food

The Chowdah Project Loves Harry’s Restaurant

by

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!

+ + +

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

Starbucks Juniper Latte Schooled Me About Gin

by

You may have heard all the fuss about Starbucks new holiday drink — the Juniper Latte.

Our signature espresso and steamed milk mingle beautifully with juniper syrup. This beverage has a light, pine-like flavor with delightful citrus undertones. We cap this latte with velvety foam and accentuate the remarkable flavor with a dusting of pine-citrus sugar.

As soon as I read the description, I wanted to try it. Then I started looking for reviews on Twitter to get an idea of how people liked it.

Opinions were all over the place and frankly I was confused. So many of  comments were about it tasting like gin. Gin?! What?! What did juniper flavor have to do with gin?

Let me tell you. I was today years old when I learned that juniper berries are used to make gin. Learn something new everyday! Researching this post is how I found out! I’ve never been a fan of gin. I’ve had it in a few cocktails, but never go out of my way to drink it. I’ve never bought it and probably never will.

From what I could differentiate of the flavor in mixed drinks, gin seems to bring the flavor of what it’s mixed with down a notch and make it more dry. Why would I want to do that? I prefer the opposite. More flavor and sweeter!

Luckily, I didn’t learn about the gin connection until after I had already tried the drink. Otherwise I might have opted out.

So what did I think? I liked it! It was sweeter than I thought it would be. The flavor was understated. Think about the smell of a pine tree and the sap that you see dripping down the tree. Imagine what that would taste like. Then take it down a notch. That’s the flavor. Just the right amount of Christmas tree. I’ll definitely buy it again.

+ + +

*Updated 12/12/2019* Sadly, Starbucks didn’t bring back the Juniper Latte this year.

Bar Harbor New England Style Clam Chowder

by

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!

+ + +

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

by 2 Comments

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!

+ + +

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.

+ + +

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

Quincy Farmers Market

by

This past Friday, I finally made it to Quincy Farmers Market. Even though I live in Quincy, I’m usually working in Boston. So the only farmers markets that I can get to in time tend to be in Boston.

I’ve been between projects for a couple of weeks, so I’ve had some free time to spend out and about closer to home. A few years ago I went to Quincy Farmers Market, when it was at a different location.  I was not impressed. If I remember correctly, it was in a parking lot in Quincy Center. There wasn’t much there and I encountered some less than friendly people.

Now the farmers market is in a much better location. It’s in a wide open green space at Pageant Field on Merrymount Parkway. There is a wonderful selection of fruits, vegetables, maple syrup, honey, baked goods, some prepared foods, skin care items and more.

The one thing that I don’t remember seeing and hoping for was fresh flowers, but maybe they have them at other times. There were lots of pumpkins though if you’re looking!

Everyone was friendly and eager to tell me about their products. It was a very welcoming atmosphere and  stayed longer than I had planned. The farmers market goes on through November 16th, so hopefully I’ll have the chance to go at least once more. The hours are limited though, Fridays from 11:30am – 5pm.

While I was there, I bought some sweet potatoes, onions, carrots, apples, pears and maple syrup. Maple syrup is one of my favorite things. I use it on my oatmeal and in my morning coffee.

The syrup that I bought is from Ackermann Maple Farm in Vermont. There were so many lovely flavors and I enjoyed a sweet taste testing!

The pears that I bought are Asian pears from Sky Meadow Orchards, in Scituate. A taste test revealed a very crisp and juicy fruit that I enjoyed immensely — almost more like an apple.

Even though summer is over, many summer farmers markets continue through late October mid-November.

Winter Markets will be open soon and we still have the year-round Boston Public Market. So there are still plenty of opportunities to continue getting fresh produce as the New England chill turns to frost, ice and snow.