Apr 21, 2011 – Over 60 people stood on the stage of the Candlelight Pavilion in Claremont Wednesday evening. Some were judging, some were competing, and a few others were just watching… and hoping for leftovers.
The occasion? The Candlelight Pavilion’s Dessert Cook-Off, a neat idea in which the dinner-theater venue invited its patrons to prepare their best dessert and sign it up for a contest. All of the participants would become part of the cookbook that the Candlelight Pavilion is creating in celebration of their upcoming show Church Basement Ladies, scheduled to open May 20. The winner of the contest would receive a complimentary dinner for four on the show’s opening night and a bottle of champagne. His or her dessert would also be featured on the dinner menu offered during the run of that show.
Surprising even the Pavilion’s management, over 30 desserts were entered. There were pies, cupcakes, fruit and meringue topped treats, in all sorts of shapes and colors. The 13 competition judges, comprised by staff, actors, and management (including the owners) had a lot of tasting to do!
After a couple of hours, six runner-ups and one grand prize winner were announced. They were: Roberta Bauer and Wendy Johnson on a tie for 5th place, Lois Coleman in 4th, Nitzi Barker in 3rd, Carole Kindron in 2nd, Trevor Henderson as 1st runner-up, and Rose Versage as the grand prize winner.
There were plenty of sweets for everybody to enjoy afterwards. Those who won were understandably quite pleased, and those who didn’t were still looking forward to showing off their fantastic recipes in the upcoming cookbook.
Because the Candlelight Pavilion has been in Claremont for over 25 years, it has become an important part of the community, as was proven Wednesday night by the willingness of the city’s residents to play along in the venues' search for its next favorite confection.
Visit the Candlelight Pavilion at http://www.thecpdt.com
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