It is not difficult to find a restaurant around here that serves chowder. Whether clam, seafood, corn, shrimp or lobster – perhaps the lobster is called “bisque” – it more than likely is pretty good. Also easy to come by is an award for those chowders. There are award-winning chowder honors bestowed by publications, websites,
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FARAWAY FLAVOR: Servers from Bunratty Manor in Ireland pass out samples of their chowder during the 2016 Great Chowder Cook-Off in Newport. / COURTESY WATERFRONT PRODUCTIONS LLC/RICK FARRELL[/caption]
Publick House was competing in the seafood category with Chef Bob’s Lobster Seafood Chowder, hoping for some bragging rights.
“We would be honored to be able to display the ‘best chowder’ trophy from Newport in our restaurant,” said proprietor Alan Chaves. “It means something to us and to our customers and new friends who haven’t yet tasted our chowder.”
Publick House chef Bob Edwards brought up the other aspect that many of the competitors also have in common – a story or history of the chowder recipe. “My dad worked for a restaurant on the New Bedford Fish Pier called George’s. He made the chowder.”
Edwards let us in on some of the old-school ingredients and methods of preparation and revealed that indeed, everything old is new again. In the old days, there was nothing wasted. To make the chowder, the whole fish was used. Today, the culinary TV shows and gourmet magazines are full of pictures, recipes and stories from young chefs, many of them award-winning, who use similar methods.
Back in 2008, I spoke to the executive chef of the Blue Mermaid Chowder House in San Francisco that to this day proudly displays its four Great Chowder Cook-Off trophies.
At the time, executive chef Steven Connolly said the wins meant a great deal: “We’re a chowder house and here on Fisherman’s Wharf, literally every restaurant sells chowder. It is important to us to win the largest chowder competition in the country.”
Bruce Newbury’s Dining Out radio talk show is heard Saturdays at 11 a.m. on 1540 AM WADK and through the TuneIn mobile app. Email Bruce at Bruce@brucenewbury.com.