Call me crazy, but when I’m on beach vacation, particularly our annual Block Island summer vacation, there is nothing that I crave more than a nice hearty cup of New England Clam Chowder. I know most people, strolling off the beach greased with suntan lotion, a mixture of sand and salt entangled in every strand of body hair, and sweat puddled in every joint and fat roll would be repulsed at the mere thought of diving in to a warm, viscous, creamy bowl of soup. Not me. Give my sweaty, stinky ass a Corona and a cup of chowder and call it bliss. This somewhat unusual craving is born from a combination of a desperate need for sustenance after being beaten into submission by the sun and an ethereal satisfaction from eating something that tastes and smells of the sea from which it was harvested, the same sea that I pleasurably gazed out at all day from the comfort of my beach chair.
Please don’t misunderstand. Even though I’ve consumed more than my share of clam chowder, I by no means consider myself a connoisseur. I can’t really tell you what makes one chowder better than another or even what “special ingredients” I would use if I were to attempt to make clam chowder at home. However, this chowder ignorance surely doesn’t stop me from being strongly opinionated about this topic. In this regard, clam chowder and wine are a lot in common for me. I can’t tell you if a wine has the aroma of cherries or figs or tobacco or anti-freeze for that matter, but after a sip or two I can certainly and unequivocally tell you whether it gets a thumbs up or thumbs down in my book. So since we’re in Block Island and since I plan on sampling at least four of five cups of chowder over the course of the week, I figured this was a good opportunity to dig a little deeper into the mystique of clam chowder and really figure out what makes a clam chowder enjoyable for me.
Well I wasted no time. Day one, first meal, lunch at the Beachhead, and I ordered up a cup of their “clear” clam chowder. There’s no doubt that I was skeptical when I ordered, but I had my heart set on clam chowder and I was going for it. While we waited for the food to arrive, I envisioned a broth similar to miso soup with little salty calms and bits of vegetables (maybe even seaweed) floating in the translucent sea of fish stock. What I got instead was a murky, oily mess. It was almost as if the chef was making a traditional New England clam chowder and realized part way through that he’d run out of cream. Only worse, the broth was oily giving it an unpleasant texture. The bits of herbs that would normally be smoothed by the silkiness of the cream were instead harsh and unappetizing. Needless to say, this “clear” clam chowder didn’t satisfy my yearning and left no question that I’d be ordering clam chowder for lunch the next day.
So day two, after nearly three wonderful hours on the beach, we strolled up the stairs on the National Hotel and all I could think about was clam chowder. The cups of briny, gooey soup that arrived on our table couldn’t have been more different than the blasphemy I experienced a day earlier. In fact, if a hurricane were ever heading for the Block Island, I’m pretty sure that this soup could be used to fortify the sea walls that protect Old Harbor. Thick doesn’t even begin to describe the texture, but was it too thick? I don’t think so. You could still discern the plump little pieces of clams, the nicely cooked potatoes and bits of celery. Unlike the “clear” chowder, this clam porridge had just flecks of thyme that added a nice flavor. I was once told an “insiders tips” that many restaurants use instant mash potatoes to thicken their New England clam chowder, and being that I’m not a fan of short cuts, I hope that isn’t the secret to the thickness of the National’s chowder. Nonetheless, the soup was flavorful, robust and it really hit the spot.
On Day 3, the chowders continued to get better. For several seasons, G.S. Sharky’s was only open for dinner, and having had a not so great dinner there several years ago, it had been a while since we visited this restaurant. This year they were open for lunch again and given their convenience to the beach we decided to give it a try. Well, Sharky’s chowder had all of the positive attributes of the clam chowder served at the National; in fact they almost looked identical. The one differentiator was the Sharky’s clam chowder was slightly less thick than the National’s. This was a small, but significant difference resulting in a much more satisfying texture and taste. Maybe I was wrong in previously declaring that the National’s clam chowder was not too thick.
Next up was a new joint, MacPhail’s, which is actually an order window with outdoor seating overlooking Old Harbor. The ads for MacPhail’s in the Block Island Times and other island publications proclaimed that this establishment is a Martha’s Vineyard favorite that has now opened a location on Block Island. How could I resist?!? Well the clam chowder served from this order window on the side of The Inn at Old Harbor was remarkably similar to the soup I had a day earlier at Sharky’s, except that the potatoes were a little undercooked. I’m starting to think that this exercise may be futile and redundant. Maybe there isn’t that big of a variation in New England clam chowders. Maybe what I liked most is just a good old traditional clam chowder.
Day 5 wasn’t a beach day, but nonetheless I still felt compelled to have clam chowder. Our restaurant of choice on this day was the Mohegan Café and Brewery and their chowder was more of the same. The only noticeable difference between the clam chowder here and previous chowders at the National, Sharky’s and MacPhail’s was that the Mohegan clam chowder was slightly saltier than the others…salty in a good, porky kind of way. I wished that whenever pork product was rendered at the beginning of the soup making process had been reserved and crumbled on top of the chowder for an extra salty, crunch bite.
Day 6 was our last day on Block Island and since we were booked on a late afternoon ferry home, and because we wanted to maximize our time at the beach, we opted to forego a sit down lunch. Since I didn’t have chowder for lunch, I seriously considered grabbing a cup on the ferry, but I thought better of it. Still, having clam chowder 5 times in 6 days was sufficient to satisfy my craving.
When I embarked on this adventure, I hoped to learn more about what differentiates really outstanding clam chowder from the rest of the pack. Instead, having sampled four very good, yet uncannily similar chowders (and one abomination) during our week in Block Island, I feel like I’ve developed a better understanding of what defines a quintessential New England clam chowder.
Oddly, I feel like I’ve lived my own episode of “Tyler’s Ultimate”. Not the more recent episodes where Tyler creates an entire meal around a featured dish or ingredient, but the older ones where Tyler would visit a few eateries, see how others prepare the featured dish, and then create his “ultimate” version of the dish. To bring this journey to a close, I guess the only thing left for me to do is try my hand at making my very own “ultimate” New England clam chowder. Stay tuned…
