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The Search for Best Clam Chowder in Boston
After Several Stops and a Long Walk, It Was Right Under My Nose
By Surfside Sam
There was a determination, a focus as strong as Tom Brady on the football field, to find the Best Clam Chowder while in Boston.
The dish is, after all, defines this city as much as the founding fathers, the Cheers bar, the Kennedy's and the Red Sox and the Patriots.
It is to Boston what gumbo is to New Orleans, BBQ is to Memphis, sourdough is to San Francisco.
New England clam chowder – a thick, white soup with clams, minced
onions and potatoes, NOT to be confused with the red stuff from much-despised
Manhattan – is a mainstay of Massachusetts.
– The Search –
All that walking was not needed because SurfsideSam stayed here.
But finding the best chowder – or "chawdah" as they say in Boston –
provided to be more challenging that I first envisioned. That's because just about every restaurant has it on the menu and they all claim some measure of fame. It's just like those "Voted Best" claims all over Las Vegas.
Plus, Boston is a great walking city and to cover ground and find the city's best chowder required putting feet on the pavement.
My starting point was logical, Parker's Restaurant. Logical, because I was staying in the Omni Parker House and Parker's is the hotel's restaurant. Plus, it's the home of those famous and delicious Parker House rolls, and as an original Southerner, the appeal of having some to "sop up" the chowder made it a natural. (The place also created Boston Cream Pie, but I don't have a sweet tooth so didn't try it.)
The chowder here is terrific, just what one would expect in Boston. It is thick, full of clams and potatoes
and bursting with flavor. Each bite is to be savored, for this is great chowder. Plus it comes with those tasty Parker House rolls. Chowder Price: $7 cup, $10 bowl.
A local friend led me to a cool spot on the water, the Barking Crab. It' an open-air, lively and crowded place with little frills (picnic tables and plastic utensils). But fine chowder! It's full of clams and potatoes and is more than satisfying with a cold beer nearby.
The Barking Crab is far from fancy and is right on the water.
The Barking Crab is a 15-minute walk south of Quincy
Market at Fort Point Landing, In good weather,
the covered patio is a popular gathering spot in the afternoons and
early evenings, often featuring live music. Sunsets can be viewed from
the water toward the financial district. Chowder Price: $8.
The Union Oyster House is less about chowder and more about seafood – plus it's the Oldest Continuous Bar in the United States – but it's chowder is noteworthy because it's served with cornbread 3-4
inches high. The best place to experience the Union Oyster House is at the oyster
bar overlooking the street. The "oystertenders" can also be
quite entertaining. There's only about 10 seats, though, around this
famous horseshoe. Expect long dinner waits, especially on weekends.
Quincy
Market is full of places to eat and try chowder, and the best of the bunch here is at Boston Chowda Co. But you will be forgiven i if you opt for the Rockport lobster bisque instead; it's outstanding. Chowder (and lobster bisque) Price: $9.99.
This is where the real adventure begins. I tried the chowder at Fenway Park. It was hard to tell how good it tasted because it was served so hot, it burned my tongue for five minutes.
When word of my adventure to find the Best Chowder in Boston began to get out, locals told me of a place called the No Name Restaurant. It's in a dive bar on a dock away from all the tourist areas. That's perfect, Surfside Sam's kind of place! And oh, it's not clam chowder but seafood chowder. Even better!
So I started walking. And walking. And walking.
Is it there? Nope. Keep walking.
That's got to be it. Nope, keep walking.
Finally, after nearly 45 minutes, I reached Boston Fish Pier and saw a number of people in business suits walking into a place halfway down the pier. This is where many of Boston's
fresh seafood hauls are brought in for processing and distribution.
The No Name is marked by a life
preserver in the window.
You go upstairs are are presented with simple wood decor.
By this time, I needed chowder and a cold beer. The chowder arrived with toasted bread and looked incredible. It's full of seafood, so much of it in fact I had to wonder if they dropped marbles in the bottom to make it all float to the top (and old TV advertising trick to make soups appear more hearty).
A close-up look at the No Name's chowder and toasted bread.
But no, it really contains that much seafood. Tons of fish, crab and shrimp. And it's only $3.95! As far as the taste, well, hard to believe but it's actually pretty bland. So I just used the toasted bread to soak up the juice and was fine. After that long walk, I was just happy to be there, in fact.
So, what restaurant has the Best Chowder in Boston? After visiting dozens of places and walking not only all over town but past town, it's right where I started, right under my nose, in fact.
The #1 Chowder in Boston is at Parker's Restaurant.
• Barking Crab, 88 Sleeper Street. (617) 426-2722
• Boston Chowda Ca., Faneuil Hall, Quincy Market, Phone N/A
• No Name, 15 1/2 Boston Fish Pier. (617) 338-7539.
• Parker's Restaurant, 60 School St. (617) 227-8600
• Union Oyster House, 41 Union Street. (617) 227-2750
SurfsideSam.com cover all things on, at, and about the beach. © 2010. All rights reserved.
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