VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – The 10th Annual East Coast She-Crab Soup Classic will return to the Virginia Beach Oceanfront from 12-2 p.m. Saturday, April 7 at 24th Street Park.
Presented by the Culinary Institute of Virginia, the open competition will see 20 local restaurants serving their individual recipes in hopes of winning the People’s Choice Awards, determined by ballots submitted by attendees, and the Critic’s Choice Awards, which are given by a panel of four leading regional cuisine experts. 
The Classic focuses on one of the region’s most-loved seafood delicacies, which has been a staple of area menus for decades.
“Our devotion to the Chesapeake Bay and sustainable seafood practices guides our deep commitment. The blue crab is the iconic representative of all that is great about this amazing resource that is our home,” said Culinary Institute of Virginia Chef Greg Burroughs.
A limited number of tickets are available for the event. Tickets are $17.50 plus service charges through all Ticketmaster outlets and the Virginia Beach Visitor Information Center. Tickets are $25 the day of the event, if available. Children 12 years old and younger who are not sampling and are accompanied by an adult get in free.
Participating restaurants include:
- 11th Street Taphouse Bar & Grille (VB)
- Black Pelican Seafood Company Greenbrier (Chesapeake)
- Blue Seafood & Spirits (VB)
- Busky’s Chill & Grill (Chesapeake)
- C.P. Shucker’s Café & Raw Bar (VB)
- Calypso Bar & Grill (VB)
- Captain George’s Seafood Restaurant (VB)
- Catch 31 Fish House & Bar (VB)
- Freemason Abbey Restaurant (Norfolk)
(Inducted into Hall of Fame, not open for judging)
- Fish & Slips Marina Raw Bar & Grill (Portsmouth)
- Irwin’s Pharmacy & Fountain (Chesapeake)
- Kelly’s Gingernut Pub (Cape Charles)
- Mahi Mah’s Seafood Restaurant & Sushi Saloon (VB)
- McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood & Steaks (VB)
- Murphy’s Irish Pub (VB)
- Passion The Restaurant (Chesapeake)
- Saltine @ The Main (Norfolk)
- Soups Plus (Chesapeake)
- The Surry Seafood Company (Surry)
- Tradewinds Restaurant (VB)
Participating Critic’s Choice judges are:
- Judy Cowling – The Virginian-Pilot
- Patrick Evans-Hylton – Virginia Eats + Drinks
- Dave Nicholson – The Daily Press
- Chef Robert Patton – Culinary Institute of Virginia
The event will be held rain or shine. It is sponsored by the Culinary Institute of Virginia College of Culinary Arts of ECPI University, Live! On Atlantic, Oceanfront Inn, Oceanfront Storage, IMGoing and the City of Virginia Beach.
Click here or call (757) 385-SURF for more information.
