Beginning Sept. 4 through Oct. 2, the Long Beach Island Region ChowderMonth competition brings 16 soups, 14 restaurants and one month to vote. Then a free two-day festival Oct. 2 and 3 puts the lid on 2021’s version of the perennial chowder-loving celebration.

This year the cook-off features the following restaurants: White or New England style – Country Kettle Chowda, Panzone’s Pizza, Quincy’s Original Lobster Rolls, Scojo’s, Surf City Hotel and The Chicken or the Egg;(Red or Manhattan style –…