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Best Food in New England
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Most Rhode Islanders don't want their chowder sullied with milk. A base of straight clam-juice broth, plus a few onions and potatoes, maybe some diced salt pork, and plenty of shucked quahogs -- that's chowder. Typical accompaniments are clam cakes or jonnycakes, both in good form at The Commons.
15. White Quahog Chowder
The Bite
29 Basin Rd., Menemsha
Martha's Vineyard, MA
508-645-9239; thebitemenemsha.com
Often thought of as the New England clam chowder, this creamy version is well represented at places as diverse as inns and clam shacks. The Bite's version is nicely herbed and thickened (not floury), and chock-full of hard-shell clams. Take it to the beach and eat it while looking out at Menemsha Bight.
16. Fried Clams
J.T. Farnham's
88 Eastern Ave. (Rte. 133)
Essex, MA
978-768-6643
The "clam highway" on Boston's North Shore and Cape Ann boasts at least five fabulous shacks, including Woodman's, said to be the inventor of fried clams. Our preference is Farnham's: light, not greasy, no rubbery clam strips, just sweet-and-tender bellies and necks.
17. Boston-Style Baked Beans
Maine Made Products Center
461 Commercial St.
Rockport, ME
800-762-8895; cheese-me.com
Durgin-Park uses small pea or navy beans, seasoned with salt pork, molasses, and mustard (see the recipe below), slow-cooked, while State of Maine brand (at Maine Made Products Center) uses soldier or Jacob's cattle beans, seasoned similarly (but often without the pork).
RECIPE
18. Stuffed Clams
Amaral's Fish & Chips
4 Redmond St.
Warren, RI
401-247-0675; amaralsfishandchips.com
"Stuffies" are to clams casino what steak is to chicken: big and hearty. Shells are packed with chopped quahogs and bread and/or cracker crumbs, and flavored with herbs and/or veggies and plenty of clam juice, often with a red-pepper-flake kick. Amaral's definitely have that zing, but no green pepper, no bacon, no chorizo -- just the basics.
19. Codfish Cakes
Lindsey's
3138 Cranberry Highway
East Wareham, MA
508-759-5544; lindseysfamilyrestaurant.com
A hefty croquette size, Lindsey's cod cakes have plenty of mashed potatoes and fresh minced fish. Although they're deep-fried, they're not greasy, not fishy -- just yummy. They're topped with stewed tomatoes, celery, and onions, and accompanied by baked beans. Like all the good food here, they prove that everything tastes better when it's made by hand.
20. Baked Stuffed Lobster
Legal Sea Foods
5 Cambridge Center
Cambridge, MA (and 29 other East Coast locations)
617-864-3400; legalseafoods.com
Although many places offer stuffed lobster, we were bowled over by Legal's generous scallop-and-shrimp take on it (no crumbs). Add in those big chunks of lobster, and you've got a seafood meal supreme.
21. Clam Cakes
Flo's Clam Shack
4 Wave Ave.
Middletown, RI
401-847-8141; quahog.org/cuisine
Reader Comments
Comment from Denise Chamie on March 4, 2009
12, #14 and #21 are three of my favorites, Jonnycakes (made with Kenyons stoned ground meal of course), and Clear Quahog Chowder, and who could live through a summer in RI without going to Haven Bros. in Providence to have a Lobster Roll.......I miss it all.
Thanks for the memories.
Denise
Comment from Brooke Burton on March 4, 2009
A great list. I think there should be a best seafood pasta category for all of us Italian food lovers!
I suggest Daily Catch in the North End.
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