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Best Food in New England

25 choices: One may be in your hometown

by Johnette Rodriguez

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Certainly a list of 25 foods at 25 places doesn't do justice to the scores of fabulous eateries all over New England that still serve old-timey foods. What follows is intended to jump-start your own expeditions -- to give New England's newcomers an idea of what to look for and to prod longtime residents into appreciating the great dishes right under their noses.

1. Apple Pie

Freund's Farm Market
324 Norfolk Rd.
East Canaan, CT
860-824-0650; freundsfarmmarket.com

Although the apples come from nearby New York State, the blend of different kinds -- tart, sweet, firm, and tender, with not too much sugar and spice -- makes Freund's apple pie can't-stop-eating-it good. The homemade crust lets the juices seep into the top edges; transporting it oven-hot in your car is the best kind of air freshener.

2. Cheddar Cheese

Grafton Village Cheese
533 Townshend Rd.
Grafton, VT
800-472-3866; graftonvillagecheese.com

You know what they say: "Apple pie without cheese is like a hug without a squeeze." The best topping for apple pie is a slice of cheddar -- a savory, creamy contrast to the apples and spices. Grafton uses only Vermont Jersey milk in its award-winning cheeses: six cheddar ages (one to six years, mild to sharp) and three flavors (maple-smoked, sage, and garlic).

3. Pumpkin Pie

Cottage Street Bakery
5 Cottage St.
Orleans, MA
508-255-2821; cottagestreetbakery.com

Drive down Cape Cod to pick up Marc Launoy's light-as-a-feather pie, its filling a mix of half-and-half, evaporated milk, canned pumpkin, and a homemade blend of spices. What makes this one a sure-fire winner is that the pumpkin's earthiness isn't overwhelmed by the spice or the sweetener, and the crust is light and tasty.

4. Blueberry Pie

Wild Blueberry Land
1067 Rte. 1
Columbia Falls, ME
207-483-2583

This pie has that sweet crunch of small wild berries, that woodsy tang when the juice flows, plus a wisp of thickener and a delicate, delicious complementary crust (in this case, a Dutch crumb topping). And, the building's shaped like a blueberry -- all the more fun.

5. Indian Pudding

Durgin-Park
340 Faneuil Hall Marketplace
Boston, MA
617-227-2038; durgin-park.com

This dessert, devised by early settlers and seamen, has always used commonly available ingredients: cornmeal and molasses, eggs and milk. ("Indian" comes from the cornmeal, which was originally referred to as "Indian meal.") Durgin-Park's has a wonderfully smooth texture from long, slow cooking.

6. Grape-Nut Pudding

Moody's Diner
1885 Atlantic Highway (Rte. 1)
Waldoboro, ME
207-832-7785; moodysdiner.com

Moody's concession to Grape-Nuts purists is to make both a custard version and a pudding version, served on different days of the week. The custard is baked; the pudding is cooked double-boiler-style, with eggs separated. It's the vanilla in the custard that's always hooked us -- just right.

7. Boston Cream Pie

Omni Parker House
60 School St.
Boston, MA
617-227-8600; omnihotels.com

In addition to its famous Boston scrod and Parker House rolls, this hotel's kitchen is said to have invented this custard-filled, chocolate-glazed sponge cake (see the recipe, right). Sometimes nothing but the original (in these elegant surroundings) will do. Massachusetts' legislators agreed, making Boston cream pie the state dessert in 1996.

RECIPE

8. Doughnuts

Butler's Colonial Donut House
459 Sanford Rd.
Westport, MA
508-672-4600

Doughnuts are to New Englanders what bagels are to New Yorkers: a daily necessity. At Butler's, they've taken this yeasty pastry to a new level by filling round and rectangular doughnuts with real whipped cream. The latter are called "Long Johns," and under the cream is a delicious stripe of black raspberry jelly.

9. Whoopie Pies

Just Like Mom's Pastries
353 Riverdale Rd.
Weare, NH
603-529-6667; justlikemomspastries.com

Although Maine lays claim to this confection (as do other regions of the country), Just Like Mom's whoopie pie is true to its name: a large cakelike cookie, dense with chocolate flavor; slightly crispy on the edges; cut in half and slathered with a marshmallow creme filling, not white frosting. A melt-in-your-mouth "pie," worthy of the whoop.

10. Apple Cider

Appleland Orchard
135 Smith Ave. (Rte. 116)
Greenville, RI
401-949-3690

Since unpasteurized cider can legally be sold only at the orchard that presses it (a handful in New England still do this), it's a 40-year-old tradition to trek to Appleland in the fall. The cider is an unbeatable blend of Macs, Empires, and Delicious apples, whose nectarlike taste will make you swoon.

RECIPE

11. Maple Creemies

Morse Farm Maple Sugarworks
1168 County Rd.
Montpelier, VT
800-242-2740; morsefarm.com

Local lore has it that the more e's in the word creemie (or creemee), the better the soft-serve ice cream is. Many places offer maple-flavored ice cream, but Morse has a lock on true maple flavor: a gallon of syrup per container of creemie mix. Heavenly. And very Vermont.

12. Jonnycakes

Jigger's Diner
145 Main St.
East Greenwich, RI
401-884-5388; quahog.org/cuisine

The jonnycake wars between East Bay and West Bay/South County are all about style: thin and made with cold milk, or thick and made with hot water. Jigger's (in West Bay) are dense and chewy, made by pouring boiling water over stone-ground white-flint cornmeal. Savory with fried eggs or sweet with maple syrup, these cakes stick to your ribs.

13. Fish Chowder

The West Deck
1 Waites Wharf
Newport, RI
401-847-3610

The "Bermuda" in The West Deck's fish chowder is Gosling's rum and a sherry-pepper sauce. But the clam-stock base and chunks of salmon, swordfish, and sometimes striped bass or sole, depending on what's available, are what make it hearty and no longer a "best-kept secret."

14. Clear Quahog Chowder

The Commons Lunch
48 Commons Way
Little Compton, RI
401-635-4388; quahog.org/cuisine

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

Ocean State tradition has it that the clams are hard to find in clam cakes, but there's always a tang from the clam juice in the fritterlike batter. The trick is to keep it light and to deep-fry these treats so they come out dry and not greasy. Flo's has been doing it for 70 years, so these folks have got it down.

22. Lobster Pie

Maine Diner
2265 Post Rd. (Rte. 1)
Wells, ME
207-646-4441; mainediner.com

You don't need a shell or a sauce. All you need is a pound of lobster meat, plenty of butter, and crushed Ritz cracker crumbs. Put those three into a casserole dish, bake, and serve. At the Maine Diner, timing and proportions are key, so the lobster stays moist and juicy.

23. Crab Cakes

Riverside Café
151 Main St.,
Ellsworth, ME
207-667-7220

Plenty of fresh rock crabmeat is generously mixed with herbs, bread crumbs, and a bit of egg to form a sandwich-filling cake that stuns the palate with its layers of flavors. Maine's crab cakes are a different animal (literally) from Maryland's, and Riverside's are a prime example.

24. Lobster Roll

Red's Eats
Main & Water Sts.
Wiscasset, ME
207-882-6128; hollyeats.com/Reds.htm

They pile on the lobster at Red's. And the harmonious interaction of that fresh, cold meat, just barely mayo-dabbed, with the warm toasted bun underneath -- well, it just sings of summer!

25. Yankee Pot Roast

The Griswold Inn
36 Main St.
Essex, CT
860-767-1776; griswoldinn.com

Even the phone number touts the Revolutionary heritage of this charming inn, with its dark wood and gleaming brass. The pot roast is flavorful and tender from slow oven braising -- a proud standard bearer of this Yankee tradition.

RECIPE