food blogger

The Chowdah Project Loves Harry’s Restaurant

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It’s been a while since I delved into the world of chowder. But The Chowdah Project is back!

My friend L lives west of Boston. I live just south, and usually we meet in Boston. This time when we decided to get together, I suggested going to her part of the state.

I mentioned that I’d like to try some chowder and asked about some local places. She suggested three, and we decided on Harry’s Restaurant. It’s easy to get to from Boston on the Pike and it’s close to the 495 exit for her. Plus, L said that she had gone by it a million times and always planned to go, but never did.

Harry’s has a great website, so all the information that we needed was easy to find. I was very intrigued by all the different types of chowders (clam, seafood, fish & corn) they have in addition to a variety of foods.

The menu and website invite you to try the food, the same way that you’re invited in person once you arrive – friendly in a way that feels comforting. It’s classic Americana and the type of place that you could return to over and over. I definitely want to go back!

Harry’s is a family owned restaurant that’s been operating since 1946. Not surprising either. The food is delicious! When I was posting pictures on Instagram, I received immediate positive feedback from someone who has been there many times.

It’s a local hangout. Great comfort food!

So the chowder! L had the bowl of clam chowder shown above. She loved it! We both noted that it was the perfect consistency and had nice sized chunks of clams.

I had a cup of corn chowder. Perfection! It made me happy and I would get a bowl next time, so I could have more. So many big chunks of corn. Sweet creamy goodness.

I definitely recommend trying Harry’s for chowder and more!

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Harry’s Restaurant ~ Clam, Seafood, Fish & Corn Chowder
Location: 149 Turnpike Road, Westborough, MA

Bar Harbor New England Style Clam Chowder

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clam chowder

It’s hard to believe that Thanksgiving has come and gone so quickly! I had a small gathering at my house and decided to incorporate chowder into the meal and continue The Chowdah Project.

Many restaurants serve it as an appetizer and I decided to follow their lead. Since time was a factor and I thought it would be interesting to try some different brands at home, I bought Bar Harbor New England Style Clam Chowder.

Bar Harbor has several types of chowder and I may try a few in the future. I debated about which flavor to choose. One of a few types of corn? Lobster? Salmon? Fish? I stared at the cans for a while! Finally, I settled on the clam chowder, because most people like it and I was taking too long deciding.

The directions call for you to add butter, milk or cream, and salt and pepper to taste. My mom helped me with the meal and took over the chowder preparation. Because we weren’t sure how many people would want it, we used five cans. My mom added a whole stick of butter!

Not sure how much cream, salt and pepper she added. But it was certainly flavorful and there were a decent amount of clams. I would have preferred more and bigger chunks of potatoes, but overall people seemed to enjoy it. The leftovers were good too!

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Bar Harbor ~ New England Style Clam Chowder
15 0z. can
Regular Price: $4.39
Sale Price: $3.00
Stop & Shop: 65 Newport Ave., Quincy, MA

The Chowdah Project

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While I’m more of a baker than a cook, and known for my sweet tooth, there’s another side to me. A savory side.

That side especially shows itself when the temperature dips and the winds pick up. Unless I’m outside in the sweltering heat of summer, I’m probably feeling cold.

Growing up in New England, chowder was a staple – especially clam chowder. So when there’s a chill in the air and I’m thinking about food, I think about chowder.

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been thinking that I’d like to try the chowder at different restaurants and make a chowder catalog. I decided to set up a separate Twitter account to do this. Because so much of my main Twitter is politics, this will be a dedicated feed of chowder.

My plan is to share chowder recipes, history, trivia and places where you can eat some good chowder.

Since I’m all about creating different fun projects for myself, this one is named The Chowdah Project. A cup of chowder is a great way to begin a meal. A bowl of chowder can be a perfect meal by itself. Both are relatively cheap and a great way to warm yourself up. So welcome to The Chowdah Project!

Why chowdah? Cause that’s how we say it here!

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Yesterday, I visited a new restaurant in Quincy called Brick & Beam. It was my first time trying the restaurant and I was pleased. The ambiance is nice and it’s very close to where I live. The service was good too and I plan to go back for a full meal at some point.

I had a cup of clam chowder for a warm late afternoon snack. It was piping hot and soothing for the soul. The wind was whipping outside and I was glad to escape the chill. The flavor of the chowder was good. But it was a bit thicker than I prefer. Everyone has their own preference when it comes to consistency. For someone else, it would have been just right.

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Brick & Beam ~ N.E. Clam Chowder
Cup: $6.00
Bowl: $8.00
Location: 705 Adams Street, Quincy, MA

Homemade Harvest Bowl

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This was my lunch today — leftovers from my lunches during the week. It’s healthy, filling and tastes good. I have become obsessed with these harvest bowls.

I’ve been making a concentrated effort to eat more greens and to getting my protein without soy.

Over the course of my blogging, I’ve gone back and forth between eating and drinking soy products and not. I’m back to not and don’t think I will be going back.

A favorite lunch is the Power Bowl from B.Good. I’ve never forgotten the Squash and Farro Salad that I helped make at a food blogging event a few years ago. I loved the taste and texture of the farro. I also started buying the Harvest Bowl at Sweetgreen.

These three favorite dishes are variations of the same thing. Lots of greens, sweet potato or squash, nuts, fruit, a protein like chicken or egg, cheese, a grain and other vegetables with a dressing.

I’ve been experimenting with making my own version and loving it. I make my own salad dressing and keep it on hand.

The ingredients in the salad pictured above are: baby spinach and kale, boiled egg, farro, sweet potato, trail mix, feta cheese.

Though I love this meal, I’ve been having it virtually everyday for two weeks. This coming week, I’ll be giving it a break. Variety is the spice of life after all.

Hope you enjoy the rest of your weekend! Not a football fan, but I’m in New England, so Go Patriots!