At the recent 26th Annual Schweppes Great Chowder Cook-Off in Newport, R.I., the ladle-slingers poured in from coastal towns such as Newport and Portland, Maine and W. Yarmouth, Mass., and Kinsale, Ireland and ... Pittsburgh? Pittsburgh, Pa.?

	Timothy John Siekiera photos Team Alfano at the Chowder Cook-off. Back row, from left, Melissa Patton, Evstolia Livanos, Dianthe Livanos, Dorothy Cocola, Marc Alfano, Joe Kisner and Christina Alfano; in foreground, Rob McFadden (in sombrero) and Zach Dye. Click photo for larger image.

Marc Alfano heard the surprise -- the skepticism -- in some of the salty locals' New England voices. "Yeah, Pittsburgh," was his answer. "We're gonna bring a new name to this thing."

And when it was all over, on June 2, his chowder -- chowder from his Alfano's at the Quail restaurant located just south of Pittsburgh -- took second place in the Creative Category, just behind the Boat House in Tiverton, R.I., but ahead of Providence's Waterman Grille.

Talk about an away game.

Alfano's, in North Strabane near The Meadows Racetrack & Casino, can't even claim to be on a river.

Mr. Alfano, 31, has no sea salt in his veins, either, having been born in Washington, Pa., and schooled at what became the Pennsylvania Culinary Institute. He trained at the feet of a soup master, Chef Ron Herbinko, and made soup almost daily for the school's deli. When, after working at several Pittsburgh-area restaurants, Mr. Alfano opened his own place with his wife, Christina, in Washington, Pa., in 2003, he recalls, "we just blew out the soups," especially cream soups.

"Broth soups are OK," he says, "but I don't think they have the complexity of cream soups."

Mark Alfano, of Alfano's at the Quail, at this year's Chowder Cook-Off in Rhode Island. Click photo for larger image.

When he saw a Food Network segment on the Great Chowder Cook-Off, he thought, "Man, that would be great to compete with the best of the best and see how I rank."

So he cooked up a recipe for a hot pepper cheese chowder with white wine, crab meat and shrimp, and headed to Newport to cook up 120 gallons for the crowd of 15,000 people to taste.

The chowder that he didn't burn placed fifth in the Creative Category. The Food Network didn't call him.

He recalls thinking of his competitors, "Man, these guys are tough. They are really tough."

Back home, his reputation for soup excellence continued to grow as he and his wife opened Alfano's at the Quail in 2005. That kept him too busy, but earlier this year, he decided to try the Chowder Cook-Off again.

This time, he was experienced. He created a hot new recipe, literally: hot Shrimp and Crab Black Bean and Corn Chowder. He brewed 150 gallons, and he and his crew, including his mother-in-law, drove East with the chowder chilling in a U-Haul trailer.

They knew once they hit the ocean, this wasn't Pittsburgh anymore. "You're in New England, and you're competing against these guys who have restaurants there, who have a following there." Their chowder would have to win on merit.

Along with the one-ounce samples, they poured on the thematic charm, wearing cowboy hats and sombreros and even a sandwich board advertising: "Southwest Chowder, Southwest Pennsylvania." They sold packets of beans and seasonings with the recipe so people could make their own 'Burgh chowder at home.

Let the New Englanders scoff.

But many in the crowd lapped it up. Even regulars from some of the seaside places were converted.

Their booth was "awesome," says festival manager Rich Travis. "People really loved them."

Not that some of the mob wasn't a bit angry that the Clam Category was won by non-Yankee outsiders: Captain Curt's Crab & Oyster Bar in Sarasota, Fla.!

Then Alfano's took the Creative second place (and $750). Citing those wins, Mike Martin, festival director for the Newport Yachting Center, struck a concilatory chord in noting that "we once again were reminded that there is plenty of great chowder outside of New England."

A review of past winners shows that this is the first time a restaurant in a non-seaside state has won in any of the three chowder categories. (This year's "Most Spirited" winner was Buffalo Wing King of Buffalo, N.Y.)

The Alfanos were awarded a medal, mounted with seashells in a shadow box. They put the award on display at the restaurant last week. They put the Southwestern chowder on the menu, too, where it will periodically appear.

Chef Alfano figures he's earned some bragging rights. "We represent our city well, I think."

And he's not done yet. Call him cocky, but he'd like to return to the Chowder Cook-Off next year and go ladle-to-ladle in clam chowder.

"But, you know, that's like really sticking it to them."

Yeah, that'd be like New England beating Pittsburgh in playoff football.

Alfano's at the Quail and the more casual Carriage House Cafe are located in Shoppes at Quail Acres, just off Racetrack Road between Route 19 and Interstate 79 (Exit 41).

For directions and more, visit www.alfanosatthequail.com or call 724-229-2777.

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SHRIMP AND CRAB BLACK BEAN AND CORN CHOWDER

At Alfano's at the Quail restaurant, Marc Alfano sells a packet for $10 containing dried black beans, ancho pepper and a seasoning mix and this recipe. It makes three gallons, with you adding fresh ingredients and seafood. But you also can make your own "kit" using the amounts of ingredients in parentheses below, which he graciously supplied.

The recipe is adaptable, he says. You could reconstitute the ancho pepper separately in hot water and then add that and its water to the soup. You could substitute turkey for the seafood. Or if the soup turns out too spicy hot, you can add a pint of heavy cream before serving.

• Dried black beans (about a pound)
  
• 1 dried ancho pepper
  
• 10 cups water
  
• 1 teaspoon pepper
  
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
  
• 2 medium poblano chilies, seeded, chopped
  
• 2/3 cup chopped red onion
  
• 2/3 cup chopped celery
  
• 2/3 cup chopped red bell pepper
  
• 1 large leek, white part only, chopped
  
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
  
• Seasoning package (or about 4 1/2 ounces of corn flour plus a variety of Southwest seasonings -- cumin, coriander, cayenne -- to taste)
  
• 4 1/2 cups chicken stock, divided
  
• 2 1/4 cup frozen corn, thawed
  
• 4 cups diced cooked shrimp
  
• About 1 pound canned lump crabmeat
  
• Pint of heavy cream (optional)
  
• Toppings: grated cheddar cheese, red onion, sour cream, fresh cilantro

Soak black beans and ancho in large pot overnight.

Drain beans, remove ancho and reserve, then add 10 cups water and pepper to the drained beans. Bring them to a boil, simmer 1 1/2 hours. Then drain.

Remove stem and seeds from ancho and chop it up.

Melt butter in pot; add chiles, including the ancho, onion, celery, bell peppers, leek and garlic. Cook until soft, about 10 minutes. Reduce heat to low.

Add the seasoning packet, or your own flour and spices, and cook 5 minutes.

Add four cups of stock.

Bring to simmer. Puree 1 1/4 cup of corn with the remaining 1/2 cup of stock. Add this to chowder. Mix black beans, shrimp and crabmeat and remaining cup of corn. Simmer all for 25 minutes.

If too spicy, add a pint of heavy cream before serving.

Garnish with grated cheddar cheese, red onion, sour cream and fresh cilantro.

Makes about 3 gallons.

-- Alfano's at the Quail