In Search of the Best Bowl of Chowder
Chowder,Eureka,street food,Fisherman's Wharf,bread bowl,san francisco,Trinidad,California
Being on the west coast, we decided to try a much chowder as possible in search of what would be known as "F.F. & F.S. Gold Medal Chowder".
We slurped chowder from fine dining to street vendor in search of the best, the one that had all the components of what in our opinion makes the best chowder.......The Four C's. Chunky, Creamy, Chewy, and of course Clammy!
The Contenders ( in order of belly filling and all in Calafornia)
1. The Sea Grill (fine dining), Eureka
2. The Seascape (mom and pop restaurant), Trinidad
3. The Franciscan (fine dining), Fisherman's Wharf, San Francisco
4. Fisherman's Grotto (street food....they do have a restaurant also), Fisherman's Wharf, San Francisco
5. Boudin's (bakery....not the fine dining section), Fisherman's Wharf, San Francisco
All had one or more of the criteria....but only one clam climbed out of the pot to claim victory! Let me take you back and try and help your taste buds tingle.
1. The Sea Grill - this chowder had what we feel was the best base flavour. Slurping the first spoonful, you could tell that the clams had been having a hot tub party all day long! The clam flavour was intense but not overpowering. It was creamy and presented with some green onion on top. The downfall of this soup of the sea, was that had potato flavour but no potato chunks. Served with oyster crackers..okay, but not our favourite.
2. The Seascape - this chowder had a good flavour profile but not a strong base flavour....less hot tub time. Lots of potatoes, celery, green onions, parsley, and some chewy clam bits.......go ahead, make some chewing sounds, this creamy chowder came in at close second. Served with oyster crackers, it would have been nice with some crusty bread on the side instead.
3. The Franciscan - an old restaurant on the wharf that has seen many Hollywood stars, old and new, walk up the carpeted stairs to be greeted by the mermaid lamp. This chowder came served in the classic San Francisco way.....in a bread bowl. That's right, picture a round, golden crust sourdough loaf, hollowed out, filled with steaming goodness, and the bread lid on the side. Great flavour.....hot tub of happy clams, chucks of celery, potatoes, chewy bits and a sprinkle of parsley on top. The only downfall in our opinion is the choice of using a bread bowl as a dish......cool presentation and the locally baked bread is a round of chewy soft goodness, but it soaked up all the soup....we like to dunk our bread.
4. Fisherman's Grotto - a family street food operation at the wharf that also has a restaurant. They were the 2013 Wharf Chowder Winners. This chowder had lots of potatoes, chewy bits, celery, and a nice flavour profile, you could tell the clams were in no rush to climb out of the hot tub. I think they put a little paprika in the soup too. The only problem was that it was too thick.....glutinous almost. Served with oyster crackers.
5. Boudin's - this long standing icon at the wharf is where the best sourdough comes from....many of the other restaurants and vendors use their bread. We ordered our chowder in a regular bowl, using the bread bowl for dipping only. This chowder had flavour-packed base, lots of clams for extra chewing, perfect amount of potatoes, crunchy celery, and the perfect balance of creaminess. Having it served on it's own with the bread on the side is the way to go. If we had choosen the chowder, served the same way, at the Franciscan, it might have been in the running for second place.
And the winner is.....
(insert drum roll here)
THE BOUDIN......it had all that we hoped for in a chowder. Chunky...Creamy...Chewy...Clammy!
We felt that The Sea Grill had the best base flavour......I mean it's clam chowder....make it taste like clams.....if all the contenders had invited more clams over for an all night hot tub party it would have made for a tougher choice.
Thanks San Francisco for filling our bellies with creamy clam goodness......we'll be back!!