamon Clark of Rodney’s Oyster House in Toronto, Canada took second; Brendan Parsons of Shuck Station in Newcastle and Shuck Shack in Portland took third; Ryan Kripp, former professional shucker, of Peabody, Massachusetts took fourth; and Jeff Odess of Portsmouth, New Hampshire’s Black Trumpet Bistro took fifth. Prizes were $700, $400, $200, $100, and $50.

Said Wieluns, “All three days, all four events, all of our many incredible players and partners – it all went wonderfully and yielded many happy faces and full bellies. We are thrilled that the first year of this celebration was a success, and truly honored that you took time to enjoy it with us.”