Claw Down is a collaborative effort where our hard-working chefs, their talented staff, restaurant and hotel owners, Chamber staff and board members work hard to showcase the finest culinary talent our region has to offer. To every General Manager and restaurant owner, who believed in the culinary talents of your chef, and in the multi-faceted mission of Claw Down, the Boothbay Harbor Region Chamber of Commerce is indebted to each one of you.

The Chamber would like to especially thank:

Boothbay Harbor Country Club - Chef Nathaniel Adam; Mine Oyster – Raw Bar & Gathering Place – Chef Ralph Smith; Cod’s Head Fish House & BBQ – Chef Stanley Hornsby; Feast Maine Catering – Chef Daron Goldstein; Oliver’s at Cozy Harbor Wharf – Chef Mike Nguyen; Carriage House Restaurant - Chef Kelly Patrick Farrin; The Thistle Inn – Chef Dick Reid; The Boathouse Bistro Tapas Bar & Restaurant - Chef Karin Guerin; 1820 House - Chef Daniel Lynch; Linekin Bay Resort - Chef Jonathan Dexter.

To our four judges: Chris Papagni, Pamela Laskey, Diane Hudson and Arlin Smith thank you to each of you for taking the time to attend Claw Down despite your respective hectic schedules and sharing your culinary expertise at the judges’ table.

We’ve said this before: It takes a village to put on Claw Down, but it also took the passion of one dedicated volunteer who has lead the goliath effort six years in a row. Kris Ward of Boothbay. In addition, we would like to express a very special thank you to the following volunteers who worked tirelessly to prepare, set-up, work and break down the venue after we said “good night” to the last guest. They are: Karen Baush, Claw Down is hundreds of moving pieces and without the work, commitment to excellence, and dedication of the volunteers and chefs, this event would not be possible.

To photographer Cody Barry and PR guru, Angie Helton, Northeast Media Associates thank you for volunteering your incredible talents and creative prowess to make Claw Down what it is today: a sold out, one-of-a-kind lobster event in the state of Maine.

Special thanks to the entire Boothbay Region Greenhouses team led by Bobby Boyd, for the spectacular flowers, decorations, and lighting that helped create the incredible ambiance at Claw Down.

To Larry Moore of Rainbow Productions for sound and lights. To Liz Evans of the East Boothbay General Store and Kim and Denise of Eventide for creating such a delectable array of delicious desserts for our guests to nibble on after tasting all those yummy lobster bites!

Thank you Seacoast Coffee for adding the warmth to a crisp fall evening with the freshest brewed coffee!

To Sam Michaels, Sam’s Electric, for ensuring our chefs were in a good place with their power needs at all times. Your attention to the nano-details made for a seamless event three years in a row.

The Chamber also would like to thank Chamber staff Sara Moore, Mikaela O’Connor and Kathrine Norcott. Board members, Sarah Foulger, Elaine Jones, Sarah Morley, and Karen Salatino, and Friends of the Chamber Susan Shannon, Terri Sarino and Diane Lambros for helping.

Evelyn Andrews and Pamela Lauzau O’Connor who ran every single lobster creation back to the judges with poise and grace, we thank you both. Evelyn Andrews, thank you again for spearheading all the donations of ice from Hannaford five years in a row.

We are indebted to Guy Peaslee, Joe Gelarden and Steve Butler for consistently for disposal detail; re-fill on water supplies, and any incidents of spills or messes to make for a seamless event and a spotless post-event clean up. This was a beast of a job muscling through a packed tent. The Chamber thanks you all so much for your dedication and attention to every detail.

Our Claw Down judges had a tough task: trying 10 lobster creations in fewer than two hours and scoring each one to select the overall best Judges’ Lobster bite. Lorna Weber and Valerie Young we thank you both for taking time out of your work schedules to meet with our judges, showering them with hospitality and taking ownership of the single most important element that lends to the credibility of Claw Down: keeping track of every single lobster creation’s score.

To board president, Michael Maxim, thank you for being our host and helping with set up and clean up! Thanks to all the Chamber Board members who donated the items for our Silent Auction. To Nicole Barna of PORTLAND Magazine, Suzi Thayer from the Boothbay Register, and Charlie and Linda of the Cryer - thank you for your collaborative media coverage on Claw Down.

Proceeds from the event help to underwrite the many costs of orchestrating Claw Down including a lobster subsidy to each participating restaurant to help cover the cost of purchasing lobster for their bites. Claw Down is the Chamber’s annual fundraiser and helps the chamber in its efforts to bolster local businesses; serve as guardians of the region’s economic well-being; advocate on behalf of area businesses; and promote avenues of tourism for the communities of Boothbay, Boothbay Harbor, East Boothbay, Edgecomb, Monhegan Island, Newcastle, Southport, Westport, Wiscasset and Woolwich.

The Boothbay Harbor Region Chamber of Commerce would like to thank presenting sponsors: Boothbay Region Greenhouses, PORTLAND Magazine, Taylor Rental of Bangor, Newagen Seaside Inn, Central Distributors, and LCI Fiber Optics. In addition, the Chamber would like to thank the following sponsors for their contributions to Claw Down. They are, First National Bank/First Advisors, Sweet Bay, J. Edward Knight, Pat Farrin & Sons, Tindal and Callahan Real Estate, Martin Page, Boothbay Register, East Boothbay General Store, Eventide Epicurean Specialties, Country Coach Charters, Seacoast Coffee, Cody Barry Design and Photography, Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, Harvest on the Harbor, Southport Island Marine, Alison Evans Ceramics, Northeast Media Associates, Rainbow Productions, Inc.