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
I’m excited about your chowder project. As a St. Louis native and Maine transplant, I didn’t start learning about chowder until I was 30.
I’m not a fan of thick chowder myself. In fact, I really prefer to just have it at home!
There was a restaurant in Ellsworth, Maine, now closed, that served a really popular fish chowder and they put fresh rosemary in it. It was interesting but a bit odd.
Jennifer – Thanks for stopping by! You’re right that homemade is usually best. The rosemary is unusual, but I love when a standard recipe is adapted. It’s one of my favorite things to do! If you look at my Instagram, you’ll see that I just tried a canned version, which I’ll be blogging soon, that is from Maine. It would make sense for me to visit all the New England states to try their chowder. New York too for their infamous version. Florida has a unique one too. I need a sponsor to send me on these trips! 😀