City Hall Chowderfest

I returned from Cape Cod after the long holiday weekend mid-afternoon on Monday July 5th. Since it was about 90 degrees and humid, I made a wise decision to attend an outdoor clam chowder tasting. Presenting the Boston City Hall 29th Annual Chowdahfest.
I actually found out about this event via one of the many "tourist" pamphlets I read through on the car ride home (thanks G & Stripes) that Adam picked up when we made a pit stop at Exit 5 off Route 3. The event itself only cost $10 so I figured, why not?
Seven restaurants entered this years competition:
1) Mr. Dooley's Boston Tavern
2) Yankee Lobster Fish Market
3) Anthem Kitchen + Bar
4) The Fish Pier Restaurant
5) Oceana, Long Wharf Boston Marriot
6) Farmer Brown's (Middelton)
7) Parkers Restaurant, Omni Parker House Hotel

You are allowed to sample each restaurants chowder as many times as you like and then vote for your favorite.

I began at Mr. Dooley's Boston Tavern, where the chowder sample escaped the camera.
Their chowder was thick and hearty, exactly the kind of chowder you would expect from a traditional Irish Pub. The richest of the seven by far, I would call it more of a clam stew. I thought it was flavorful and well done, but I pondered would I really be able to eat an entire bowlful?! Maybe if it was my main course!

Next up: Yankee Lobster Company. (So sorry for the awful glare - at 5pm the sun was still beating down like nobodys business.)
In sharp contrast to Mr. Dooley's - Yankee Lobster was actually the thinnest clam chowder of the bunch, and surprisingly, I really really enjoyed it. The picture below doesn't do it justice, but there was a perfect balance of clams to potatoes. The briny ocean flavors of the broth as well the clams tasted extremely fresh. Nice work Yankee Lobster.

Anthem Kitchen + Bar is a new spot located right down the street in Faneuil Hall's South Market Building.
I walked by the other day and thought - oh that looks like a relaxed bar that would be nice to check out sometime.
I went and sat down at some tables across the plaza to set up a nicer looking photo of the sample chowder cup. I wasn't sure about this one. The texture was right in the middle between Dooley's thick creamy stew and Yankee's thin briny broth. Which sounds ideal - but at the time I remember thinking - "pick one". Be thick or be thin. I guess just wasn't convinced that Anthem truly achieved a spot on creamy texture. It didn't stand out to me and if I do visit their bar, I'm not sure the chowder would be at the top of my to-order-list.

Moving right along. Damn it's hot out and I'm getting full.....
The Fish Pier was unfortunately my least favorite chowder of the day.
Not only does it look flavorless and unappealing, the taste was bland and lacked anything reminiscent of the sea. The potatoes were undercooked to boot.

Oceana at the Long Wharf Marriot hands down wins first place for booth presentation.
The chowder presentation on the other hand had me slightly skeptical.
I know it's clam chowder but the awkwardly chewy, rather large clams were unappealing to me. I believe a good clam chowder has a balanced ratio of clams to potatoes, and there were no potatoes to be found in Oceana's sample.

But I was impressed by the creative spread!

"One of these is not like the other". Farmer Browns was the only non-restaurant to participate and they are also not located in Boston.
Their unpictured chowder was decent, but apparently not enough to stick out in my mind. That's my way of saying I can't remember what it tasted like and I'm about to turn into a bowl of clam chowder if I take one more bite.....

Press on. Two more to taste. Parker's Restaurant at the Omni Parker House Hotel stood out for one main reason.
A light, fluffy, buttery bite-size roll accompanied their sample. I desperately needed something, anything other than oyster crackers to eat with my chowder. Thank you Parker's. Your attention to detail is duely noted.
Parker's did a good job. I thought they nailed the creamy broth, however the potato and clams were insignificant. I could taste them but their texture was off. They aren't supposed to be minced!

Last but not least - The Chart House was present to showcase their Hall of Fame chowder. Restaurants who have won three times are entered into the hall of fame and are no longer eligible to compete for our votes. I just dined here last month, although I did not eat their chowder. I was delighted to be able to sample it today. It looked amazing and tasted pretty darn good too. All the elements of a great chowder are achieved. A nice balance of clams to potatoes which are just the right size and a thick broth that is both salty and creamy. The Hall of Fame induction was well deserved.

Chowderfest Hall of Famers include:
Captain Parker’s Pub: 2000, 2001, 2006
The Chart House: 1989, 1990, 1995
Mass Bay Company - Sheraton Boston Hotel & Towers: 1982, 1983, 1992
Ned Devine's Irish Pub: 2004, 2005, 2009
Turner Fisheries Bar & Restaurant - Westin Hotel: 1984, 1985, 1986

My cousin Jen recently emailed me: (Who I know is reading this - Jen so sorry I haven't written you back yet!) I am thinking I would like to make New England Clam Chowder. Do you have a good recipe that you guys use? From following your Blog, you know good food!! OK, believe it or not, I have never made clam chowder. I just go to clam chowder festivals and critique all these hardworking restaurants who do make it ;) Can any readers (Gretchen, Mom, anybody?!) hook my cousin up with a clam chowder recipe? Leave a comment with a link if you have a good one. I'd really appreciate it. Thanks!
So who won my vote after I made my way through the Boston EMS cooling station? I was having a tough time. It wasn't a hands down easy choice. But I voted for Yankee Lobster Company. (Side note - why does this place have two names? Their sign says Yankee Lobster Company, but their website says Yankee Lobster Fish Market??) Anyways, I think my vote was a combination of outside factors aka the intense heat, that allowed their lighter yet flavorful chowder to shine through and leave a lasting impression. Had it been a chilly winter day I might have voted for Mr. Dooley's creamy thick version. Drum roll please....

The 2010 Chowderfest Winners:

1st Place - Anthem Kitchen + Bar
2nd Place - Mr. Dooley's Boston Tavern
3rd Place - Yankee Lobster Fish Market

Well you know how I feel about the 2nd and 3rd place! As far as Anthem taking 1st? I chalk it up to the staff behind their booth that were super friendly and more so than any other restaurant, encouraging folks to vote for them. No, I'm sure it was well deserved. Congrats Anthem!

I stopped off at the Ocean Spray booth on my way out of City Hall.

The friendly and informative staff were promoting their new line of juices: Fruit & Veggie Juice Drinks. Pictured above is the Tropical Citrus made with 100% fruit and vegetable juice from grapes, carrots, apples, grapefruits, sweet potatoes and mangoes, as well as pineapple juice from concentrate.
I also sampled Blueberry Juice Cocktail. Both juices were refreshing and invigorating after all that clam chowder under the hot summer sun.
Have you tried Ocean Spray's new line of juices yet?

I'm catching up on fun life events, really I am! Still to come: Boston Landmarks Orchestra Concert at Fenway Park and a Saturday lunch outing with Adam!