My sister’s birthday is today, and I’m trying to convince her a trip from Delaware to Seattle would make a great gift for herself. She got more of our mom’s cooking genes than I did — she’s the one who worked the counter at Cocolat and forever ruined my grading curve for chocolate cake — and the rare times we see each other, we create good memories around food. One year we ate a perfect dinner at Restaurant Zoe. One visit she made spaghetti sauce in our kitchen, even though she was the guest, just because that’s her way. And one of the most delightful days in Seattle I can remember was a clam chowder festival we attended, maybe 15 years ago. I love food contests. Dishes that all riff on the same theme are more interesting, somehow, than a collection of random bites.

You can see for yourself this Saturday, when the 13th annual Seattle Waterfront Chowder Cookoff takes place from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., as part of the Seattle Maritime Festival. I don’t think it can be connected to the one I attended, which was in Gasworks, but the setup is the same.

A $5 entry fee (proceeds benefit Seattle maritime youth and community groups) buys a “passport” for a 3-ounce sample cup of chowder from each participating restaurant. The nine in the group are Anthony’s Pier 66, Bell Harbor Conference Center, Elliott’s Oyster House, The Crab Pot, The Fisherman’s Restaurant & Bar, Ivar’s, Steamer’s Seafood Cafe at Pier 56, Seattle Marriott Waterfront and Six-Seven at The Edgewater. You’ll get a chance to vote for your favorite, but a panel of celebrity judges (including Whitney Ricketts of Citysearch, Katie Scharer of Yelp Seattle, and competitive eater Erik Denmark) cast their votes earlier this week. They named Anthony’s the winner, followed by Elliott’s and then Six-Seven. Elliott’s was the most traditional, Six-Seven the most clammy, and Bell Harbor’s the most cutting edge.

The passports are available at the restaurants or festival information booths Saturday. Give it a try, and if you’re lucky enough to have a sister in town, why not go together?

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