With summery weather pervasive throughout New York City all weekend long, it’s only fitting that an event indicative of the season was on the docket, geared toward benefitting a tremendous cause. We’re talking of course about the first annual King’s County Corn Bowl, held on a beautiful Sunday afternoon at Greenpoint, Brooklyn’s T.B.D. The bar was an ideal setting for the event’s debut, equipped with a massive backyard area that was transformed into a buffet line of sorts for tasting some of the most inventive corn infused dishes prepared by some of the best home cooks of the borough.

With a collection of twelve distinctive dishes and at a price tag of just $15, even one of the most competitive Giants games in recent memory wouldn’t keep us out of Greenpoint. The three hour festival kicked off promptly at 2pm, with local haunt The Brooklyn Star whipping up their tasty “Fried Chicken Waffle Cones.” Meanwhile, guests were handed a fork and plate and grabbed a spot on the line which moved quickly throughout the afternoon. Behind us, more athletic types tried their hand at throwing corn hole bags at $5 a round, with the day’s top score winning half the pot.

We quickly grabbed our side of a shared picnic table and a couple of Shock Top Belgian Ales, which meshed perfect with the warm weather, before heading out to mingle with the chefs and taste some of their dishes. Each guest was given a corn token upon admission to hand to the chef whose dish stood out as the finest at day’s end. But lest there be any confusion, some experts were also brought in to declare the Judge’s Vote- Christina Tosi (Momofuku Milk Bar), Samuel Glinn (Post Office), David Schuttenberg (Dickson’s Farmstand Meats), Lisa Skye (Author of ‘I Love Corn’).

Without detailing each chef’s concoction here, we should reveal some of our favorites. Adrian Ashby’s “Mack Choux with Chicken Andouille” was a small cup filled with heavy cream and buttery corn niblets, topped with slices of salty sausage. Served shooter style, the sunglasses wearing chef was engaging and passionate, encouraging us to down every savory morsel of the sample. Meanwhile, Cathy Erway’s “Corngee with Roast Duck” was a grits style, corn base topped with deliciously fatty duck skin cracklins. The dish’s smoky flavor could be tasted immediately as well as some spicy peppers and fresh parsley for seasoning. We were divided evenly as each aforementioned dish got our vote. Unfortunately, our favorites failed to weigh into the Audience and Judge’s tallies, as the same chef won both awards and subsequently was crowned Queen of the King’s County Corn Bowl.

Keavy Blueher and Allison Kave teamed up for the afternoon’s finest dish, the “Ooey Gooey Nutty Corn Sundae.” And truth be told, it tasted as mouth watering as it sounds. The sweet dish paired candied pistachios atop a corn ice cream over cornbread and glazed with a spicy caramel drizzle. The combination of sweet and salty was outstanding and despite our team opting for a more savory dish than a dessert, it was hard to argue with the winner on this day. The ladies’ dish was both inventive and delectable, and they deserve high praise for taking home both award winning honors.

At the end of the afternoon, the King’s County Corn Bowl run by the guys over at the Brooklynauts and hosted by TBD was a complete success. As the sun began to wane, local band The Sundelles set up their gear inside the bar for some live music which played as a backdrop for the last few hours of the event. And even though only one champion could be crowned at the Corn Bowl, (get ready for a cliché) every participating chef was a winner.

- Jane Van Arsdale