Rock The Point

Brilliant sunshine lit up the faces of hundreds of delighted gumbo tasters, enthusiastic and fun loving chefs and world class musical artists who entertained all of them when Tony Mart presented The Jersey Gumbo Cook Off and Louisiana Music Festival at The Point Tiki Bar this past Monday July 21st in Somers Point.

The good times were pervasive, but the competition was fierce and very close with the Judges & the People’s Choice in two catagories choosing two extraordinarily delicious winners — two unique styles of gumbo with all of the other entries being closely considered for their creativity and culinary excellence as all the gumbo was truly great!

Chef Larry Alexander and Chef Bruce Johns took the coveted title of KING CHEF GUMBO 2025 for their intensely rich, beefy gumbo with smoked beef brisket and smoked Creole sausage dominating! It was awesome!

On the other side of the spectrum, the gifted Chef Phil Gormley and his top of the line crew from the historic Smithville Inn made an exceptionally flavorful lobster gumbo with the tantalizing flavors of lobster, crab, scallops and shrimp in a lobster sauce that tasted like the sea. With the gratin on top of it, it was like Lobster Thermidor au gratin in a gumbo! This phenomenal creation gave Smithville the popular prize for “People’s Choice” Gumbo 2025.

There were some very close contenders. Last year’s People’s Choice winner, Chef Dan Luber from Greate Bay Country Club came in a very close third place with his perfectly balanced gumbo, combining seafood, chicken & okra in a masterful way!

Right next to him the warm & wonderful Chef Joseph Sheridan, Director of The Academy of Culinary Arts at Atlantic Cape Community College, prepared a classic chicken gumbo with several savory sausages, swimming in a quintessential chicken stock with the herbs, spices and flavors of a great gumbo.

The 2023 People’s Choice winners, Walter & Paul Gregory from Gregory’s Restaurant & Bar demonstrated why they have become so famous for their gumbo and chowder. They have both on the menu every day at this legendary restaurant that serves some of the finest, freshest seafood in South Jersey. Gregory’s pulled out all the stops when they presented their complex multifaceted gumbo dominated by delicious smoked alligator sausage.

Chef Niko Karamanis from Galloway Casual Dining actually put together a “gumbo taco” with seared tuna between pita style Middle Eastern bread.

First time contender, Masterful Chef Mohammad from The Golden Pyramid Restaurant in May’s Landing, made his seafood gumbo spicy and extra rich by pulverizing the seafood into a coarse and delicious gumbo made of many different types of seafood blended together.

The preeminent “seafood boil” restaurant at the shore, PJ Buckets in Ocean City and Ventnor, showed off their talent with “Cajun seafood gumbo” available at their restaurants regularly. It was smooth and very tasty with a little bit of the Jersey Shore mingled with the classic Cajun taste! Really a good one!

Competition came from all directions as the 2024 Gumbo King Chef, Exective Chef Robert Levenson from Resorts Casino Hotel, put together another extremely fine and delicate gumbo with white corn crème fraiche on top of it and a wonderful corn bread cake on the side.

Again, Executive Chef Robert Levenson and Chef David Wong aptly demonstrated the creativity that makes David’s world class Asian restaurant Eastwind, one of the most popular at the Jersey Shore; and Capriccio, the perennially awarded top Italian restaurant in any casino in the nation, according to USA Today, Casino Player Magazine and others.

With Billy Walton, the world class Waynard Scheller on keyboards, Heather “Lil’ Mama” Hardy and her Lil’ Mama Band featuring world class David Keyes on keyboards as well as “Old School” Jimmy Glenn on drums and percussion, there were plenty of angelic sounds to light up gumbo heaven and add dancing & grooving to the tasting and good times!!!

One of our best gumbo parties ever!!