Chowderfest returned to Boston this year, after a couple years away because of, well, you know. City Hall Plaza is under reconstruction, so it was held this year along Washington Street in Downtown Crossing: Read more.
clam chowder
When the temperature dips, Lisa Johnson's thoughts turn to clam chowder. And she's started the Chowdah Project to chronicle the New England specialty, from recipes to reviews of local chowder offerings.
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OK, Christopher's of Maynard got the most votes at today's Chowderfest. You want my opinion? The heat got to too many people. I'm sorry, Farmer Brown and his wife, Mrs. Brown, above, had the best chowder today (if you discount Turner Fisheries, which is in the "Hall of Fame" and so ineligible for votes). No, I'd never heard of them before, either and Farmer Brown runs a farm stand in Middleton, not a restaurant, but they know from chowder.
Of course, I can't clam up about the annual event on City Hall Plaza:
![Chowda!](http://www.universalhub.com/images/2007/chowda2007-07-01.jpg)
Sacre bleu! Normally, part of the point of Chowdafest is to show off your Boston chops, because only a Bostonian would stand on a broiling-hot City Hall Plaza to eat spoonful after spoonful of boiling hot clam chowder. But yesterday was actually quite pleasant, even on the plaza - which made the annual event more tolerable for wussy tourists, I suppose.
The USS Wasp had the most original clam chowder - made with shrimp - but my vote went to Christopher's out in far-distant Maynard - its chowder was creamy and had plenty of clams, if perhaps just a tad too much bacon.
Pam rates all ten entries, including this dismissal of the Grille at Hobbs Brook:
This chowder was way too thick, almost gluey. There was no clam flavor; all I could taste was potatoes. Very institutional, but not surprising for hotel food.
Clair, meanwhile, notes that City Hall Plaza seems to be falling apart - loose and even missing bricks all over the place:
... It is easy for someone to trip and fall. A matter of fact, I saw some mid-aged woman fall because of the missing bricks. Good thing she was ok. One of the people I was with saw someone else fall and spill his chowder. ...
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